Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nakuru and Malindi

For one person, living is cheaper in Malindi: $517 a month against $642 in Nakuru, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Nakuru
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Nakuru Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Malindi
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Malindi Living Index

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Nakuru

🇰🇪 Kenya

$642

/mo nomad

Malindi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$517

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $642 per month in Nakuru vs $517 in Malindi, rent included.

Nakuru $642
Malindi $517

A couple spends around $994 per month in Nakuru vs $803 in Malindi, rent included.

Nakuru $994
Malindi $803

A family of three spends $1,346 per month in Nakuru vs $1,090 in Malindi, rent included.

Nakuru $1,346
Malindi $1,090

Nakuru costs about 24% more than Malindi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.84 KES 499

$2.14 KES 278

79.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.80 KES 4,519

$25.30 KES 3,285

37.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.54 KES 849

$10.44 KES 1,355

-37.36%

Cappuccino

$1.94 KES 252

$2.70 KES 351

-28.15%

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

$0.39 KES 50.7

$0.68 KES 88.5

-42.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 KES 31.36

$0.52 KES 67.1

-53.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 KES 294

$2.29 KES 298

-1.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 KES 340

$3.23 KES 419

-18.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.52 KES 67.4

$0.90 KES 117

-42.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 KES 56.8

$0.50 KES 64.3

-12.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 KES 205

$1.25 KES 162

26.40%

Eggs

$1.53 KES 199

$1.83 KES 237

-16.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 KES 1,404

$11.40 KES 1,481

-5.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.44 KES 836

$4.98 KES 647

29.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.38 KES 828

$4.89 KES 635

30.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 KES 437

$2.07 KES 269

62.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 KES 134

$0.78 KES 102

32.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 KES 269

$1.76 KES 228

17.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 KES 142

$0.71 KES 91.8

53.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 KES 149

$0.72 KES 93.8

59.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 KES 143

$0.65 KES 84.0

69.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 KES 92.2

$0.59 KES 77.1

20.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 KES 103

$0.45 KES 58.8

77.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 KES 442

$4.16 KES 540

-18.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.38 KES 1,478

$9.83 KES 1,277

15.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 KES 289

$2.01 KES 262

10.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 KES 352

$2.96 KES 384

-8.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 KES 196

$3.14 KES 408

-51.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 KES 196

$1.78 KES 231

-15.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 KES 381

$4.59 KES 596

-35.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 KES 210

$1.37 KES 178

18.25%

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

$19.6K KES 2.5M

$12.0K KES 1.6M

62.60%

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

$21.5K KES 2.8M

$12.0K KES 1.6M

78.89%

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

$55.5 KES 7,207

$76.0 KES 9,875

-27.01%

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

$15.37 KES 1,996

$8.99 KES 1,167

70.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.48 KES 4,478

$30.23 KES 3,926

14.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.62 KES 5,015

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 KES 1,027

$15.42 KES 2,003

-48.70%

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

$279 KES 36.2K

$85.5 KES 11.1K

226.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K KES 1.6M

$5,381 KES 698.8K

128.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.16 KES 3,657

$13.28 KES 1,724

112.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.49 KES 3,700

$13.38 KES 1,738

112.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.0 KES 9,085

$23.49 KES 3,050

197.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.0 KES 7,537

$46.81 KES 6,079

23.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$227 KES 29.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$136 KES 17.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$536 KES 69.5K

$379 KES 49.2K

41.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 KES 24.7K

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 Nakuru: October 26, 2026

Last update for Malindi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Nakuru

$200 31.1%

Malindi

$173 33.4% 13.7% $27

Accommodation & Living

Nakuru

$136 21.2%

Malindi

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nakuru

$105 16.4%

Malindi

$115 22.3% 9.4% $9.9

Eating Out

Nakuru

$93 14.4%

Malindi

$104 20.1% 11.7% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Nakuru

$83 12.9%

Malindi

$44 8.5% 47.5% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Nakuru

$16 * 2.5%

Malindi

$69 13.5% 339% $54

Getting Around

Nakuru

$9.1 * 1.4%

Malindi

$12 * 2.3% 32.7% $3

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 Nakuru versus $25 in Malindi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $173 – making Malindi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Nakuru

🇰🇪 Malindi

🕒 Local time

00:50 12:50 AM

Same time as Nakuru

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

307,990

117,735

💱 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

Nakuru Malindi 560 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nakuru
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

Nakuru vs Malindi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nakuru costs about 24% 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 $963 per month in Nakuru 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 $35 in Nakuru and $25 in Malindi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Nakuru, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $642 in Nakuru 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 $642 in Nakuru. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.