Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malindi and Kericho

For one person, living is cheaper in Kericho: $489 a month against $517 in Malindi, rent and utilities included – about $340 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Kericho
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Kericho Living Index

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Malindi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$517

/mo nomad

Kericho

🇰🇪 Kenya

$489

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malindi and in Kericho

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $517 in Malindi versus $489 in Kericho.

Malindi $517
Kericho $489

Estimated couple costs with rent: $803 in Malindi versus $767 in Kericho.

Malindi $803
Kericho $767

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,090 in Malindi versus $1,044 in Kericho.

Malindi $1,090
Kericho $1,044

Living in Malindi is roughly 6% more expensive than in Kericho, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Malindi 62% lower, Kericho 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 KES 277

$2.27 KES 295

-5.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.30 KES 3,284

$20.70 KES 2,687

22.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.44 KES 1,355

$6.37 KES 827

63.89%

Cappuccino

$2.70 KES 351

$2.56 KES 333

5.47%

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

$0.68 KES 88.5

$0.36 KES 47.30

88.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 KES 67.1

$0.62 KES 80.2

-16.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 KES 298

$2.26 KES 294

1.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 KES 419

$1.26 KES 163

156.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 KES 117

$0.59 KES 76.6

52.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 64.3

$0.48 KES 62.0

4.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 KES 162

$1.25 KES 163

Eggs

$1.83 KES 237

$1.64 KES 212

11.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 KES 1,480

$10.76 KES 1,396

5.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.98 KES 647

$6.71 KES 871

-25.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.89 KES 635

$4.19 KES 543

16.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 KES 269

$3.38 KES 439

-38.76%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 KES 101

$1.02 KES 132

-23.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 KES 228

$2.09 KES 272

-15.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 KES 91.7

$1.10 KES 143

-35.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 KES 93.7

$0.68 KES 87.8

5.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 KES 84.0

$0.72 KES 93.2

-9.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 KES 77.1

$0.30 KES 38.81

96.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 KES 58.8

$0.61 KES 78.6

-26.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 KES 540

$3.55 KES 460

17.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.83 KES 1,276

$11.41 KES 1,482

-13.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 KES 261

$2.29 KES 298

-12.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 KES 384

$2.79 KES 362

6.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 KES 408

$1.53 KES 199

105.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 KES 231

$1.55 KES 201

14.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.59 KES 596

$2.92 KES 379

57.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 KES 178

$1.60 KES 208

-14.37%

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

$12.0K KES 1.6M

$19.2K KES 2.5M

-37.23%

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

$12.0K KES 1.6M

$22.0K KES 2.9M

-45.49%

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

$76.0 KES 9,870

$56.0 KES 7,265

35.86%

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

$8.99 KES 1,166

$14.96 KES 1,941

-39.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.23 KES 3,924

$35.16 KES 4,564

-14.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.62 KES 5,013

Cinema Ticket

$15.42 KES 2,002

$7.62 KES 989

102.36%

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

$85.5 KES 11.1K

$274 KES 35.5K

-68.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,381 KES 698.4K

$12.3K KES 1.6M

-56.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.28 KES 1,723

$27.67 KES 3,592

-52.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.38 KES 1,737

$29.30 KES 3,803

-54.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.49 KES 3,049

$69.5 KES 9,015

-66.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.81 KES 6,076

$59.3 KES 7,691

-21.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 KES 49.2K

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 Kericho: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Malindi

$173 33.4%

Kericho

$189 38.7% 9.7% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malindi

$115 22.3%

Kericho

$106 21.7% 8% $9.2

Eating Out

Malindi

$104 20.1%

Kericho

$86 17.5% 17.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Malindi

$69 13.5%

Kericho

$15 * 3.1% 78.1% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Malindi

$44 8.5%

Kericho

$84 17.1% 91.5% $40

Getting Around

Malindi

$12 * 2.3%

Kericho

$9.3 * 1.9% 22.9% $2.8

Accommodation & Living

Malindi

- * 0%

Kericho

- * 0%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $25 in Malindi vs $21 in Kericho. Groceries flip the comparison at $173 vs $189, with Malindi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Malindi

🇰🇪 Kericho

🕒 Local time

18:55 6:55 PM

Same time as Malindi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,735

150,000

💱 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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Between locations

Malindi Kericho 620 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Malindi
Kericho

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 Kericho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $517 in Malindi and $489 in Kericho, so Kericho is about 5% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $775 in Malindi and $734 in Kericho 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 $85 in Malindi versus $274 in Kericho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kericho – a meal for two runs $21 versus $25 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 Kericho 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.