Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malindi and Naivasha

For one person, living is cheaper in Malindi: $518 a month against $546 in Naivasha, rent and utilities included – about $340 less a year. The total is higher in Naivasha despite lower rent and utilities.

25

Cost of Living Index in Malindi
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Malindi Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Naivasha
Learn more

Naivasha Living Index

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Malindi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$518

/mo nomad

Naivasha

🇰🇪 Kenya

$546

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malindi and in Naivasha

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

A single person spends $518 per month in Malindi vs $546 in Naivasha, rent included.

Malindi $518
Naivasha $546

A couple spends around $804 per month in Malindi vs $893 in Naivasha, rent included.

Malindi $804
Naivasha $893

A family of three spends $1,090 per month in Malindi vs $1,240 in Naivasha, rent included.

Malindi $1,090
Naivasha $1,240

Malindi is about 5% cheaper than Naivasha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Malindi and Naivasha are more affordable than the global median – Malindi 62% lower, Naivasha 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.09 KES 271

$6.39 KES 830

-67.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.46 KES 3,307

$34.37 KES 4,463

-25.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.50 KES 1,364

$6.19 KES 804

69.63%

Cappuccino

$2.69 KES 349

$2.65 KES 344

1.51%

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

$0.70 KES 90.3

$0.66 KES 85.3

6.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 KES 61.8

$0.62 KES 80.8

-22.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 KES 298

$2.26 KES 294

1.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 KES 434

$2.76 KES 358

21.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 KES 126

$0.87 KES 113

11.49%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 64.7

$0.58 KES 74.8

-13.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 KES 156

$1.96 KES 254

-38.78%

Eggs

$1.75 KES 227

$1.70 KES 220

2.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.53 KES 1,497

$10.94 KES 1,420

5.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.79 KES 621

$6.41 KES 833

-25.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.12 KES 664

$6.26 KES 813

-18.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 KES 270

$3.38 KES 438

-38.46%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 KES 94.6

$1.06 KES 138

-31.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 KES 231

$2.10 KES 273

-15.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.66 KES 85.9

$1.14 KES 148

-42.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 KES 94.8

$1.12 KES 145

-34.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 KES 84.7

$1.07 KES 139

-39.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 KES 73.6

$0.74 KES 95.4

-22.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 KES 58.6

$0.80 KES 104

-43.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 KES 514

$3.50 KES 454

13.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.40 KES 1,220

$11.68 KES 1,517

-19.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 KES 258

$2.19 KES 285

-9.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 KES 384

$2.79 KES 362

6.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 KES 390

$1.58 KES 205

89.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 KES 229

$1.56 KES 203

12.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.57 KES 593

$2.87 KES 372

59.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 KES 178

$1.55 KES 201

-11.61%

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

$11.9K KES 1.5M

$19.6K KES 2.5M

-39.44%

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

$11.8K KES 1.5M

$22.1K KES 2.9M

-46.42%

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

$78.4 KES 10.2K

$55.4 KES 7,189

41.60%

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

$9.34 KES 1,213

$15.36 KES 1,994

-39.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.01 KES 4,026

$34.83 KES 4,523

-10.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.98 KES 5,062

Cinema Ticket

$15.11 KES 1,962

$7.74 KES 1,005

95.22%

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

$87.1 KES 11.3K

$276 KES 35.8K

-68.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,436 KES 705.9K

$12.3K KES 1.6M

-55.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.86 KES 1,670

$27.73 KES 3,601

-53.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.57 KES 1,763

$29.30 KES 3,805

-53.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.27 KES 3,022

$70.1 KES 9,096

-66.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.24 KES 6,004

$59.2 KES 7,690

-21.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 KES 50.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$780 KES 101.2K

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Naivasha: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Malindi

$171 33.1%

Naivasha

$208 38.1% 21.4% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malindi

$119 22.9%

Naivasha

$106 19.3% 11.1% $13

Eating Out

Malindi

$103 20%

Naivasha

$123 22.6% 19.5% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Malindi

$69 13.4%

Naivasha

$15 * 2.8% 77.6% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Malindi

$43 8.3%

Naivasha

$84 15.4% 94.2% $41

Getting Around

Malindi

$12 * 2.3%

Naivasha

$9.4 * 1.7% 20.6% $2.4

Accommodation & Living

Malindi

- * 0%

Naivasha

- * 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 $34 in Naivasha. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $171 vs $208 – making Malindi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Malindi

🇰🇪 Naivasha

🕒 Local time

12:25 12:25 PM

Same time as Malindi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,735

14,563

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.87 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.87 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Malindi Naivasha 490 km

From you

Malindi
Naivasha

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 Naivasha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Naivasha costs about 5% more than Malindi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $776 per month in Malindi and $819 in Naivasha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Malindi and $34 in Naivasha. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 21% more in Naivasha, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $518 in Malindi and $546 in Naivasha, 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 $546 in Naivasha. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.