Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Machakos and Kilifi

For one person, living is cheaper in Machakos: $520 a month against $645 in Kilifi, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Kilifi outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Machakos
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Machakos Living Index

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Machakos

🇰🇪 Kenya

$520

/mo nomad

Kilifi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$645

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Machakos and in Kilifi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Machakos and in Kilifi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $520 per month in Machakos vs $645 in Kilifi, rent included.

Machakos $520
Kilifi $645

A couple spends around $802 per month in Machakos vs $1,050 in Kilifi, rent included.

Machakos $802
Kilifi $1,050

A family of three spends $1,084 per month in Machakos vs $1,454 in Kilifi, rent included.

Machakos $1,084
Kilifi $1,454

Machakos is about 19% cheaper than Kilifi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Machakos and Kilifi are more affordable than the global median – Machakos 62% lower, Kilifi 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.99 KES 389

$1.89 KES 245

58.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.26 KES 2,501

$49.35 KES 6,408

-60.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.26 KES 813

$2.28 KES 296

174.56%

Cappuccino

$1.97 KES 255

$1.97 KES 256

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

$0.66 KES 85.4

$0.75 KES 97.6

-12.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 KES 69.6

$0.74 KES 95.5

-27.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 KES 281

$1.55 KES 202

39.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 KES 346

Milk (1 liter)

$0.39 KES 50.9

$1.06 KES 137

-63.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 KES 62.7

$0.88 KES 114

-45.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 KES 104

$2.06 KES 267

-61.17%

Eggs

$1.36 KES 177

$1.98 KES 258

-31.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.89 KES 1,414

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.36 KES 827

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.71 KES 612

$7.86 KES 1,020

-40.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.50 KES 195

$2.32 KES 302

-35.34%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 KES 105

$0.66 KES 85.5

22.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.37 KES 47.51

$1.74 KES 226

-78.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.40 KES 51.6

$0.45 KES 58.3

-11.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 KES 102

$0.73 KES 95.3

8.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 KES 98.7

$0.79 KES 103

-3.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 KES 97.6

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 KES 51.1

$0.24 KES 31.17

62.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 KES 456

Wine (Bottle)

$11.31 KES 1,469

$12.87 KES 1,671

-12.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 KES 248

$1.75 KES 227

9.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 KES 351

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 KES 105

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 KES 3,541

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 KES 96.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 KES 97.8

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 KES 371

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 KES 195

$1.37 KES 177

9.49%

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

$19.1K KES 2.5M

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

$21.7K KES 2.8M

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

$57.0 KES 7,400

$15.66 KES 2,034

263.86%

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

$7.83 KES 1,017

$10.08 KES 1,309

-22.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.58 KES 1,504

$24.96 KES 3,242

-53.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.98 KES 5,062

$27.67 KES 3,593

40.87%

Cinema Ticket

$7.66 KES 995

$7.78 KES 1,010

-1.54%

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

$45.51 KES 5,910

$164 KES 21.3K

-72.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K KES 1.6M

$4,922 KES 639.2K

150.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.62 KES 1,509

$9.88 KES 1,283

17.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.49 KES 3,700

$9.02 KES 1,171

215.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.8 KES 8,927

$15.60 KES 2,025

340.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.19 KES 4,959

$17.37 KES 2,256

119.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$94.2 KES 12.2K

$332 KES 43.1K

-71.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$70.4 KES 9,137

$313 KES 40.7K

-77.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$155 KES 20.1K

$265 KES 34.4K

-41.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$116 KES 15.1K

$556 KES 72.2K

-79.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$385 KES 50.0K

$229 KES 29.7K

68.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.71

83.88%

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

Last update for Machakos: October 24, 2026

Last update for Kilifi: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Machakos

$161 31%

Kilifi

–

Eating Out

Machakos

$87 16.8%

Kilifi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Machakos

$76 14.7%

Kilifi

–

Accommodation & Living

Machakos

$70 13.5%

Kilifi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Machakos

$66 12.7%

Kilifi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Machakos

$54 10.4%

Kilifi

–

Getting Around

Machakos

$4.5 * 0.9%

Kilifi

–

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $94 in Machakos versus $332 in Kilifi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 68% higher in Machakos, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Machakos versus $49 in Kilifi. Groceries tell a different story – $161 in Machakos vs $125 in Kilifi – so Kilifi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Machakos

🇰🇪 Kilifi

🕒 Local time

17:03 5:03 PM

Same time as Machakos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

114,109

122,899

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.92 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Machakos Kilifi 370 km

From you

Machakos
Kilifi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Machakos vs Kilifi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $520 in Machakos, $645 in Kilifi – roughly 24% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $780 per month in Machakos and $968 in Kilifi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Machakos, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $94 there versus $332 in Kilifi.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Machakos and $49 in Kilifi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 22% cheaper in Kilifi – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $520 in Machakos and $645 in Kilifi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Machakos – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.