Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malindi and Mombasa

For one person, living is cheaper in Malindi: $517 a month against $715 in Mombasa, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Malindi
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Malindi Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Mombasa
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Mombasa Living Index

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Malindi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$517

/mo nomad

Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$715

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malindi and in Mombasa

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

A single person spends $517 per month in Malindi vs $715 in Mombasa, rent included.

Malindi $517
Mombasa $715

A couple spends around $803 per month in Malindi vs $1,138 in Mombasa, rent included.

Malindi $803
Mombasa $1,138

A family of three spends $1,090 per month in Malindi vs $1,560 in Mombasa, rent included.

Malindi $1,090
Mombasa $1,560

Malindi is about 28% cheaper than Mombasa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Malindi and Mombasa are more affordable than the global median – Malindi 62% lower, Mombasa 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 KES 278

$2.63 KES 342

-18.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.30 KES 3,285

$24.66 KES 3,202

2.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.44 KES 1,355

$10.51 KES 1,364

-0.67%

Cappuccino

$2.70 KES 351

$2.71 KES 351

-0.37%

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

$0.68 KES 88.5

$0.74 KES 95.5

-8.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 KES 67.1

$0.48 KES 62.3

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 KES 298

$2.33 KES 303

-1.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 KES 419

$3.26 KES 423

-0.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 KES 117

$0.92 KES 119

-2.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 64.3

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 KES 162

$1.57 KES 204

-20.38%

Eggs

$1.83 KES 237

$1.82 KES 237

0.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 KES 1,481

$13.98 KES 1,815

-18.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.98 KES 647

$4.89 KES 636

1.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.89 KES 635

$5.25 KES 682

-6.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 KES 269

$2.16 KES 280

-4.17%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 KES 102

$1.14 KES 148

-31.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 KES 228

$1.84 KES 239

-4.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 KES 91.8

$0.71 KES 92.4

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 KES 93.8

$0.69 KES 89.0

4.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 KES 84.0

$1.02 KES 132

-36.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 KES 77.1

$0.59 KES 77.0

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 KES 58.8

$0.42 KES 55.2

7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 KES 540

$3.97 KES 516

4.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.83 KES 1,277

$9.51 KES 1,234

3.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 KES 262

$1.98 KES 257

1.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 KES 384

$2.94 KES 382

0.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 KES 105

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.41 KES 4,988

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 KES 408

$3.16 KES 410

-0.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 KES 231

$1.70 KES 221

4.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.59 KES 596

$4.61 KES 598

-0.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 KES 178

$1.53 KES 199

-10.46%

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

$12.0K KES 1.6M

$12.2K KES 1.6M

-1.22%

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

$12.0K KES 1.6M

$11.9K KES 1.5M

1.13%

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

$76.0 KES 9,875

$76.8 KES 9,967

-0.93%

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

$8.99 KES 1,167

$9.07 KES 1,177

-0.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.23 KES 3,926

$34.36 KES 4,462

-12.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.62 KES 5,015

$17.66 KES 2,294

118.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.32 KES 2,509

Cinema Ticket

$15.42 KES 2,003

$15.26 KES 1,981

1.05%

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

$85.5 KES 11.1K

$86.7 KES 11.3K

-1.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,381 KES 698.8K

$5,484 KES 712.2K

-1.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.28 KES 1,724

$12.89 KES 1,674

3.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.38 KES 1,738

$13.50 KES 1,753

-0.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.49 KES 3,050

$23.07 KES 2,996

1.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.81 KES 6,079

$46.74 KES 6,069

0.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$229 KES 29.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 KES 20.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 KES 49.2K

$535 KES 69.4K

-29.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 KES 47.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,457 KES 708.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,881 KES 504.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$317 KES 41.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Malindi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Malindi

$173 33.4%

Mombasa

$185 25.8% 7.1% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malindi

$115 22.3%

Mombasa

$120 16.8% 4.3% $4.9

Eating Out

Malindi

$104 20.1%

Mombasa

$108 15.1% 4.4% $4.6

Sport & Entertainment

Malindi

$69 13.5%

Mombasa

$48 6.7% 30.7% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Malindi

$44 8.5%

Mombasa

$43 6.1% 0.8% $0.3

Getting Around

Malindi

$12 * 2.3%

Mombasa

$53 7.5% 343% $41

Accommodation & Living

Malindi

- * 0%

Mombasa

$157 22%

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 $25 in Mombasa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $173 vs $185 – making Malindi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Malindi

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🕒 Local time

22:45 10:45 PM

Same time as Malindi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,735

1,300,000

💱 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 Mombasa 110 km

From you

Malindi
Mombasa

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 Mombasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mombasa costs about 38% more than Malindi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $775 per month in Malindi and $1,073 in Mombasa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $517 in Malindi and $715 in Mombasa. That makes Malindi about 28% cheaper.

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

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $517 in Malindi and $715 in Mombasa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.