Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malindi and Kisii

For one person, living is cheaper in Kisii: $304 a month against $518 in Malindi, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Malindi
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Malindi Living Index

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Malindi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$518

/mo nomad

Kisii

🇰🇪 Kenya

$304

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malindi and in Kisii

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $518 in Malindi versus $304 in Kisii.

Malindi $518
Kisii $304

Estimated couple costs with rent: $804 in Malindi versus $444 in Kisii.

Malindi $804
Kisii $444

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,090 in Malindi versus $585 in Kisii.

Malindi $1,090
Kisii $585

Living in Malindi is roughly 70% more expensive than in Kisii, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Malindi 62% lower, Kisii 78% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.09 KES 271

$2.75 KES 358

-24.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.46 KES 3,307

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.50 KES 1,364

Cappuccino

$2.69 KES 349

$1.37 KES 178

96.35%

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

$0.70 KES 90.3

$0.87 KES 113

-19.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 KES 61.8

$0.22 KES 28.46

118.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 KES 298

$1.83 KES 237

25.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 KES 434

$2.25 KES 293

48.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 KES 126

$0.94 KES 122

3.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 64.7

$0.48 KES 62.0

4.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 KES 156

$2.26 KES 294

-46.90%

Eggs

$1.75 KES 227

$1.81 KES 236

-3.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.53 KES 1,497

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.79 KES 621

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.12 KES 664

$4.67 KES 606

9.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 KES 270

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 KES 94.6

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 KES 231

Tomato (1kg)

$0.66 KES 85.9

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 KES 94.8

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 KES 84.7

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 KES 73.6

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 KES 58.6

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 KES 514

Wine (Bottle)

$9.40 KES 1,220

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 KES 258

$1.97 KES 256

1.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 KES 384

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 KES 47.40

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.58 KES 2,023

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 KES 390

$0.76 KES 98.6

294.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 KES 229

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.57 KES 593

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 KES 178

$1.47 KES 190

-6.80%

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

$11.9K KES 1.5M

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

$11.8K KES 1.5M

$11.7K KES 1.5M

1.52%

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

$78.4 KES 10.2K

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

$9.34 KES 1,213

$16.21 KES 2,105

-42.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.01 KES 4,026

$47.51 KES 6,170

-34.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.98 KES 5,062

Cinema Ticket

$15.11 KES 1,962

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

$87.1 KES 11.3K

$37.99 KES 4,933

129.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,436 KES 705.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.86 KES 1,670

$11.44 KES 1,486

12.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.57 KES 1,763

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.27 KES 3,022

$38.57 KES 5,008

-39.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.24 KES 6,004

$30.24 KES 3,927

52.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$75.5 KES 9,802

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 KES 50.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$155 KES 20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Malindi: November 1, 2026

Last update for Kisii: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Malindi

$171 33.1%

Kisii

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malindi

$119 22.9%

Kisii

–

Eating Out

Malindi

$103 20%

Kisii

–

Sport & Entertainment

Malindi

$69 13.4%

Kisii

–

Clothing & Footwear

Malindi

$43 8.3%

Kisii

–

Getting Around

Malindi

$12 * 2.3%

Kisii

–

Accommodation & Living

Malindi

- * 0%

Kisii

–

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

Good to know

🇰🇪 Malindi

🇰🇪 Kisii

🕒 Local time

07:39 7:39 AM

Same time as Malindi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,735

200,000

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Malindi Kisii 660 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Malindi
Kisii

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 Kisii: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kisii wins on cost – living expenses run 41% lower than in Malindi. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kisii the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $776 in Malindi and $456 in Kisii 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.

All in, you’ll spend $518 per month in Malindi versus $304 in Kisii – Kisii is about 41% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 215% higher in Malindi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Kisii 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.