Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Malindi

For one person, living is cheaper in Malindi: $520 a month against $719 in Mombasa, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Mombasa
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Mombasa Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Malindi
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Malindi Living Index

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Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$719

/mo nomad

Malindi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mombasa 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 Mombasa and in Malindi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $719 per month in Mombasa vs $520 in Malindi, rent included.

Mombasa $719
Malindi $520

A couple spends around $1,147 per month in Mombasa vs $806 in Malindi, rent included.

Mombasa $1,147
Malindi $806

A family of three spends $1,575 per month in Mombasa vs $1,092 in Malindi, rent included.

Mombasa $1,575
Malindi $1,092

Mombasa costs about 38% more than Malindi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Mombasa and Malindi are more affordable than the global median – Mombasa 47% lower, Malindi 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.66 KES 345

$2.06 KES 267

29.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.34 KES 3,285

$24.99 KES 3,241

1.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 KES 1,359

$10.58 KES 1,372

-0.95%

Cappuccino

$2.74 KES 355

$2.76 KES 358

-0.72%

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

$0.68 KES 88.0

$0.68 KES 88.8

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 KES 67.7

$0.52 KES 67.2

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 KES 303

$2.35 KES 304

-0.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 KES 428

$3.31 KES 429

-0.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 KES 130

$0.90 KES 116

11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 KES 65.6

$0.54 KES 69.8

-5.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 KES 201

$1.27 KES 164

22.05%

Eggs

$1.82 KES 236

$1.79 KES 232

1.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.91 KES 1,803

$11.74 KES 1,522

18.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.00 KES 648

$4.81 KES 624

3.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.25 KES 681

$4.99 KES 647

5.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 KES 272

$2.08 KES 269

0.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 KES 150

$0.73 KES 94.7

58.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 KES 228

$1.82 KES 236

-3.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 KES 90.9

$0.67 KES 87.2

4.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 KES 93.8

$0.68 KES 87.6

5.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 KES 130

$0.67 KES 87.5

50.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 KES 78.4

$0.59 KES 76.6

1.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 KES 55.6

$0.43 KES 55.3

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 KES 518

$4.06 KES 526

-1.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.56 KES 1,239

$9.88 KES 1,281

-3.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 KES 258

$1.95 KES 253

2.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 KES 365

$2.91 KES 377

-3.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 KES 104

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.84 KES 5,035

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 KES 410

$3.03 KES 393

4.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 KES 227

$1.70 KES 221

2.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.65 KES 603

$4.66 KES 604

-0.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 KES 202

$1.43 KES 186

9.09%

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

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$12.3K KES 1.6M

-1.55%

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

$11.8K KES 1.5M

0.10%

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

$76.9 KES 9,975

$77.9 KES 10.1K

-1.18%

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

$9.14 KES 1,184

$9.43 KES 1,223

-3.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.48 KES 4,470

$31.35 KES 4,065

9.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.18 KES 2,357

$39.09 KES 5,069

-53.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.93 KES 2,454

Cinema Ticket

$15.63 KES 2,027

$15.22 KES 1,974

2.69%

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

$86.4 KES 11.2K

$87.5 KES 11.3K

-1.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,415 KES 702.1K

$5,349 KES 693.5K

1.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.05 KES 1,692

$13.08 KES 1,696

-0.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.77 KES 1,785

$13.47 KES 1,746

2.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.30 KES 3,021

$23.22 KES 3,010

0.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.20 KES 5,990

$46.29 KES 6,002

-0.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$227 KES 29.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 KES 20.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$540 KES 70.0K

$378 KES 49.0K

42.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 KES 48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,411 KES 701.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,884 KES 503.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$313 KES 40.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Mombasa: October 10, 2026

Last update for Malindi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mombasa

$185 25.8%

Malindi

$172 33.2% 7% $13

Accommodation & Living

Mombasa

$157 21.9%

Malindi

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mombasa

$121 16.8%

Malindi

$119 22.8% 1.6% $1.9

Eating Out

Mombasa

$109 15.1%

Malindi

$105 20.1% 3.9% $4.2

Getting Around

Mombasa

$54 7.5%

Malindi

$12 * 2.2% 78.6% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Mombasa

$49 6.9%

Malindi

$70 13.4% 40.6% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Mombasa

$43 6%

Malindi

$43 8.3% 0.3% $0.1

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 $25.00 in Mombasa versus $25.00 in Malindi. Groceries tell a different story – $185 in Mombasa vs $172 in Malindi – so Malindi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🇰🇪 Malindi

🕒 Local time

14:47 2:47 PM

Same time as Mombasa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,300,000

117,735

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Mombasa Malindi 110 km

From you

Mombasa
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

Mombasa vs Malindi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mombasa costs about 38% more than Malindi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,078 per month in Mombasa and $780 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 $25.00 in Mombasa and $25.00 in Malindi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Mombasa, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $719 in Mombasa and $520 in Malindi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Malindi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Malindi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mombasa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.