Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malindi and Embu

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

25

Cost of Living Index in Malindi
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Malindi Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Embu
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Embu Living Index

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Malindi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$520

/mo nomad

Embu

🇰🇪 Kenya

$517

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malindi and in Embu

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

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

Malindi $520
Embu $517

Estimated couple costs with rent: $806 in Malindi versus $822 in Embu.

Malindi $806
Embu $822

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,092 in Malindi versus $1,127 in Embu.

Malindi $1,092
Embu $1,127

Living in Malindi is roughly 1% more expensive than in Embu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Malindi 61% lower, Embu 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.06 KES 267

$6.24 KES 809

-66.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.99 KES 3,241

$30.87 KES 4,002

-19.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.58 KES 1,372

$5.42 KES 702

95.20%

Cappuccino

$2.76 KES 358

$2.35 KES 305

17.45%

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

$0.68 KES 88.8

$0.36 KES 46.68

88.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 KES 67.2

$0.24 KES 31.13

116.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 KES 304

$2.28 KES 296

3.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 KES 429

$2.63 KES 341

25.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 KES 116

$0.56 KES 72.9

60.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 KES 69.8

$0.52 KES 66.8

3.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 KES 164

$0.96 KES 124

32.29%

Eggs

$1.79 KES 232

$1.71 KES 222

4.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.74 KES 1,522

$3.89 KES 504

201.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.81 KES 624

$3.21 KES 416

49.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.99 KES 647

$4.20 KES 544

18.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 KES 269

$3.34 KES 433

-37.72%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 KES 94.7

$1.05 KES 136

-30.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 KES 236

$2.06 KES 267

-11.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.67 KES 87.2

$0.41 KES 53.0

63.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 KES 87.6

$0.63 KES 81.5

7.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 KES 87.5

$0.91 KES 118

-26.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 KES 76.6

$0.74 KES 95.8

-20.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 KES 55.3

$0.55 KES 71.9

-21.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 KES 526

$3.65 KES 473

11.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.88 KES 1,281

$11.48 KES 1,489

-13.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 KES 253

$2.23 KES 289

-12.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 KES 377

$2.70 KES 350

7.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 KES 148

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 KES 393

$1.51 KES 196

100.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 KES 221

$1.58 KES 205

7.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.66 KES 604

$2.94 KES 382

58.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 KES 186

$1.60 KES 207

-10.63%

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

$12.3K KES 1.6M

$21.2K KES 2.7M

-42.13%

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

$11.8K KES 1.5M

$12.2K KES 1.6M

-2.83%

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

$77.9 KES 10.1K

$57.1 KES 7,400

36.41%

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

$9.43 KES 1,223

$15.06 KES 1,952

-37.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.35 KES 4,065

$34.48 KES 4,470

-9.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.09 KES 5,069

$17.41 KES 2,257

124.53%

Cinema Ticket

$15.22 KES 1,974

$4.28 KES 555

255.61%

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

$87.5 KES 11.3K

$251 KES 32.5K

-65.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,349 KES 693.5K

$12.6K KES 1.6M

-57.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.08 KES 1,696

$9.22 KES 1,196

41.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.47 KES 1,746

$29.38 KES 3,809

-54.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.22 KES 3,010

$70.3 KES 9,113

-66.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.29 KES 6,002

$15.37 KES 1,993

201.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$76.2 KES 9,876

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$53.1 KES 6,886

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$378 KES 49.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$91.6 KES 11.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$272 KES 35.3K

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 12, 2026

Last update for Embu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Malindi

$172 33.2%

Embu

$148 28.6% 14.2% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malindi

$119 22.8%

Embu

$107 20.6% 10.1% $12

Eating Out

Malindi

$105 20.1%

Embu

$113 22% 8.6% $9

Sport & Entertainment

Malindi

$70 13.4%

Embu

$26 5% 62.7% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Malindi

$43 8.3%

Embu

$56 10.8% 29.4% $13

Getting Around

Malindi

$12 * 2.2%

Embu

$14 * 2.7% 21.1% $2.4

Accommodation & Living

Malindi

- * 0%

Embu

$53 10.3%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $25.00 in Malindi vs $31.00 in Embu. Groceries flip the comparison at $172 vs $148, with Embu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Malindi

🇰🇪 Embu

🕒 Local time

20:54 8:54 PM

Same time as Malindi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,735

41,092

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Malindi Embu 420 km

From you

Malindi
Embu

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 Embu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malindi and Embu differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($520 vs $517 including rent). Embu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $780 in Malindi and $775 in Embu 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.

Childcare runs $87.5 in Malindi versus $251 in Embu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Embu – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $25.00 in Malindi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Embu 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.

Expats usually find Embu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Malindi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.