Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malindi and Kilifi

For one person, living is cheaper in Malindi: $520 a month against $634 in Kilifi, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Kilifi outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Malindi
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Malindi Living Index

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Malindi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$520

/mo nomad

Kilifi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$634

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malindi and in Kilifi

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

A single person spends $520 per month in Malindi vs $634 in Kilifi, rent included.

Malindi $520
Kilifi $634

A couple spends around $806 per month in Malindi vs $1,049 in Kilifi, rent included.

Malindi $806
Kilifi $1,049

A family of three spends $1,092 per month in Malindi vs $1,465 in Kilifi, rent included.

Malindi $1,092
Kilifi $1,465

Malindi is about 18% cheaper than Kilifi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Malindi and Kilifi are more affordable than the global median – Malindi 61% lower, Kilifi 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.06 KES 267

$1.90 KES 246

8.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.99 KES 3,241

$49.32 KES 6,394

-49.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.58 KES 1,372

$2.29 KES 297

362.01%

Cappuccino

$2.76 KES 358

$1.99 KES 257

38.69%

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

$0.68 KES 88.8

$0.81 KES 105

-16.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 KES 67.2

$0.74 KES 96.2

-29.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 KES 304

$1.52 KES 196

54.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 KES 429

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 KES 116

$1.06 KES 137

-15.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 KES 69.8

$0.88 KES 114

-38.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 KES 164

$2.01 KES 260

-36.82%

Eggs

$1.79 KES 232

$1.94 KES 251

-7.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.74 KES 1,522

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.81 KES 624

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.99 KES 647

$7.89 KES 1,023

-36.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 KES 269

$2.28 KES 296

-8.77%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 KES 94.7

$0.70 KES 90.9

4.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 KES 236

$1.79 KES 232

1.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.67 KES 87.2

$0.45 KES 57.7

48.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 KES 87.6

$0.79 KES 103

-13.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 KES 87.5

$0.79 KES 103

-15.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 KES 76.6

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 KES 55.3

$0.22 KES 28.39

95.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 KES 526

Wine (Bottle)

$9.88 KES 1,281

$12.67 KES 1,643

-22.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 KES 253

$1.72 KES 222

13.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 KES 377

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 KES 95.7

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.67 KES 3,457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 KES 393

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 KES 221

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.66 KES 604

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 KES 186

$1.32 KES 171

8.33%

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

$12.3K KES 1.6M

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

$11.8K KES 1.5M

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

$77.9 KES 10.1K

$15.65 KES 2,029

397.51%

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

$9.43 KES 1,223

$10.43 KES 1,353

-9.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.35 KES 4,065

$25.11 KES 3,255

24.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.09 KES 5,069

$27.40 KES 3,552

42.66%

Cinema Ticket

$15.22 KES 1,974

$7.52 KES 974

102.39%

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

$87.5 KES 11.3K

$160 KES 20.8K

-45.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,349 KES 693.5K

$4,984 KES 646.1K

7.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.08 KES 1,696

$9.82 KES 1,273

33.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.47 KES 1,746

$8.90 KES 1,154

51.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.22 KES 3,010

$15.50 KES 2,009

49.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.29 KES 6,002

$17.60 KES 2,282

163.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$329 KES 42.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$303 KES 39.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$378 KES 49.0K

$273 KES 35.4K

38.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 KES 73.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$227 KES 29.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

62.50%

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

Last update for Malindi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kilifi: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Malindi

$172 33.2%

Kilifi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malindi

$119 22.8%

Kilifi

–

Eating Out

Malindi

$105 20.1%

Kilifi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Malindi

$70 13.4%

Kilifi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Malindi

$43 8.3%

Kilifi

–

Getting Around

Malindi

$12 * 2.2%

Kilifi

–

Accommodation & Living

Malindi

- * 0%

Kilifi

–

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 $25.00 in Malindi versus $49.00 in Kilifi. Groceries tell a different story – $172 in Malindi vs $124 in Kilifi – so Kilifi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Malindi

🇰🇪 Kilifi

🕒 Local time

22:24 10:24 PM

Same time as Malindi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,735

122,899

💱 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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Between locations

Malindi Kilifi 55 km

From you

Malindi
Kilifi

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 Kilifi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $520 in Malindi, $634 in Kilifi – roughly 22% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $780 per month in Malindi and $951 in Kilifi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Malindi and $49.00 in Kilifi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 39% cheaper in Kilifi – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $520 in Malindi and $634 in Kilifi, 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, Kilifi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.