Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malindi and Meru

For one person, living costs are similar in Malindi and in Meru: $518 and $520 a month, rent and utilities included.

25

Cost of Living Index in Malindi
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Malindi Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Meru
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Meru Living Index

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Malindi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$518

/mo nomad

Meru

🇰🇪 Kenya

$520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malindi and in Meru

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

A single person spends $518 per month in Malindi vs $520 in Meru, rent included.

Malindi $518
Meru $520

A couple spends around $804 per month in Malindi vs $853 in Meru, rent included.

Malindi $804
Meru $853

A family of three spends $1,090 per month in Malindi vs $1,185 in Meru, rent included.

Malindi $1,090
Meru $1,185

Malindi and Meru have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Malindi and Meru are more affordable than the global median – Malindi 62% lower, Meru 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.09 KES 271

$6.43 KES 835

-67.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.46 KES 3,306

$34.99 KES 4,542

-27.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.50 KES 1,364

$6.24 KES 810

68.27%

Cappuccino

$2.69 KES 349

$2.59 KES 336

3.86%

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

$0.70 KES 90.2

$0.66 KES 85.6

6.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 KES 61.7

$0.66 KES 86.0

-27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 KES 298

$2.35 KES 305

-2.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 KES 434

$2.73 KES 355

22.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 KES 126

$0.82 KES 106

18.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 64.7

$0.40 KES 51.4

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 KES 156

$1.11 KES 144

8.11%

Eggs

$1.75 KES 227

$1.46 KES 190

19.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.53 KES 1,496

$10.70 KES 1,389

7.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.79 KES 621

$6.68 KES 867

-28.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.12 KES 664

$5.12 KES 665

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 KES 270

$3.35 KES 434

-37.91%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 KES 94.6

$0.80 KES 104

-8.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 KES 231

$0.75 KES 98.0

137.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.66 KES 85.9

$0.80 KES 103

-17.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 KES 94.8

$1.16 KES 150

-37.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 KES 84.7

$1.01 KES 132

-35.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 KES 73.6

$0.24 KES 31.32

137.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 KES 58.6

$0.40 KES 51.9

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 KES 514

$3.38 KES 439

17.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.40 KES 1,220

$11.69 KES 1,518

-19.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 KES 258

$2.29 KES 297

-13.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 KES 384

$2.67 KES 347

10.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 KES 390

$1.57 KES 204

91.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 KES 229

$1.52 KES 198

15.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.57 KES 593

$2.85 KES 370

60.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 KES 178

$1.60 KES 208

-14.37%

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

$11.9K KES 1.5M

$19.5K KES 2.5M

-39.13%

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

$11.8K KES 1.5M

$21.9K KES 2.8M

-46.00%

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

$78.4 KES 10.2K

$57.0 KES 7,393

37.65%

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

$9.34 KES 1,213

$15.21 KES 1,975

-38.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.01 KES 4,026

$34.48 KES 4,477

-10.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.98 KES 5,061

Cinema Ticket

$15.11 KES 1,962

$7.51 KES 976

101.20%

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

$87.1 KES 11.3K

$281 KES 36.4K

-68.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,436 KES 705.8K

$12.1K KES 1.6M

-54.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.86 KES 1,670

$27.89 KES 3,621

-53.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.57 KES 1,762

$28.49 KES 3,699

-52.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.27 KES 3,022

$69.5 KES 9,026

-66.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.24 KES 6,003

$57.8 KES 7,501

-19.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 KES 50.8K

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Meru: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Malindi

$171 33.1%

Meru

$183 35.2% 6.9% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malindi

$119 22.9%

Meru

$107 20.5% 10.2% $12

Eating Out

Malindi

$103 20%

Meru

$124 23.8% 19.8% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Malindi

$69 13.4%

Meru

$15 * 2.9% 78.3% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Malindi

$43 8.3%

Meru

$83 15.9% 91.4% $39

Getting Around

Malindi

$12 * 2.3%

Meru

$9.2 * 1.8% 22.2% $2.6

Accommodation & Living

Malindi

- * 0%

Meru

- * 0%

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 in Malindi versus $35 in Meru. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $171 vs $183 – making Malindi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Malindi

🇰🇪 Meru

🕒 Local time

09:19 9:19 AM

Same time as Malindi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,735

1,833,000

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.84 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.84 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Malindi Meru 460 km

From you

Malindi
Meru

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 Meru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $776 per month in Malindi and $781 in Meru. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Meru, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Malindi and $35 in Meru. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $518 in Malindi and $520 in Meru, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Malindi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $518 in Malindi to $520 in Meru. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.