Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malindi and Garissa

For one person, living is cheaper in Garissa: $381 a month against $517 in Malindi, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Malindi
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Malindi Living Index

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Malindi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$517

/mo nomad

Garissa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$381

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malindi and in Garissa

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

A single person spends $517 per month in Malindi vs $381 in Garissa, rent included.

Malindi $517
Garissa $381

A couple spends around $803 per month in Malindi vs $666 in Garissa, rent included.

Malindi $803
Garissa $666

A family of three spends $1,090 per month in Malindi vs $950 in Garissa, rent included.

Malindi $1,090
Garissa $950

Malindi costs about 36% more than Garissa.

Both Malindi and Garissa are more affordable than the global median – Malindi 62% lower, Garissa 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 KES 278

$11.75 KES 1,526

-81.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.30 KES 3,285

$22.77 KES 2,957

11.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.44 KES 1,355

Cappuccino

$2.70 KES 351

$7.66 KES 994

-64.75%

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

$0.68 KES 88.5

$1.97 KES 255

-65.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 KES 67.1

$1.13 KES 146

-53.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 KES 298

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 KES 419

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 KES 117

$0.51 KES 66.6

76.47%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 64.3

$0.60 KES 77.5

-16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 KES 162

$1.49 KES 193

-16.11%

Eggs

$1.83 KES 237

$1.89 KES 245

-3.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 KES 1,481

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.98 KES 647

$6.26 KES 813

-20.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.89 KES 635

$5.34 KES 694

-8.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 KES 269

$3.78 KES 491

-45.24%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 KES 102

$3.16 KES 410

-75.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 KES 228

$4.50 KES 584

-60.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 KES 91.8

$0.79 KES 103

-10.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 KES 93.8

$1.26 KES 163

-42.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 KES 84.0

$1.50 KES 195

-56.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 KES 77.1

$2.32 KES 301

-74.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 KES 58.8

$0.56 KES 72.9

-19.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 KES 540

Wine (Bottle)

$9.83 KES 1,277

$5.87 KES 762

67.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 KES 262

$1.73 KES 224

16.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 KES 384

$3.91 KES 507

-24.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 KES 408

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 KES 231

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.59 KES 596

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 KES 178

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

$12.0K KES 1.6M

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

$12.0K KES 1.6M

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

$76.0 KES 9,875

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

$8.99 KES 1,167

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.23 KES 3,926

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.62 KES 5,015

Cinema Ticket

$15.42 KES 2,003

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

$85.5 KES 11.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,381 KES 698.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.28 KES 1,724

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.38 KES 1,738

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.49 KES 3,050

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.81 KES 6,079

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 KES 49.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$129 KES 16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Malindi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Garissa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Malindi

$173 33.4%

Garissa

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malindi

$115 22.3%

Garissa

–

Eating Out

Malindi

$104 20.1%

Garissa

–

Sport & Entertainment

Malindi

$69 13.5%

Garissa

–

Clothing & Footwear

Malindi

$44 8.5%

Garissa

–

Getting Around

Malindi

$12 * 2.3%

Garissa

–

Accommodation & Living

Malindi

- * 0%

Garissa

–

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Malindi versus $23 in Garissa. Groceries tell a different story – $173 in Malindi vs $183 in Garissa – so Malindi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Malindi

🇰🇪 Garissa

🕒 Local time

01:54 1:54 AM

Same time as Malindi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,735

119,696

💱 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

Lowest

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Between locations

Malindi Garissa 310 km

From you

Malindi
Garissa

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 Garissa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malindi costs about 36% more than Garissa, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $775 per month in Malindi and $571 in Garissa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Malindi and $23 in Garissa. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $517 in Malindi and $381 in Garissa. That makes Garissa about 26% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $517 in Malindi and $381 in Garissa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Malindi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $381 in Garissa to $517 in Malindi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.