Cost of Living Comparison Between Thika and Malindi Cost of Living Comparison Between Thika and Malindi

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $506 per month in Thika vs $500 in Malindi, rent included.

A couple spends around $862 per month in Thika vs $785 in Malindi, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,218 per month in Thika vs $1,070 in Malindi, rent included.

Thika costs about 1% more than Malindi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Thika and Malindi are more affordable than the global median – Thika 63% lower, Malindi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 KES 446

$2.09 KES 271

65.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.50 KES 4,461

$23.34 KES 3,017

47.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.27 KES 811

$10.59 KES 1,370

-40.79%

Cappuccino

$1.90 KES 246

$3.71 KES 480

-48.79%

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

$0.30 KES 38.72

$0.95 KES 123

-68.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 KES 72.8

$0.43 KES 55.5

30.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 KES 257

$2.29 KES 297

-13.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 KES 272

$3.26 KES 422

-35.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.69 KES 89.5

$0.93 KES 121

-25.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 KES 57.2

$0.49 KES 63.0

-10.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 KES 149

$1.21 KES 156

-4.96%

Eggs

$1.41 KES 182

$1.74 KES 225

-18.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.27 KES 1,328

$11.21 KES 1,450

-8.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.36 KES 822

$5.46 KES 706

16.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.97 KES 513

$5.11 KES 661

-22.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 KES 201

$2.14 KES 277

-27.10%

Banana (1kg)

$0.64 KES 83.2

$0.73 KES 94.0

-12.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.81 KES 104

$1.84 KES 238

-55.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 KES 140

$0.69 KES 89.0

56.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 KES 48.79

$0.68 KES 87.8

-44.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 KES 57.5

$0.66 KES 84.9

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 KES 94.0

$0.60 KES 78.1

21.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 KES 48.63

$0.43 KES 55.0

-11.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.77 KES 359

$4.52 KES 584

-38.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.69 KES 735

$7.83 KES 1,012

-27.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 KES 238

$1.98 KES 256

-7.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 KES 256

$2.97 KES 384

-33.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 KES 197

$3.00 KES 388

-49.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 KES 119

$1.71 KES 221

-46.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 KES 383

$4.49 KES 581

-34.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 KES 179

$1.36 KES 176

1.47%

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

$20.4K KES 2.6M

$12.3K KES 1.6M

66.26%

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

$20.1K KES 2.6M

$12.0K KES 1.5M

67.96%

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

$35.10 KES 4,539

$55.3 KES 7,146

-36.49%

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

$15.12 KES 1,955

$13.28 KES 1,717

13.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.30 KES 4,564

$31.29 KES 4,045

12.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.51 KES 5,885

$38.80 KES 5,017

17.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 KES 989

$10.95 KES 1,416

-30.14%

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

$53.9 KES 6,967

$87.7 KES 11.3K

-38.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,541 KES 457.8K

$5,331 KES 689.3K

-33.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.29 KES 3,529

$13.03 KES 1,685

109.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.43 KES 3,417

$13.53 KES 1,749

95.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.5 KES 8,206

$23.02 KES 2,976

175.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$19.58 KES 2,532

$45.51 KES 5,885

-56.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$98.4 KES 12.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$58.7 KES 7,584

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$270 KES 34.9K

$383 KES 49.5K

-29.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 KES 22.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$616 KES 79.6K

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Malindi: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Thika versus $23.00 in Malindi. Groceries tell a different story – $150 in Thika vs $171 in Malindi – so Thika wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Thika costs about 1% more than Malindi, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $760 per month in Thika and $750 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 $34.00 in Thika and $23.00 in Malindi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 13% cheaper in Thika – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $506 in Thika and $500 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, Thika makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.