Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malindi and Ongata Rongai

For one person, living is cheaper in Malindi: $517 a month against $572 in Ongata Rongai, rent and utilities included – about $660 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ongata Rongai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

25

Cost of Living Index in Malindi
Learn more

Malindi Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Ongata Rongai
Learn more

Ongata Rongai Living Index

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Malindi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$517

/mo nomad

Ongata Rongai

🇰🇪 Kenya

$572

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malindi and in Ongata Rongai

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

A single person spends $517 per month in Malindi vs $572 in Ongata Rongai, rent included.

Malindi $517
Ongata Rongai $572

A couple spends around $803 per month in Malindi vs $881 in Ongata Rongai, rent included.

Malindi $803
Ongata Rongai $881

A family of three spends $1,090 per month in Malindi vs $1,190 in Ongata Rongai, rent included.

Malindi $1,090
Ongata Rongai $1,190

Malindi is about 10% cheaper than Ongata Rongai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Malindi and Ongata Rongai are more affordable than the global median – Malindi 62% lower, Ongata Rongai 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 KES 277

$6.56 KES 851

-67.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.30 KES 3,284

$19.07 KES 2,475

32.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.44 KES 1,355

$6.20 KES 805

68.39%

Cappuccino

$2.70 KES 351

$1.95 KES 253

38.46%

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

$0.68 KES 88.5

$0.29 KES 38.27

134.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 KES 67.1

$0.39 KES 50.9

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 KES 298

$2.29 KES 297

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 KES 419

$2.71 KES 352

19.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 KES 117

$0.44 KES 57.7

104.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 64.3

$0.48 KES 61.9

4.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 KES 162

$1.58 KES 205

-20.89%

Eggs

$1.83 KES 237

$1.37 KES 178

33.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 KES 1,480

$4.35 KES 565

162.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.98 KES 647

$3.51 KES 456

41.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.89 KES 635

$3.37 KES 438

45.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 KES 269

$1.25 KES 162

65.60%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 KES 101

$1.08 KES 140

-27.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 KES 228

$1.18 KES 153

49.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 KES 91.7

$0.65 KES 84.2

9.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 KES 93.7

$0.73 KES 95.2

-1.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 KES 84.0

$0.48 KES 62.4

35.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 KES 77.1

$0.71 KES 91.9

-16.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 KES 58.8

$0.48 KES 62.7

-6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 KES 540

$2.29 KES 297

81.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.83 KES 1,276

$9.03 KES 1,173

8.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 KES 261

$2.20 KES 285

-8.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 KES 384

$2.80 KES 363

5.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 KES 408

$1.58 KES 205

98.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 KES 231

$1.51 KES 196

17.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.59 KES 596

$2.93 KES 381

56.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 KES 178

$1.55 KES 201

-11.61%

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

$12.0K KES 1.6M

$19.4K KES 2.5M

-37.80%

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

$12.0K KES 1.6M

$22.1K KES 2.9M

-45.69%

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

$76.0 KES 9,870

$54.8 KES 7,115

38.73%

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

$8.99 KES 1,166

$14.99 KES 1,946

-40.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.23 KES 3,924

$35.02 KES 4,546

-13.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.62 KES 5,013

Cinema Ticket

$15.42 KES 2,002

$7.69 KES 998

100.52%

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

$85.5 KES 11.1K

$273 KES 35.4K

-68.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,381 KES 698.4K

$12.4K KES 1.6M

-56.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.28 KES 1,723

$27.87 KES 3,617

-52.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.38 KES 1,737

$29.51 KES 3,830

-54.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.49 KES 3,049

$69.7 KES 9,052

-66.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.81 KES 6,076

$59.5 KES 7,725

-21.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$156 KES 20.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$116 KES 15.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 KES 49.2K

$233 KES 30.2K

62.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$233 KES 30.3K

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 Ongata Rongai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Malindi

$173 33.4%

Ongata Rongai

$129 22.5% 25.3% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malindi

$115 22.3%

Ongata Rongai

$105 18.3% 9% $10

Eating Out

Malindi

$104 20.1%

Ongata Rongai

$114 20% 10.1% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Malindi

$69 13.5%

Ongata Rongai

$15 * 2.7% 77.9% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Malindi

$44 8.5%

Ongata Rongai

$84 14.7% 92.5% $40

Getting Around

Malindi

$12 * 2.3%

Ongata Rongai

$9.1 * 1.6% 24.3% $2.9

Accommodation & Living

Malindi

- * 0%

Ongata Rongai

$116 20.2%

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 $19 in Ongata Rongai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $173 vs $129 – making Ongata Rongai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Malindi

🇰🇪 Ongata Rongai

🕒 Local time

19:46 7:46 PM

Same time as Malindi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,735

172,569

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Malindi Ongata Rongai 430 km

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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 Ongata Rongai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ongata Rongai costs about 11% 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 $858 in Ongata Rongai. 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 $19 in Ongata Rongai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 25% cheaper in Ongata Rongai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $517 in Malindi and $572 in Ongata Rongai, 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 $572 in Ongata Rongai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.