Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thika and Malindi

For one person, living costs are similar in Thika and in Malindi: $518 and $517 a month, rent and utilities included.

25

Cost of Living Index in Thika
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Thika Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Malindi
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Malindi Living Index

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Thika

🇰🇪 Kenya

$518

/mo nomad

Malindi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$517

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $518 per month in Thika vs $517 in Malindi, rent included.

Thika $518
Malindi $517

A couple spends around $883 per month in Thika vs $803 in Malindi, rent included.

Thika $883
Malindi $803

A family of three spends $1,248 per month in Thika vs $1,090 in Malindi, rent included.

Thika $1,248
Malindi $1,090

Thika and Malindi have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.52 KES 457

$2.14 KES 278

64.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.12 KES 4,431

$25.30 KES 3,285

34.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.31 KES 819

$10.44 KES 1,355

-39.56%

Cappuccino

$1.97 KES 256

$2.70 KES 351

-27.04%

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

$0.32 KES 41.83

$0.68 KES 88.5

-52.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 KES 87.2

$0.52 KES 67.1

28.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 KES 246

$2.29 KES 298

-17.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 KES 273

$3.23 KES 419

-34.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 KES 96.4

$0.90 KES 117

-17.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 KES 58.2

$0.50 KES 64.3

-10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 KES 149

$1.25 KES 162

-8.00%

Eggs

$1.37 KES 177

$1.83 KES 237

-25.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.98 KES 1,426

$11.40 KES 1,481

-3.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 KES 877

$4.98 KES 647

35.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.01 KES 521

$4.89 KES 635

-18.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.51 KES 196

$2.07 KES 269

-27.05%

Banana (1kg)

$0.60 KES 77.5

$0.78 KES 102

-23.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.78 KES 102

$1.76 KES 228

-55.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 KES 148

$0.71 KES 91.8

60.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.36 KES 47.22

$0.72 KES 93.8

-50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 KES 62.7

$0.65 KES 84.0

-26.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 KES 95.0

$0.59 KES 77.1

23.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 KES 47.60

$0.45 KES 58.8

-17.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.80 KES 364

$4.16 KES 540

-32.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 KES 743

$9.83 KES 1,277

-41.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 KES 230

$2.01 KES 262

-11.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 KES 253

$2.96 KES 384

-34.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 KES 197

$3.14 KES 408

-51.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 KES 118

$1.78 KES 231

-48.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 KES 383

$4.59 KES 596

-35.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 KES 177

$1.37 KES 178

-0.73%

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

$19.0K KES 2.5M

$12.0K KES 1.6M

57.71%

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

$21.4K KES 2.8M

$12.0K KES 1.6M

78.63%

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

$34.61 KES 4,494

$76.0 KES 9,875

-54.48%

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

$15.36 KES 1,994

$8.99 KES 1,167

70.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 KES 4,477

$30.23 KES 3,926

14.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.97 KES 6,100

$38.62 KES 5,015

21.62%

Cinema Ticket

$7.68 KES 997

$15.42 KES 2,003

-50.19%

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

$53.3 KES 6,921

$85.5 KES 11.1K

-37.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,489 KES 453.1K

$5,381 KES 698.8K

-35.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.59 KES 3,713

$13.28 KES 1,724

115.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.22 KES 3,795

$13.38 KES 1,738

118.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.7 KES 8,921

$23.49 KES 3,050

192.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$19.35 KES 2,513

$46.81 KES 6,079

-58.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$101 KES 13.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$56.9 KES 7,384

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$268 KES 34.8K

$379 KES 49.2K

-29.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 KES 22.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$623 KES 80.9K

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 Thika: 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

Thika

$154 29.8%

Malindi

$173 33.4% 11.9% $18

Eating Out

Thika

$88 17.1%

Malindi

$104 20.1% 17.1% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thika

$84 16.3%

Malindi

$115 22.3% 36.5% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Thika

$66 12.7%

Malindi

$44 8.5% 33.5% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Thika

$62 12%

Malindi

$69 13.5% 11.4% $7.1

Accommodation & Living

Thika

$57 11%

Malindi

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Thika

$6.1 * 1.2%

Malindi

$12 * 2.3% 98.7% $6

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 Thika versus $25 in Malindi. Groceries tell a different story – $154 in Thika vs $173 in Malindi – so Thika wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Thika

🇰🇪 Malindi

🕒 Local time

00:43 12:43 AM

Same time as Thika

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

83,000

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

Thika Malindi 420 km

From you

Thika
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

Thika vs Malindi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $777 per month in Thika and $775 in Malindi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Thika – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

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

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $518 in Thika 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 $518 in Thika. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.