Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wote and Malindi

For one person, living is cheaper in Malindi: $517 a month against $601 in Wote, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Wote outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

29

Cost of Living Index in Wote
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Wote Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Malindi
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Malindi Living Index

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Wote

🇰🇪 Kenya

$601

/mo nomad

Malindi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$517

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $601 per month in Wote vs $517 in Malindi, rent included.

Wote $601
Malindi $517

A couple spends around $1,062 per month in Wote vs $803 in Malindi, rent included.

Wote $1,062
Malindi $803

A family of three spends $1,523 per month in Wote vs $1,090 in Malindi, rent included.

Wote $1,523
Malindi $1,090

Wote costs about 16% more than Malindi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Wote and Malindi are more affordable than the global median – Wote 56% lower, Malindi 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.01 KES 391

$2.14 KES 277

40.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.42 KES 4,468

$25.30 KES 3,284

36.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.48 KES 841

$10.44 KES 1,355

-37.93%

Cappuccino

$1.50 KES 195

$2.70 KES 351

-44.44%

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)

$0.22 KES 28.50

$0.52 KES 67.1

-57.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 KES 277

$2.29 KES 298

-6.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 KES 303

$3.23 KES 419

-27.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 KES 97.3

$0.90 KES 117

-16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 KES 74.9

$0.50 KES 64.3

16.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 KES 191

$1.25 KES 162

17.60%

Eggs

$1.35 KES 175

$1.83 KES 237

-26.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.74 KES 615

$11.40 KES 1,480

-58.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.99 KES 777

$4.98 KES 647

20.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.63 KES 730

$4.89 KES 635

15.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 KES 433

$2.07 KES 269

60.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 KES 139

$0.78 KES 101

37.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 KES 260

$1.76 KES 228

13.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 KES 78.6

$0.71 KES 91.7

-14.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 KES 72.6

$0.72 KES 93.7

-22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 KES 142

$0.65 KES 84.0

67.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 KES 97.6

$0.59 KES 77.1

27.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 KES 72.0

$0.45 KES 58.8

22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 KES 447

$4.16 KES 540

-17.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.40 KES 1,480

$9.83 KES 1,276

15.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 KES 293

$2.01 KES 261

12.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 KES 357

$2.96 KES 384

-7.09%

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)

$2.81 KES 364

$4.59 KES 596

-38.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 KES 199

$1.37 KES 178

11.68%

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

$19.1K KES 2.5M

$12.0K KES 1.6M

58.17%

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

$21.8K KES 2.8M

$12.0K KES 1.6M

81.94%

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

$54.8 KES 7,116

$76.0 KES 9,870

-27.91%

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

$15.02 KES 1,950

$8.99 KES 1,166

67.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.15 KES 4,563

$30.23 KES 3,924

16.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.62 KES 5,013

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 KES 984

$15.42 KES 2,002

-50.84%

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

$154 KES 20.0K

$85.5 KES 11.1K

80.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K KES 1.6M

$5,381 KES 698.4K

126.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.68 KES 1,516

$13.28 KES 1,723

-12.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.59 KES 985

$13.38 KES 1,737

-43.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$19.48 KES 2,529

$23.49 KES 3,049

-17.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$22.94 KES 2,978

$46.81 KES 6,076

-50.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 KES 49.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 KES 24.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$772 KES 100.2K

$379 KES 49.2K

103.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$584 KES 75.8K

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 Wote: October 24, 2026

Last update for Malindi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wote

$191 31.9%

Malindi

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Wote

$173 28.8%

Malindi

$173 33.4% 0.2% $0.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wote

$105 17.5%

Malindi

$115 22.3% 9.8% $10

Eating Out

Wote

$79 13.2%

Malindi

$104 20.1% 30.5% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Wote

$28 4.6%

Malindi

$44 8.5% 57.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Wote

$15 * 2.5%

Malindi

$69 13.5% 358% $54

Getting Around

Wote

$9.1 * 1.5%

Malindi

$12 * 2.3% 32.9% $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 $34 in Wote versus $25 in Malindi. Groceries tell a different story – $173 in Wote vs $173 in Malindi – so Wote wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Wote

🇰🇪 Malindi

🕒 Local time

20:31 8:31 PM

Same time as Wote

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,725

117,735

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Wote Malindi 320 km

From you

Wote
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

Wote vs Malindi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wote costs about 16% more than Malindi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $901 per month in Wote and $775 in Malindi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $601 in Wote and $517 in Malindi. That makes Malindi about 14% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Wote 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 $601 in Wote 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 $601 in Wote. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.