Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malindi and Kiambu

For one person, living is cheaper in Kiambu: $503 a month against $517 in Malindi, rent and utilities included – about $170 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Malindi outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

25

Cost of Living Index in Malindi
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Malindi Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Kiambu
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Kiambu Living Index

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Malindi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$517

/mo nomad

Kiambu

🇰🇪 Kenya

$503

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malindi and in Kiambu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $517 in Malindi versus $503 in Kiambu.

Malindi $517
Kiambu $503

Estimated couple costs with rent: $803 in Malindi versus $823 in Kiambu.

Malindi $803
Kiambu $823

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,090 in Malindi versus $1,143 in Kiambu.

Malindi $1,090
Kiambu $1,143

Living in Malindi is roughly 3% more expensive than in Kiambu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 KES 277

$6.41 KES 832

-66.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.30 KES 3,284

$34.12 KES 4,429

-25.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.44 KES 1,355

$6.52 KES 847

60.12%

Cappuccino

$2.70 KES 351

$2.60 KES 337

3.85%

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

$0.68 KES 88.5

$0.64 KES 83.4

6.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 KES 67.1

$0.62 KES 81.0

-16.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 KES 298

$2.26 KES 293

1.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 KES 419

$2.62 KES 340

23.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 KES 117

$0.54 KES 70.7

66.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 64.3

$0.55 KES 71.5

-9.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 KES 162

$1.83 KES 237

-31.69%

Eggs

$1.83 KES 237

$1.37 KES 178

33.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 KES 1,480

$10.71 KES 1,390

6.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.98 KES 647

$6.67 KES 866

-25.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.89 KES 635

$4.01 KES 520

21.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 KES 269

$3.50 KES 455

-40.86%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 KES 101

$1.04 KES 135

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 KES 228

$0.75 KES 97.0

134.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 KES 91.7

$0.59 KES 77.0

20.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 KES 93.7

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 KES 84.0

$0.71 KES 92.4

-8.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 KES 77.1

$0.30 KES 38.51

96.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 KES 58.8

$0.37 KES 47.82

21.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 KES 540

$3.39 KES 440

22.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.83 KES 1,276

$11.49 KES 1,492

-14.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 KES 261

$2.27 KES 295

-11.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 KES 384

$2.70 KES 350

9.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 KES 81.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 KES 408

$1.51 KES 196

107.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 KES 231

$0.36 KES 47.31

394.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.59 KES 596

$2.81 KES 365

63.35%

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

-37.30%

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

$12.0K KES 1.6M

$21.6K KES 2.8M

-44.44%

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

$76.0 KES 9,870

$56.4 KES 7,317

34.89%

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

$8.99 KES 1,166

$7.86 KES 1,020

14.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.23 KES 3,924

$35.13 KES 4,560

-13.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.62 KES 5,013

Cinema Ticket

$15.42 KES 2,002

$5.82 KES 755

164.95%

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

$85.5 KES 11.1K

$280 KES 36.4K

-69.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,381 KES 698.4K

$12.5K KES 1.6M

-57.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.28 KES 1,723

$27.56 KES 3,577

-51.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.38 KES 1,737

$29.19 KES 3,789

-54.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.49 KES 3,049

$70.1 KES 9,104

-66.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.81 KES 6,076

$57.5 KES 7,463

-18.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$116 KES 15.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 KES 49.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,175 KES 152.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$125 KES 16.3K

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 25, 2026

Last update for Kiambu: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Malindi

$173 33.4%

Kiambu

$180 35.8% 4.3% $7.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malindi

$115 22.3%

Kiambu

$99 19.7% 13.8% $16

Eating Out

Malindi

$104 20.1%

Kiambu

$124 24.6% 19.4% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Malindi

$69 13.5%

Kiambu

$12 * 2.3% 83.3% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Malindi

$44 8.5%

Kiambu

$83 16.5% 90.2% $39

Getting Around

Malindi

$12 * 2.3%

Kiambu

$5.8 * 1.2% 51.5% $6.2

Accommodation & Living

Malindi

- * 0%

Kiambu

- * 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 $34 in Kiambu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $173 vs $180 per month, with Malindi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Malindi

🇰🇪 Kiambu

🕒 Local time

06:07 6:07 AM

Same time as Malindi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,735

147,870

💱 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

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Between locations

Malindi Kiambu 430 km

From you

Malindi
Kiambu

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 Kiambu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kiambu is about 3% cheaper overall, especially in leisure and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $775 in Malindi and $755 in Kiambu 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 $280 in Kiambu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Malindi – a meal for two runs $25 versus $34 in Kiambu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Kiambu 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.