Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malindi and Nairobi

For one person, living is cheaper in Malindi: $520 a month against $858 in Nairobi, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Nairobi
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Nairobi Living Index

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Malindi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$520

/mo nomad

Nairobi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$858

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malindi and in Nairobi

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

A single person spends $520 per month in Malindi vs $858 in Nairobi, rent included.

Malindi $520
Nairobi $858

A couple spends around $806 per month in Malindi vs $1,405 in Nairobi, rent included.

Malindi $806
Nairobi $1,405

A family of three spends $1,092 per month in Malindi vs $1,952 in Nairobi, rent included.

Malindi $1,092
Nairobi $1,952

Malindi is about 39% cheaper than Nairobi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Malindi and Nairobi are more affordable than the global median – Malindi 61% lower, Nairobi 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.06 KES 267

$6.34 KES 822

-67.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.99 KES 3,241

$34.07 KES 4,417

-26.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.58 KES 1,372

$6.41 KES 831

65.05%

Cappuccino

$2.76 KES 358

$2.65 KES 344

4.15%

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

$0.68 KES 88.8

$0.63 KES 81.3

7.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 KES 67.2

$0.60 KES 78.3

-13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 KES 304

$2.27 KES 295

3.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 KES 429

$2.78 KES 361

19.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 KES 116

$0.89 KES 116

1.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 KES 69.8

$0.56 KES 73.0

-3.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 KES 164

$1.90 KES 247

-33.16%

Eggs

$1.79 KES 232

$1.72 KES 223

4.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.74 KES 1,522

$10.83 KES 1,404

8.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.81 KES 624

$6.52 KES 846

-26.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.99 KES 647

$6.38 KES 827

-21.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 KES 269

$3.32 KES 431

-37.35%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 KES 94.7

$1.10 KES 143

-33.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 KES 236

$2.04 KES 265

-10.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.67 KES 87.2

$1.10 KES 142

-39.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 KES 87.6

$1.06 KES 137

-35.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 KES 87.5

$1.05 KES 136

-36.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 KES 76.6

$0.74 KES 95.8

-20.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 KES 55.3

$0.79 KES 102

-45.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 KES 526

$3.48 KES 451

16.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.88 KES 1,281

$11.64 KES 1,510

-15.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 KES 253

$2.21 KES 286

-11.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 KES 377

$2.84 KES 368

2.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 KES 100

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.01 KES 5,965

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 KES 393

$1.56 KES 202

94.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 KES 221

$1.52 KES 198

11.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.66 KES 604

$2.96 KES 383

57.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 KES 186

$1.55 KES 201

-7.74%

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

$12.3K KES 1.6M

$21.9K KES 2.8M

-44.04%

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

$11.8K KES 1.5M

$20.3K KES 2.6M

-41.76%

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

$77.9 KES 10.1K

$55.1 KES 7,145

41.28%

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

$9.43 KES 1,223

$15.13 KES 1,962

-37.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.35 KES 4,065

$34.54 KES 4,478

-9.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.09 KES 5,069

$50.1 KES 6,500

-22.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.50 KES 2,010

Cinema Ticket

$15.22 KES 1,974

$7.57 KES 982

101.06%

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

$87.5 KES 11.3K

$251 KES 32.5K

-65.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,349 KES 693.5K

$12.4K KES 1.6M

-56.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.08 KES 1,696

$27.61 KES 3,580

-52.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.47 KES 1,746

$29.05 KES 3,766

-53.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.22 KES 3,010

$71.0 KES 9,205

-67.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.29 KES 6,002

$59.2 KES 7,679

-21.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 KES 57.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 KES 27.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$378 KES 49.0K

$1,111 KES 144.1K

-65.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 KES 64.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,324 KES 171.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$912 KES 118.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$480 KES 62.2K

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: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nairobi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Malindi

$172 33.2%

Nairobi

$208 24.2% 20.5% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malindi

$119 22.8%

Nairobi

$105 12.2% 11.7% $14

Eating Out

Malindi

$105 20.1%

Nairobi

$124 14.4% 18.3% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Malindi

$70 13.4%

Nairobi

$65 7.6% 6.1% $4.3

Clothing & Footwear

Malindi

$43 8.3%

Nairobi

$84 9.8% 94.5% $41

Getting Around

Malindi

$12 * 2.2%

Nairobi

$58 6.8% 405% $47

Accommodation & Living

Malindi

- * 0%

Nairobi

$214 25%

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 $34.00 in Nairobi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $172 vs $208 – making Malindi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Malindi

🇰🇪 Nairobi

🕒 Local time

21:26 9:26 PM

Same time as Malindi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,735

3,138,295 Capital

💱 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 Nairobi 420 km

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Malindi
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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 Nairobi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nairobi costs about 65% 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 $780 per month in Malindi and $1,287 in Nairobi. 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 $34.00 in Nairobi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 21% more in Nairobi, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Malindi, where all-in costs run around $520, than in Nairobi at $858. In Malindi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nairobi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Malindi costs $520 versus $858 in Nairobi. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Malindi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nairobi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.