Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Meru and Kilifi

For one person, living is cheaper in Meru: $520 a month against $637 in Kilifi, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Kilifi outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Meru
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Meru Living Index

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Meru

🇰🇪 Kenya

$520

/mo nomad

Kilifi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$637

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Meru and in Kilifi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Meru and in Kilifi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $520 per month in Meru vs $637 in Kilifi, rent included.

Meru $520
Kilifi $637

A couple spends around $853 per month in Meru vs $1,050 in Kilifi, rent included.

Meru $853
Kilifi $1,050

A family of three spends $1,185 per month in Meru vs $1,463 in Kilifi, rent included.

Meru $1,185
Kilifi $1,463

Meru is about 18% cheaper than Kilifi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.43 KES 835

$1.89 KES 246

240.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.99 KES 4,543

$49.85 KES 6,473

-29.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.24 KES 810

$2.26 KES 293

176.11%

Cappuccino

$2.59 KES 336

$1.97 KES 255

31.47%

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

$0.66 KES 85.6

$0.80 KES 103

-17.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 KES 86.0

$0.81 KES 105

-18.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 KES 305

$1.49 KES 194

57.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 KES 355

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 KES 106

$1.05 KES 137

-21.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.40 KES 51.4

$0.86 KES 112

-53.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 KES 144

$2.00 KES 260

-44.50%

Eggs

$1.46 KES 190

$1.94 KES 252

-24.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.70 KES 1,389

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.68 KES 867

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.12 KES 665

$7.62 KES 989

-32.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 KES 434

$2.26 KES 293

48.23%

Banana (1kg)

$0.80 KES 104

$0.71 KES 91.9

12.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.75 KES 98.0

$1.72 KES 223

-56.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.80 KES 103

$0.44 KES 57.6

81.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 KES 150

$0.79 KES 102

46.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 KES 132

$0.79 KES 103

27.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.24 KES 31.33

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 KES 51.9

$0.24 KES 31.26

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 KES 439

Wine (Bottle)

$11.69 KES 1,518

$12.47 KES 1,619

-6.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 KES 297

$1.69 KES 220

35.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 KES 347

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 KES 97.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.63 KES 3,458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 KES 204

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 KES 198

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 KES 370

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 KES 208

$1.35 KES 175

18.52%

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

$19.5K KES 2.5M

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

$21.9K KES 2.8M

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

$57.0 KES 7,394

$15.41 KES 2,001

269.57%

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

$15.21 KES 1,976

$10.19 KES 1,324

49.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.48 KES 4,478

$25.06 KES 3,253

37.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.23 KES 3,665

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 KES 976

$7.84 KES 1,018

-4.21%

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

$281 KES 36.4K

$161 KES 20.9K

74.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$5,014 KES 651.1K

140.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.89 KES 3,621

$9.36 KES 1,216

197.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.49 KES 3,699

$8.78 KES 1,140

224.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.5 KES 9,027

$15.19 KES 1,973

357.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 KES 7,502

$17.57 KES 2,282

228.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$333 KES 43.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 KES 40.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 KES 35.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 KES 73.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$233 KES 30.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.71

83.88%

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

Last update for Meru: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kilifi: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Meru

$183 35.2%

Kilifi

–

Eating Out

Meru

$124 23.8%

Kilifi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Meru

$107 20.5%

Kilifi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Meru

$83 15.9%

Kilifi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Meru

$15 * 2.9%

Kilifi

–

Getting Around

Meru

$9.2 * 1.8%

Kilifi

–

Accommodation & Living

Meru

- * 0%

Kilifi

–

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 $35 in Meru versus $50 in Kilifi. Groceries tell a different story – $183 in Meru vs $123 in Kilifi – so Kilifi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Meru

🇰🇪 Kilifi

🕒 Local time

22:30 10:30 PM

Same time as Meru

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,833,000

122,899

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.84 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.84 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Meru Kilifi 480 km

From you

Meru
Kilifi

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

Meru vs Kilifi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $520 in Meru, $637 in Kilifi – Meru comes out roughly 18% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $781 per month in Meru and $956 in Kilifi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Meru and $50 in Kilifi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 33% cheaper in Kilifi – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $520 in Meru and $637 in Kilifi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Kilifi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $520 in Meru to $637 in Kilifi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.