Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malindi and Thika

For one person, living costs are similar in Malindi and in Thika: $517 and $518 a month, rent and utilities included.

25

Cost of Living Index in Malindi
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Malindi Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Thika
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Thika Living Index

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Malindi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$517

/mo nomad

Thika

🇰🇪 Kenya

$518

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malindi and in Thika

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

A single person spends $517 per month in Malindi vs $518 in Thika, rent included.

Malindi $517
Thika $518

A couple spends around $803 per month in Malindi vs $883 in Thika, rent included.

Malindi $803
Thika $883

A family of three spends $1,090 per month in Malindi vs $1,248 in Thika, rent included.

Malindi $1,090
Thika $1,248

Malindi and Thika have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 KES 278

$3.52 KES 457

-39.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.30 KES 3,285

$34.12 KES 4,431

-25.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.44 KES 1,355

$6.31 KES 819

65.45%

Cappuccino

$2.70 KES 351

$1.97 KES 256

37.06%

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

$0.68 KES 88.5

$0.32 KES 41.83

112.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 KES 67.1

$0.67 KES 87.2

-22.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 KES 298

$1.89 KES 246

21.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 KES 419

$2.10 KES 273

53.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 KES 117

$0.74 KES 96.4

21.62%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 64.3

$0.45 KES 58.2

11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 KES 162

$1.15 KES 149

8.70%

Eggs

$1.83 KES 237

$1.37 KES 177

33.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 KES 1,481

$10.98 KES 1,426

3.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.98 KES 647

$6.75 KES 877

-26.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.89 KES 635

$4.01 KES 521

21.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 KES 269

$1.51 KES 196

37.09%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 KES 102

$0.60 KES 77.5

30.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 KES 228

$0.78 KES 102

125.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 KES 91.8

$1.14 KES 148

-37.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 KES 93.8

$0.36 KES 47.22

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 KES 84.0

$0.48 KES 62.7

35.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 KES 77.1

$0.73 KES 95.0

-19.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 KES 58.8

$0.37 KES 47.60

21.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 KES 540

$2.80 KES 364

48.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.83 KES 1,277

$5.72 KES 743

71.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 KES 262

$1.77 KES 230

13.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 KES 384

$1.95 KES 253

51.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 KES 408

$1.52 KES 197

106.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 KES 231

$0.91 KES 118

95.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.59 KES 596

$2.95 KES 383

55.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 KES 178

$1.36 KES 177

0.74%

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

$12.0K KES 1.6M

$19.0K KES 2.5M

-36.59%

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

$12.0K KES 1.6M

$21.4K KES 2.8M

-44.02%

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

$76.0 KES 9,875

$34.61 KES 4,494

119.71%

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

$8.99 KES 1,167

$15.36 KES 1,994

-41.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.23 KES 3,926

$34.47 KES 4,477

-12.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.62 KES 5,015

$46.97 KES 6,100

-17.78%

Cinema Ticket

$15.42 KES 2,003

$7.68 KES 997

100.78%

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

$85.5 KES 11.1K

$53.3 KES 6,921

60.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,381 KES 698.8K

$3,489 KES 453.1K

54.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.28 KES 1,724

$28.59 KES 3,713

-53.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.38 KES 1,738

$29.22 KES 3,795

-54.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.49 KES 3,050

$68.7 KES 8,921

-65.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.81 KES 6,079

$19.35 KES 2,513

141.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$101 KES 13.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$56.9 KES 7,384

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 KES 49.2K

$268 KES 34.8K

41.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 KES 22.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$623 KES 80.9K

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 Thika: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Malindi

$173 33.4%

Thika

$154 29.8% 10.6% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malindi

$115 22.3%

Thika

$84 16.3% 26.7% $31

Eating Out

Malindi

$104 20.1%

Thika

$88 17.1% 14.6% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Malindi

$69 13.5%

Thika

$62 12% 10.3% $7.1

Clothing & Footwear

Malindi

$44 8.5%

Thika

$66 12.7% 50.4% $22

Getting Around

Malindi

$12 * 2.3%

Thika

$6.1 * 1.2% 49.7% $6

Accommodation & Living

Malindi

- * 0%

Thika

$57 11%

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 Thika. Groceries tell a different story – $173 in Malindi vs $154 in Thika – so Thika wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Malindi

🇰🇪 Thika

🕒 Local time

00:44 12:44 AM

Same time as Malindi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,735

83,000

💱 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 Thika 420 km

From you

Malindi
Thika

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 Thika: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $775 per month in Malindi and $777 in Thika. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Thika – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

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

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $517 in Malindi and $518 in Thika, 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 $518 in Thika. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.