Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malindi and Eldoret

For one person, living costs are similar in Malindi and in Eldoret: $517 and $506 a month, rent and utilities included.

25

Cost of Living Index in Malindi
Learn more

Malindi Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Eldoret
Learn more

Eldoret Living Index

Jump to prices

Malindi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$517

/mo nomad

Eldoret

🇰🇪 Kenya

$506

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malindi and in Eldoret

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $517 in Malindi versus $506 in Eldoret.

Malindi $517
Eldoret $506

Estimated couple costs with rent: $803 in Malindi versus $870 in Eldoret.

Malindi $803
Eldoret $870

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,090 in Malindi versus $1,234 in Eldoret.

Malindi $1,090
Eldoret $1,234

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Malindi 62% lower, Eldoret 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 KES 277

$1.50 KES 195

42.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.30 KES 3,284

$34.67 KES 4,500

-27.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.44 KES 1,355

$6.21 KES 807

68.12%

Cappuccino

$2.70 KES 351

$2.66 KES 346

1.50%

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

$0.68 KES 88.5

$0.30 KES 38.35

126.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 KES 67.1

$0.39 KES 51.0

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 KES 298

$2.34 KES 304

-2.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 KES 419

$2.67 KES 347

20.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 KES 117

$0.72 KES 93.6

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 64.3

$0.45 KES 58.9

11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 KES 162

$1.49 KES 194

-16.11%

Eggs

$1.83 KES 237

$1.50 KES 195

22.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 KES 1,480

$3.91 KES 507

191.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.98 KES 647

$4.10 KES 533

21.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.89 KES 635

$4.13 KES 535

18.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 KES 269

$2.36 KES 307

-12.29%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 KES 101

$1.06 KES 138

-26.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 KES 228

$0.72 KES 93.0

144.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 KES 91.7

$0.87 KES 113

-18.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 KES 93.7

$0.56 KES 72.5

28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 KES 84.0

$0.44 KES 56.8

47.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 KES 77.1

$0.75 KES 97.5

-21.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 KES 58.8

$0.67 KES 86.5

-32.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 KES 540

$3.38 KES 439

23.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.83 KES 1,276

$5.64 KES 732

74.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 KES 261

$2.11 KES 274

-4.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 KES 384

$1.52 KES 197

94.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 KES 176

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 KES 408

$1.55 KES 201

102.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 KES 231

$1.57 KES 203

13.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.59 KES 596

$2.84 KES 369

61.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 KES 178

$1.55 KES 202

-11.61%

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

$12.0K KES 1.6M

$19.3K KES 2.5M

-37.44%

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

$12.0K KES 1.6M

$22.1K KES 2.9M

-45.63%

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

$76.0 KES 9,870

$40.35 KES 5,237

88.45%

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

$8.99 KES 1,166

$15.06 KES 1,955

-40.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.23 KES 3,924

$34.77 KES 4,514

-13.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.62 KES 5,013

$38.46 KES 4,992

0.42%

Cinema Ticket

$15.42 KES 2,002

$7.52 KES 976

105.05%

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

$85.5 KES 11.1K

$63.4 KES 8,224

34.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,381 KES 698.4K

$12.5K KES 1.6M

-56.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.28 KES 1,723

$11.63 KES 1,509

14.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.38 KES 1,737

$29.52 KES 3,832

-54.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.49 KES 3,049

$19.48 KES 2,529

20.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.81 KES 6,076

$34.36 KES 4,460

36.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$91.8 KES 11.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.9 KES 11.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 KES 49.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$272 KES 35.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$604 KES 78.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.71

-11.62%

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

Last update for Malindi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Eldoret: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Malindi

$173 33.4%

Eldoret

$132 26.1% 23.4% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malindi

$115 22.3%

Eldoret

$90 17.8% 21.8% $25

Eating Out

Malindi

$104 20.1%

Eldoret

$82 16.3% 20.4% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Malindi

$69 13.5%

Eldoret

$54 10.6% 23% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Malindi

$44 8.5%

Eldoret

$43 8.5% 2% $0.9

Getting Around

Malindi

$12 * 2.3%

Eldoret

$15 * 2.9% 22.9% $2.8

Accommodation & Living

Malindi

- * 0%

Eldoret

$90 17.8%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $25 in Malindi vs $35 in Eldoret. Groceries flip the comparison at $173 vs $132, with Eldoret cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Malindi

🇰🇪 Eldoret

🕒 Local time

09:59 9:59 AM

Same time as Malindi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,735

193,830

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Malindi Eldoret 680 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Malindi
Eldoret

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

Malindi vs Eldoret: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $775 in Malindi and $758 in Eldoret 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 31% higher in Malindi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Malindi – a meal for two runs $25 versus $35 in Eldoret. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Eldoret 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.