Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malindi and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Malindi: $502 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Malindi
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Malindi Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Malindi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$502

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malindi and in Nosara

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

A single person spends $502 per month in Malindi vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Malindi $502
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $787 per month in Malindi vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Malindi $787
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $1,072 per month in Malindi vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Malindi $1,072
Nosara $3,712

Malindi is about 73% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Malindi sits 63% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.06 KES 267

$12.22 ₡5,509

-83.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.42 KES 3,038

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-61.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.55 KES 1,369

$7.54 ₡3,399

39.92%

Cappuccino

$3.58 KES 465

$4.31 ₡1,941

-16.94%

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

$0.98 KES 128

$1.72 ₡773

-43.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 KES 54.1

$1.35 ₡608

-68.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 KES 301

$3.24 ₡1,459

-28.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 KES 420

$4.48 ₡2,018

-27.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 KES 122

$1.57 ₡707

-40.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 KES 68.5

$3.17 ₡1,429

-83.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 KES 158

$2.42 ₡1,091

-49.59%

Eggs

$1.82 KES 236

$3.57 ₡1,609

-49.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.22 KES 1,455

$7.43 ₡3,349

51.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.57 KES 723

$10.42 ₡4,697

-46.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.03 KES 652

$13.66 ₡6,156

-63.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 KES 283

$2.32 ₡1,044

-6.03%

Banana (1kg)

$0.79 KES 102

$1.61 ₡728

-50.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 KES 236

$4.74 ₡2,138

-61.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 KES 90.7

$1.66 ₡747

-57.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 KES 85.6

$3.72 ₡1,679

-82.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.66 KES 85.5

$3.57 ₡1,611

-81.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 KES 73.5

$1.10 ₡497

-48.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 KES 55.4

$2.55 ₡1,149

-83.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.71 KES 611

$4.95 ₡2,232

-4.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.82 KES 1,014

$20.01 ₡9,020

-60.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 KES 262

$2.79 ₡1,256

-27.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 KES 372

$3.53 ₡1,589

-18.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 KES 401

$2.24 ₡1,011

37.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 KES 228

$1.55 ₡701

13.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 KES 598

$8.86 ₡3,993

-47.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 KES 179

$1.57 ₡708

-12.10%

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

$11.9K KES 1.5M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-45.53%

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

$11.9K KES 1.5M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-65.75%

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

$55.5 KES 7,192

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-40.66%

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

$12.96 KES 1,681

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-63.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.24 KES 3,922

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-41.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.98 KES 5,055

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-45.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$10.71 KES 1,389

$7.84 ₡3,535

36.61%

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

$85.2 KES 11.1K

$490 ₡220.7K

-82.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,401 KES 700.5K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-54.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.30 KES 1,725

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-75.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.46 KES 1,746

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-75.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$22.81 KES 2,959

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-71.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.96 KES 6,091

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-40.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 KES 50.9K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-89.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

50.81%

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

Last update for Malindi: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Malindi

$172 34.3%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 103% $178

Eating Out

Malindi

$115 22.9%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 82.4% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malindi

$99 19.7%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 82.5% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Malindi

$60 12.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 44.2% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Malindi

$43 8.7%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 177% $77

Getting Around

Malindi

$12 * 2.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 632% $75

Accommodation & Living

Malindi

- * 0%

Nosara

$780 43%

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 $23.00 in Malindi versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $172 vs $350 – making Malindi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Malindi

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:17 9:17 AM

00:17 12:17 AM

9 h behind Malindi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,735

4,912

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.87 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to KES – Kenyan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇪 Kenyan Shilling (Sh)

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 145 KES (1,000 KES = 6.87 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to KES in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Malindi Nosara 13,980 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Malindi
Nosara

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 Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 266% 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $754 per month in Malindi and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Malindi and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 103% more in Nosara, 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 $502, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Malindi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Malindi costs $502 versus $1,837 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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