Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malindi and Wote

For one person, living is cheaper in Malindi: $517 a month against $601 in Wote, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Wote outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

25

Cost of Living Index in Malindi
Learn more

Malindi Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Wote
Learn more

Wote Living Index

Jump to prices

Malindi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$517

/mo nomad

Wote

🇰🇪 Kenya

$601

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malindi and in Wote

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

A single person spends $517 per month in Malindi vs $601 in Wote, rent included.

Malindi $517
Wote $601

A couple spends around $803 per month in Malindi vs $1,062 in Wote, rent included.

Malindi $803
Wote $1,062

A family of three spends $1,090 per month in Malindi vs $1,523 in Wote, rent included.

Malindi $1,090
Wote $1,523

Malindi is about 14% cheaper than Wote, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Malindi and Wote are more affordable than the global median – Malindi 62% lower, Wote 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 KES 277

$3.01 KES 391

-28.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.30 KES 3,284

$34.42 KES 4,468

-26.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.44 KES 1,355

$6.48 KES 841

61.11%

Cappuccino

$2.70 KES 351

$1.50 KES 195

80.00%

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

$0.22 KES 28.50

136.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 KES 298

$2.13 KES 277

7.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 KES 419

$2.33 KES 303

38.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 KES 117

$0.75 KES 97.3

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 64.3

$0.58 KES 74.9

-13.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 KES 162

$1.47 KES 191

-14.97%

Eggs

$1.83 KES 237

$1.35 KES 175

35.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 KES 1,480

$4.74 KES 615

140.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.98 KES 647

$5.99 KES 777

-16.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.89 KES 635

$5.63 KES 730

-13.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 KES 269

$3.33 KES 433

-37.84%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 KES 101

$1.07 KES 139

-27.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 KES 228

$2.00 KES 260

-12.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 KES 91.7

$0.61 KES 78.6

16.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 KES 93.7

$0.56 KES 72.6

28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 KES 84.0

$1.09 KES 142

-40.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 KES 77.1

$0.75 KES 97.6

-21.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 KES 58.8

$0.55 KES 72.0

-18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 KES 540

$3.44 KES 447

20.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.83 KES 1,276

$11.40 KES 1,480

-13.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 KES 261

$2.26 KES 293

-11.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 KES 384

$2.75 KES 357

7.64%

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

$2.81 KES 364

63.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 KES 178

$1.53 KES 199

-10.46%

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

$12.0K KES 1.6M

$19.1K KES 2.5M

-36.78%

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

$12.0K KES 1.6M

$21.8K KES 2.8M

-45.04%

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

$76.0 KES 9,870

$54.8 KES 7,116

38.71%

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

$8.99 KES 1,166

$15.02 KES 1,950

-40.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.23 KES 3,924

$35.15 KES 4,563

-14.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.62 KES 5,013

Cinema Ticket

$15.42 KES 2,002

$7.58 KES 984

103.43%

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

$85.5 KES 11.1K

$154 KES 20.0K

-44.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,381 KES 698.4K

$12.2K KES 1.6M

-55.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.28 KES 1,723

$11.68 KES 1,516

13.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.38 KES 1,737

$7.59 KES 985

76.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.49 KES 3,049

$19.48 KES 2,529

20.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.81 KES 6,076

$22.94 KES 2,978

104.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 KES 49.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 KES 24.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 KES 49.2K

$772 KES 100.2K

-50.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$584 KES 75.8K

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 Wote: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Malindi

$173 33.4%

Wote

$173 28.8% 0.2% $0.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malindi

$115 22.3%

Wote

$105 17.5% 8.9% $10

Eating Out

Malindi

$104 20.1%

Wote

$79 13.2% 23.4% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Malindi

$69 13.5%

Wote

$15 * 2.5% 78.2% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Malindi

$44 8.5%

Wote

$28 4.6% 36.4% $16

Getting Around

Malindi

$12 * 2.3%

Wote

$9.1 * 1.5% 24.8% $3

Accommodation & Living

Malindi

- * 0%

Wote

$191 31.9%

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

Good to know

🇰🇪 Malindi

🇰🇪 Wote

🕒 Local time

23:24 11:24 PM

Same time as Malindi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,735

19,725

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.91 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.91 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Malindi Wote 320 km

From you

Malindi
Wote

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 Wote: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wote costs about 16% more than Malindi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. 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 $901 in Wote. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $517 in Malindi and $601 in Wote. That makes Malindi about 14% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Malindi and $34 in Wote. 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 $601 in Wote, 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 $601 in Wote. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.