Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malindi and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Malindi: $517 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Malindi, Kenya
Mexico City, Mexico
Malindi
🇰🇪 Kenya
$517
/mo nomad
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malindi and in Mexico City

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

A single person spends $517 per month in Malindi vs $1,608 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Malindi $517
  • Mexico City $1,608

A couple spends around $803 per month in Malindi vs $2,549 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Malindi $803
  • Mexico City $2,549

A family of three spends $1,090 per month in Malindi vs $3,490 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Malindi $1,090
  • Mexico City $3,490

Malindi is about 68% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Malindi sits 62% below the global median, while Mexico City is 18% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Malindi
Mexico City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.14 KES 277
$10.62 MX$198
-79.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$25.30 KES 3,284
$48.35 MX$901
-47.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.44 KES 1,355
$10.35 MX$193
0.87%
Cappuccino
$2.70 KES 351
$3.69 MX$68.7
-26.83%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.68 KES 88.5
$1.67 MX$31.05
-59.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.52 KES 67.1
$1.27 MX$23.58
-59.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.29 KES 298
$3.19 MX$59.5
-28.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.23 KES 419
$5.31 MX$98.9
-39.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Malindi
Mexico City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.90 KES 117
$1.72 MX$32.13
-47.67%
White Bread (500g)
$0.50 KES 64.3
$3.04 MX$56.6
-83.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.25 KES 162
$1.94 MX$36.17
-35.57%
Eggs
$1.83 KES 237
$2.89 MX$53.8
-36.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.40 KES 1,480
$10.97 MX$204
3.92%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.98 KES 647
$9.25 MX$172
-46.16%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.89 KES 635
$15.13 MX$282
-67.68%
Apples (1kg)
$2.07 KES 269
$3.05 MX$56.8
-32.13%
Banana (1kg)
$0.78 KES 101
$1.94 MX$36.17
-59.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.76 KES 228
$2.03 MX$37.73
-13.30%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.71 KES 91.7
$2.31 MX$43.12
-69.26%
Potato (1kg)
$0.72 KES 93.7
$2.04 MX$37.91
-64.71%
Onion (1kg)
$0.65 KES 84.0
$1.80 MX$33.53
-63.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.59 KES 77.1
$1.48 MX$27.56
-60.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.45 KES 58.8
$1.27 MX$23.62
-64.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.16 KES 540
$5.30 MX$98.8
-21.51%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.83 KES 1,276
$16.10 MX$300
-38.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.01 KES 261
$1.98 MX$36.95
1.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.96 KES 384
$4.25 MX$79.2
-30.35%
🚌 Getting Around
Malindi
Mexico City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.31 MX$5.68
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$19.73 MX$368
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.14 KES 408
$1.84 MX$34.23
70.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.78 KES 231
$0.53 MX$9.94
235.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.59 KES 596
$5.30 MX$98.7
-13.40%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.37 KES 178
$1.51 MX$28.14
-9.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$12.0K KES 1.6M
$21.8K MX$405.3K
-44.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$12.0K KES 1.6M
$24.0K MX$446.9K
-49.95%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malindi
Mexico City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.0 KES 9,870
$63.0 MX$1,173
20.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.99 KES 1,166
$27.39 MX$510
-67.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.23 KES 3,924
$35.67 MX$664
-15.25%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Malindi
Mexico City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.62 KES 5,013
$58.9 MX$1,098
-34.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$23.64 MX$441
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.42 KES 2,002
$6.40 MX$119
140.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Malindi
Mexico City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$85.5 KES 11.1K
$432 MX$8,041
-80.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,381 KES 698.4K
$11.4K MX$212.8K
-52.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Malindi
Mexico City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$13.28 KES 1,723
$68.2 MX$1,271
-80.53%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$13.38 KES 1,737
$53.1 MX$990
-74.82%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$23.49 KES 3,049
$108 MX$2,008
-78.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$46.81 KES 6,076
$117 MX$2,185
-60.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Malindi
Mexico City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,113 MX$20.7K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$710 MX$13.2K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$379 KES 49.2K
$2,588 MX$48.2K
-85.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,406 MX$26.2K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,631 MX$67.6K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,135 MX$39.8K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Malindi
Mexico City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$946 MX$17.6K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13
11.35
14.54%

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

Last update for Malindi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Malindi
$173
Mexico City
$320 85.2% $147
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malindi
$115
Mexico City
$126 9.4% $11
Eating Out
Malindi
$104
Mexico City
$199 91.8% $95
Sport & Entertainment
Malindi
$69
Mexico City
$72 3.3% $2.3
Clothing & Footwear
Malindi
$44
Mexico City
$156 257% $112
Getting Around
Malindi
$12 *
Mexico City
$25 112% $13
Accommodation & Living
Malindi
- *
Mexico City
$710

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 $48 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $173 vs $320 – making Malindi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇰🇪 Malindi
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🕒 Local time
11:18 11:18 AM
02:18 2:18 AM
9 h behind Malindi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
117,735
9,209,944 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to KES – Kenyan Shilling Converter

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.7 USD). 1 EUR = 145 KES (1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Malindi Mexico City 15,240 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Malindi
  • Mexico City

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Malindi or Mexico City?
Mexico City costs about 211% more than Malindi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Malindi and in Mexico City?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $775 per month in Malindi and $2,412 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do dining costs compare in Malindi and in Mexico City?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Malindi and $48 in Mexico City. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Malindi or in Mexico City?
Groceries cost about 85% more in Mexico City, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Malindi or in Mexico City?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Malindi, where all-in costs run around $517, than in Mexico City at $1,608. In Malindi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Malindi or Mexico City?
It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $517 in Malindi to $1,608 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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