Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Malabo

For one person, living is cheaper in Malabo: $673 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $24,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Malabo

🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea

$673

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Malabo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Malabo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $673 in Malabo.

Austin, TX $2,704
Malabo $673

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,117 in Malabo.

Austin, TX $4,133
Malabo $1,117

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $1,560 in Malabo.

Austin, TX $5,562
Malabo $1,560

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 302% more expensive than in Malabo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Malabo is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$8.70 FCFA 5,088

132.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$69.6 FCFA 40.7K

22.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$8.65 FCFA 5,060

42.77%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$4.79 FCFA 2,804

14.20%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.84 FCFA 491

354.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.41 FCFA 240

509.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$1.69 FCFA 989

376.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.73 FCFA 1,596

-58.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.75 FCFA 1,025

85.71%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$3.70 FCFA 2,165

11.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$6.75 FCFA 3,948

93.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$6.02 FCFA 3,522

137.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$7.08 FCFA 4,142

125.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.37 FCFA 1,385

84.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.76 FCFA 1,027

-17.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$4.47 FCFA 2,615

119.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.40 FCFA 822

98.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$0.89 FCFA 521

291.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.74 FCFA 1,020

-14.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$26.67 FCFA 15.6K

51.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$0.83 FCFA 485

221.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.90 FCFA 528

75.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$8.72 FCFA 5,103

304.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$32.6K FCFA 19.1M

9.95%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$29.1K FCFA 17.0M

-6.50%

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

$219 $219

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

$58.0 $58.0

$17.56 FCFA 10.3K

230.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$17.07 FCFA 9,986

300.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$34.14 FCFA 20.0K

69.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$14.84 FCFA 8,685

-0.13%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$5.42 FCFA 3,173

160.70%

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

$1,509 $1,509

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$344 FCFA 201.4K

6134.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$223 FCFA 130.4K

471.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$346 FCFA 202.3K

961.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$285 FCFA 166.7K

786.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$841 FCFA 492.3K

805.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$648 FCFA 378.9K

394.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.8

-0.15%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Malabo: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Malabo

–

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Malabo

–

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Malabo

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Malabo

–

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Malabo

–

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Malabo

–

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Malabo

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $70.0 in Malabo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $152 per month, with Malabo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇬🇶 Malabo

🕒 Local time

04:04 4:04 AM

10:04 10:04 AM

6 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

297,000 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XAF, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🌐 Central African CFA Franc (Fr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR).

XAF to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Malabo 11,370 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Malabo

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

Austin, TX vs Malabo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malabo wins on cost – living expenses run 302% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Malabo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,055 in Austin, TX and $1,009 in Malabo to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Dining out is cheaper in Malabo – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Malabo runs roughly 52% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $673 in Malabo versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Malabo but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Malabo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Malabo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 302% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.