Cost of Living Comparison Between Malindi and Garissa Cost of Living Comparison Between Malindi and Garissa

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $364 per month in Malindi vs $468 in Garissa, rent included.

A couple spends around $596 per month in Malindi vs $760 in Garissa, rent included.

A family of three spends $829 per month in Malindi vs $1,051 in Garissa, rent included.

Malindi is about 22% cheaper than Garissa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Malindi and Garissa are more affordable than the global median – Malindi 73% lower, Garissa 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.11 KES 272

$6.74 KES 872

-68.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.20 KES 4,033

$23.25 KES 3,005

34.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.67 KES 345

Cappuccino

$4.38 KES 566

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

$1.53 KES 198

$1.11 KES 143

37.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 KES 115

$0.72 KES 93.3

23.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.54 KES 457

$1.97 KES 255

79.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 KES 439

$2.76 KES 357

23.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 KES 127

$0.89 KES 115

10.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 KES 67.0

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 KES 163

$1.11 KES 143

13.51%

Eggs

$2.91 KES 376

$1.63 KES 210

78.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.44 KES 1,479

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.05 KES 781

$6.01 KES 777

0.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.15 KES 665

$4.22 KES 545

22.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 KES 395

$3.10 KES 401

-1.61%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 KES 97.9

$2.30 KES 297

-66.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 KES 341

$3.15 KES 408

-16.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 KES 91.3

$0.64 KES 83.0

10.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 KES 96.4

$0.84 KES 109

-10.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 KES 92.2

$1.19 KES 154

-40.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 KES 89.4

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 KES 67.4

$0.44 KES 56.9

18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 KES 297

Wine (Bottle)

$7.65 KES 989

$5.75 KES 743

33.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 KES 229

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 KES 424

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 KES 308

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 KES 177

$1.03 KES 133

33.01%

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

$9,256 KES 1.2M

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

$78.4 KES 10.1K

$15.69 KES 2,028

399.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.23 KES 4,037

$23.43 KES 3,028

33.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.06 KES 4,919

$23.11 KES 2,987

64.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.74 KES 1,517

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.81 KES 1,010

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.32 KES 3,014

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$23.03 KES 2,977

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$102 KES 13.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$78.5 KES 10.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$382 KES 49.3K

$195 KES 25.2K

95.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$174 KES 22.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$132 KES 17.0K

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

Last update for Malindi: July 26, 2026

Last update for Garissa: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Malindi versus $23.00 in Garissa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $166 vs $153 – making Garissa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Monthly costs with rent: $364 in Malindi, $468 in Garissa – roughly 29% apart. Garissa costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $546 per month in Malindi and $703 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 $31.00 in Malindi and $23.00 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 $364 in Malindi and $468 in Garissa. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $364 in Malindi and $468 in Garissa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

If budget matters most, go with Malindi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Garissa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.