Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Molo and Malindi

For one person, living is cheaper in Malindi: $517 a month against $546 in Molo, rent and utilities included – about $350 less a year. The total is higher in Molo despite lower rent and utilities.

26

Cost of Living Index in Molo
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Molo Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Malindi
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Malindi Living Index

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Molo

🇰🇪 Kenya

$546

/mo nomad

Malindi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$517

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Molo and in Malindi

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

A single person spends $546 per month in Molo vs $517 in Malindi, rent included.

Molo $546
Malindi $517

A couple spends around $893 per month in Molo vs $803 in Malindi, rent included.

Molo $893
Malindi $803

A family of three spends $1,240 per month in Molo vs $1,090 in Malindi, rent included.

Molo $1,240
Malindi $1,090

Molo costs about 6% more than Malindi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Molo and Malindi are more affordable than the global median – Molo 60% lower, Malindi 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.39 KES 829

$2.14 KES 277

198.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.32 KES 4,455

$25.30 KES 3,284

35.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.37 KES 826

$10.44 KES 1,355

-38.98%

Cappuccino

$2.63 KES 341

$2.70 KES 351

-2.59%

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

$0.70 KES 91.3

$0.68 KES 88.5

2.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 KES 79.5

$0.52 KES 67.1

17.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 KES 305

$2.29 KES 298

2.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 KES 347

$3.23 KES 419

-17.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 KES 115

$0.90 KES 117

-1.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 KES 76.2

$0.50 KES 64.3

18.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 KES 261

$1.25 KES 162

60.80%

Eggs

$1.70 KES 221

$1.83 KES 237

-7.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 KES 1,427

$11.40 KES 1,480

-3.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.42 KES 834

$4.98 KES 647

28.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.44 KES 836

$4.89 KES 635

31.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 KES 451

$2.07 KES 269

67.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 KES 140

$0.78 KES 101

38.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 KES 260

$1.76 KES 228

14.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 KES 149

$0.71 KES 91.7

61.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 KES 144

$0.72 KES 93.7

54.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 KES 138

$0.65 KES 84.0

63.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 KES 97.4

$0.59 KES 77.1

27.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 KES 97.7

$0.45 KES 58.8

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.49 KES 453

$4.16 KES 540

-16.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.33 KES 1,471

$9.83 KES 1,276

15.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 KES 298

$2.01 KES 261

13.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 KES 360

$2.96 KES 384

-6.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.55 KES 202

$3.14 KES 408

-50.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 KES 196

$1.78 KES 231

-15.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 KES 380

$4.59 KES 596

-36.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 KES 202

$1.37 KES 178

13.87%

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

$19.2K KES 2.5M

$12.0K KES 1.6M

59.29%

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

$21.5K KES 2.8M

$12.0K KES 1.6M

79.44%

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

$55.3 KES 7,179

$76.0 KES 9,870

-27.26%

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

$15.06 KES 1,955

$8.99 KES 1,166

67.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.56 KES 4,616

$30.23 KES 3,924

17.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.62 KES 5,013

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 KES 996

$15.42 KES 2,002

-50.26%

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

$279 KES 36.2K

$85.5 KES 11.1K

226.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K KES 1.6M

$5,381 KES 698.4K

128.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.85 KES 3,615

$13.28 KES 1,723

109.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.87 KES 3,748

$13.38 KES 1,737

115.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.2 KES 8,985

$23.49 KES 3,049

194.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.4 KES 7,576

$46.81 KES 6,076

24.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 KES 49.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$378 KES 49.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.71

13.15%

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

Last update for Molo: October 25, 2026

Last update for Malindi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Molo

$209 38.2%

Malindi

$173 33.4% 17.3% $36

Eating Out

Molo

$124 22.7%

Malindi

$104 20.1% 16.6% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Molo

$106 19.4%

Malindi

$115 22.3% 8.8% $9.3

Clothing & Footwear

Molo

$83 15.2%

Malindi

$44 8.5% 47.4% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Molo

$15 * 2.8%

Malindi

$69 13.5% 353% $54

Getting Around

Molo

$9.1 * 1.7%

Malindi

$12 * 2.3% 32.5% $2.9

Accommodation & Living

Molo

- * 0%

Malindi

- * 0%

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 $34 in Molo versus $25 in Malindi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $209 vs $173 – making Malindi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Molo

🇰🇪 Malindi

🕒 Local time

18:04 6:04 PM

Same time as Molo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

48,356

117,735

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Molo Malindi 590 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Molo
Malindi

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

Molo vs Malindi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Molo costs about 6% 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 $819 per month in Molo and $775 in Malindi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 21% more in Molo, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $546 in Molo and $517 in Malindi, 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 $546 in Molo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.