Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malindi and Nakuru

For one person, living is cheaper in Malindi: $517 a month against $642 in Nakuru, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Nakuru
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Nakuru Living Index

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Malindi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$517

/mo nomad

Nakuru

🇰🇪 Kenya

$642

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malindi and in Nakuru

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

A single person spends $517 per month in Malindi vs $642 in Nakuru, rent included.

Malindi $517
Nakuru $642

A couple spends around $803 per month in Malindi vs $994 in Nakuru, rent included.

Malindi $803
Nakuru $994

A family of three spends $1,090 per month in Malindi vs $1,346 in Nakuru, rent included.

Malindi $1,090
Nakuru $1,346

Malindi is about 20% cheaper than Nakuru, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Malindi and Nakuru are more affordable than the global median – Malindi 62% lower, Nakuru 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 KES 278

$3.84 KES 499

-44.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.30 KES 3,285

$34.80 KES 4,519

-27.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.44 KES 1,355

$6.54 KES 849

59.63%

Cappuccino

$2.70 KES 351

$1.94 KES 252

39.18%

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

$0.68 KES 88.5

$0.39 KES 50.7

74.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 KES 67.1

$0.24 KES 31.36

116.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 KES 298

$2.26 KES 294

1.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 KES 419

$2.62 KES 340

23.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 KES 117

$0.52 KES 67.4

73.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 64.3

$0.44 KES 56.8

13.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 KES 162

$1.58 KES 205

-20.89%

Eggs

$1.83 KES 237

$1.53 KES 199

19.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 KES 1,481

$10.81 KES 1,404

5.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.98 KES 647

$6.44 KES 836

-22.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.89 KES 635

$6.38 KES 828

-23.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 KES 269

$3.36 KES 437

-38.39%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 KES 102

$1.03 KES 134

-24.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 KES 228

$2.07 KES 269

-14.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 KES 91.8

$1.09 KES 142

-34.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 KES 93.8

$1.15 KES 149

-37.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 KES 84.0

$1.10 KES 143

-40.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 KES 77.1

$0.71 KES 92.2

-16.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 KES 58.8

$0.80 KES 103

-43.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 KES 540

$3.40 KES 442

22.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.83 KES 1,277

$11.38 KES 1,478

-13.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 KES 262

$2.22 KES 289

-9.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 KES 384

$2.71 KES 352

9.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 KES 408

$1.51 KES 196

107.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 KES 231

$1.51 KES 196

17.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.59 KES 596

$2.94 KES 381

56.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 KES 178

$1.62 KES 210

-15.43%

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

$12.0K KES 1.6M

$19.6K KES 2.5M

-38.50%

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

$12.0K KES 1.6M

$21.5K KES 2.8M

-44.10%

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

$76.0 KES 9,875

$55.5 KES 7,207

37.01%

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

$8.99 KES 1,167

$15.37 KES 1,996

-41.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.23 KES 3,926

$34.48 KES 4,478

-12.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.62 KES 5,015

Cinema Ticket

$15.42 KES 2,003

$7.91 KES 1,027

94.94%

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

$85.5 KES 11.1K

$279 KES 36.2K

-69.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,381 KES 698.8K

$12.3K KES 1.6M

-56.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.28 KES 1,724

$28.16 KES 3,657

-52.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.38 KES 1,738

$28.49 KES 3,700

-53.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.49 KES 3,050

$70.0 KES 9,085

-66.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.81 KES 6,079

$58.0 KES 7,537

-19.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$227 KES 29.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$136 KES 17.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 KES 49.2K

$536 KES 69.5K

-29.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 KES 24.7K

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 25, 2026

Last update for Nakuru: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Malindi

$173 33.4%

Nakuru

$200 31.1% 15.8% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malindi

$115 22.3%

Nakuru

$105 16.4% 8.6% $9.9

Eating Out

Malindi

$104 20.1%

Nakuru

$93 14.4% 10.5% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Malindi

$69 13.5%

Nakuru

$16 * 2.5% 77.2% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Malindi

$44 8.5%

Nakuru

$83 12.9% 90.5% $39

Getting Around

Malindi

$12 * 2.3%

Nakuru

$9.1 * 1.4% 24.7% $3

Accommodation & Living

Malindi

- * 0%

Nakuru

$136 21.2%

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 Nakuru. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $173 vs $200 – making Malindi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Malindi

🇰🇪 Nakuru

🕒 Local time

23:26 11:26 PM

Same time as Malindi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,735

307,990

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Malindi Nakuru 560 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Malindi
Nakuru

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 Nakuru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nakuru costs about 24% 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 $775 per month in Malindi and $963 in Nakuru. 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 $35 in Nakuru. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Nakuru, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $517 in Malindi and $642 in Nakuru, 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 $517 in Malindi to $642 in Nakuru. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.