Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Machakos and Malindi

For one person, living costs are similar in Machakos and in Malindi: $520 and $517 a month, rent and utilities included.

25

Cost of Living Index in Machakos
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Machakos Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Malindi
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Malindi Living Index

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Machakos

🇰🇪 Kenya

$520

/mo nomad

Malindi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$517

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Machakos and in Malindi

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 Malindi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $520 in Machakos versus $517 in Malindi.

Machakos $520
Malindi $517

Estimated couple costs with rent: $802 in Machakos versus $803 in Malindi.

Machakos $802
Malindi $803

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,084 in Machakos versus $1,090 in Malindi.

Machakos $1,084
Malindi $1,090

Monthly costs are close between Machakos and Malindi; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Machakos 62% lower, Malindi 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.99 KES 389

$2.14 KES 277

39.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.26 KES 2,500

$25.30 KES 3,284

-23.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.26 KES 812

$10.44 KES 1,355

-40.04%

Cappuccino

$1.97 KES 255

$2.70 KES 351

-27.04%

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

$0.66 KES 85.4

$0.68 KES 88.5

-2.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 KES 69.6

$0.52 KES 67.1

3.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 KES 281

$2.29 KES 298

-5.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 KES 346

$3.23 KES 419

-17.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.39 KES 50.9

$0.90 KES 117

-56.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 KES 62.7

$0.50 KES 64.3

-4.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 KES 104

$1.25 KES 162

-36.00%

Eggs

$1.36 KES 177

$1.83 KES 237

-25.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.89 KES 1,413

$11.40 KES 1,480

-4.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.36 KES 826

$4.98 KES 647

27.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.71 KES 612

$4.89 KES 635

-3.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.50 KES 195

$2.07 KES 269

-27.54%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 KES 105

$0.78 KES 101

3.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.37 KES 47.49

$1.76 KES 228

-78.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.40 KES 51.6

$0.71 KES 91.7

-43.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 KES 102

$0.72 KES 93.7

9.72%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 KES 98.6

$0.65 KES 84.0

16.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 KES 97.6

$0.59 KES 77.1

27.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 KES 51.1

$0.45 KES 58.8

-13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 KES 455

$4.16 KES 540

-15.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.31 KES 1,468

$9.83 KES 1,276

15.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 KES 248

$2.01 KES 261

-4.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 KES 351

$2.96 KES 384

-8.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 KES 96.4

$3.14 KES 408

-76.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 KES 97.8

$1.78 KES 231

-57.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 KES 371

$4.59 KES 596

-37.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 KES 195

$1.37 KES 178

9.49%

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

$19.1K KES 2.5M

$12.0K KES 1.6M

58.70%

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

$21.7K KES 2.8M

$12.0K KES 1.6M

80.99%

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

$57.0 KES 7,396

$76.0 KES 9,870

-25.07%

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

$7.83 KES 1,017

$8.99 KES 1,166

-12.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.58 KES 1,503

$30.23 KES 3,924

-61.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.98 KES 5,060

$38.62 KES 5,013

0.93%

Cinema Ticket

$7.66 KES 994

$15.42 KES 2,002

-50.32%

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

$45.51 KES 5,907

$85.5 KES 11.1K

-46.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K KES 1.6M

$5,381 KES 698.4K

128.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.62 KES 1,509

$13.28 KES 1,723

-12.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.49 KES 3,698

$13.38 KES 1,737

112.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.8 KES 8,923

$23.49 KES 3,049

192.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.19 KES 4,956

$46.81 KES 6,076

-18.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$94.2 KES 12.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$70.4 KES 9,132

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$155 KES 20.1K

$379 KES 49.2K

-59.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$116 KES 15.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$385 KES 50.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.71

13.15%

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

Last update for Machakos: October 24, 2026

Last update for Malindi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Machakos

$161 31%

Malindi

$173 33.4% 7.2% $12

Eating Out

Machakos

$87 16.8%

Malindi

$104 20.1% 18.7% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Machakos

$76 14.7%

Malindi

$115 22.3% 50.9% $39

Accommodation & Living

Machakos

$70 13.5%

Malindi

- * 0% 100%

Clothing & Footwear

Machakos

$66 12.7%

Malindi

$44 8.5% 34.1% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Machakos

$54 10.4%

Malindi

$69 13.5% 27.9% $15

Getting Around

Machakos

$4.5 * 0.9%

Malindi

$12 * 2.3% 167% $7.5

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $19 in Machakos vs $25 in Malindi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $161 vs $173 per month, with Machakos cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Machakos

🇰🇪 Malindi

🕒 Local time

19:40 7:40 PM

Same time as Machakos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

114,109

117,735

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Machakos Malindi 370 km

From you

Machakos
Malindi

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 Malindi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $780 in Machakos and $775 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.

Shoppers in Machakos pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Machakos – a meal for two runs $19 versus $25 in Malindi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Malindi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.