Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thika and Kilifi

For one person, living is cheaper in Thika: $518 a month against $634 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 Thika
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Thika Living Index

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Thika

🇰🇪 Kenya

$518

/mo nomad

Kilifi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$634

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $518 per month in Thika vs $634 in Kilifi, rent included.

Thika $518
Kilifi $634

A couple spends around $883 per month in Thika vs $1,040 in Kilifi, rent included.

Thika $883
Kilifi $1,040

A family of three spends $1,249 per month in Thika vs $1,446 in Kilifi, rent included.

Thika $1,249
Kilifi $1,446

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.52 KES 457

$1.89 KES 245

86.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.21 KES 4,435

$49.12 KES 6,368

-30.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.43 KES 834

$2.24 KES 291

187.05%

Cappuccino

$1.95 KES 253

$1.90 KES 246

2.63%

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

$0.33 KES 42.15

$0.76 KES 98.0

-56.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 KES 78.8

$0.80 KES 104

-23.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 KES 243

$1.56 KES 202

19.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 KES 267

Milk (1 liter)

$0.73 KES 95.1

$1.10 KES 143

-33.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 KES 56.8

$0.81 KES 105

-45.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 KES 150

$2.08 KES 269

-44.23%

Eggs

$1.35 KES 175

$1.99 KES 258

-32.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 KES 1,402

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.58 KES 853

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.12 KES 534

$7.85 KES 1,018

-47.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 KES 204

$2.26 KES 293

-30.53%

Banana (1kg)

$0.64 KES 82.5

$0.72 KES 93.4

-11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.80 KES 104

$1.74 KES 225

-54.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 KES 143

$0.44 KES 56.9

150.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.41 KES 52.9

$0.76 KES 98.3

-46.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 KES 56.8

$0.79 KES 102

-44.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 KES 89.5

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 KES 48.31

$0.24 KES 31.23

54.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.71 KES 352

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 KES 740

$12.93 KES 1,676

-55.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 KES 230

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 KES 246

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 KES 104

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 KES 3,554

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.56 KES 202

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 KES 125

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 KES 366

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 KES 183

$1.36 KES 177

3.68%

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

$21.7K KES 2.8M

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

$20.0K KES 2.6M

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

$34.37 KES 4,456

$15.59 KES 2,021

120.46%

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

$14.94 KES 1,936

$10.44 KES 1,354

43.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.20 KES 4,564

$25.22 KES 3,270

39.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.96 KES 6,088

$27.21 KES 3,528

72.58%

Cinema Ticket

$7.63 KES 990

$7.52 KES 975

1.46%

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

$53.7 KES 6,956

$163 KES 21.2K

-67.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,537 KES 458.6K

$5,110 KES 662.5K

-30.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.81 KES 3,605

$9.84 KES 1,276

182.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.36 KES 3,806

$9.05 KES 1,173

224.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.9 KES 9,061

$15.61 KES 2,024

347.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$19.37 KES 2,512

$17.27 KES 2,239

12.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$98.7 KES 12.8K

$332 KES 43.0K

-70.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$57.5 KES 7,450

$302 KES 39.2K

-81.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$273 KES 35.3K

$271 KES 35.1K

0.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$178 KES 23.0K

$551 KES 71.5K

-67.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$610 KES 79.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$227 KES 29.5K

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 Thika: October 19, 2026

Last update for Kilifi: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Thika

$153 29.6%

Kilifi

–

Eating Out

Thika

$88 17%

Kilifi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thika

$85 16.3%

Kilifi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Thika

$66 12.7%

Kilifi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Thika

$62 12%

Kilifi

–

Accommodation & Living

Thika

$57 11.1%

Kilifi

–

Getting Around

Thika

$6.4 * 1.2%

Kilifi

–

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $98.7 in Thika versus $332 in Kilifi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Thika versus $49.00 in Kilifi. Groceries tell a different story – $153 in Thika vs $125 in Kilifi – so Kilifi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Thika

🇰🇪 Kilifi

🕒 Local time

05:41 5:41 AM

Same time as Thika

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

83,000

122,899

💱 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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Thika Kilifi 420 km

From you

Thika
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

Thika vs Kilifi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $518 in Thika, $634 in Kilifi – roughly 22% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $777 per month in Thika and $951 in Kilifi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Thika, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Thika and $49.00 in Kilifi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 22% cheaper in Kilifi – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $518 in Thika and $634 in Kilifi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Thika – 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 Thika. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kilifi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.