Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Malindi Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Malindi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $497 in Malindi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $779 in Malindi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,060 in Malindi.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 366% more expensive than in Malindi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Malindi is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$2.09 KES 270

727.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$23.43 KES 3,032

170.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$10.38 KES 1,343

9.73%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$3.56 KES 460

-10.39%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.10

$0.96 KES 124

155.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.40 KES 51.7

340.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$2.36 KES 305

52.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$3.23 KES 418

4.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$0.89 KES 115

39.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$0.52 KES 67.7

280.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.21 KES 156

25.62%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$1.81 KES 235

123.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$11.24 KES 1,454

20.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$5.54 KES 717

51.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$5.06 KES 655

260.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.10 KES 271

9.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$0.74 KES 96.3

135.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.83 KES 236

1.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$0.64 KES 82.8

310.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.72 KES 93.4

166.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$0.71 KES 91.8

194.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.56 KES 73.0

157.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.46 KES 59.4

82.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$4.75 KES 615

42.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$7.82 KES 1,011

-26.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.94 KES 251

-28.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.84 KES 368

-21.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$3.03 KES 392

37.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.76 KES 228

-35.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$4.59 KES 594

285.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.42 KES 184

63.38%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.3K €30.4K

$12.2K KES 1.6M

190.51%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$41.4K €35.6K

$12.0K KES 1.6M

244.35%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$170 €146

$54.7 KES 7,079

211.33%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$19.34 €16.62

$13.00 KES 1,682

48.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$31.03 KES 4,015

8.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$39.19 KES 5,070

22.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$10.91 KES 1,412

-9.07%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$717 €617

$86.9 KES 11.2K

725.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$5,368 KES 694.5K

225.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$13.38 KES 1,731

682.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$13.60 KES 1,759

245.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$22.92 KES 2,965

351.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$45.93 KES 5,943

169.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$387 KES 50.1K

670.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

-70.85%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Malindi: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $23.00 in Malindi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $171 per month, with Malindi cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Malindi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Malindi differ by about 366% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $497 including rent). Malindi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,474 in Lisbon and $746 in Malindi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 66% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,316 per month in Lisbon versus $497 in Malindi – a 366% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $497 in Malindi versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Malindi but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Malindi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Malindi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Malindi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 366% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.