Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Malabo Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Malabo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $605 in Malabo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,254 in Malabo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,903 in Malabo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 291% more expensive than Malabo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Malabo is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$69.3 FCFA 39.1K

-1.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$8.66 FCFA 4,883

62.36%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$5.30 FCFA 2,989

-47.55%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.89 FCFA 505

214.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.90 FCFA 510

128.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.79 FCFA 1,572

-55.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$4.27 FCFA 2,409

-22.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$6.84 FCFA 3,857

169.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$6.83 FCFA 3,854

38.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$7.15 FCFA 4,030

167.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.93 FCFA 525

58.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.23 FCFA 693

-31.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$4.63 FCFA 2,611

54.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.44 FCFA 814

-4.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$1.33 FCFA 753

124.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$26.60 FCFA 15.0K

10.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$0.91 FCFA 513

405.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.80 FCFA 452

158.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$8.98 FCFA 5,063

224.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$33.0K FCFA 18.6M

18.21%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$29.3K FCFA 16.5M

11.78%

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

$188 €162

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

$22.93 €19.73

$17.40 FCFA 9,811

31.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$17.32 FCFA 9,768

111.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$35.03 FCFA 19.8K

63.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$14.89 FCFA 8,396

39.02%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$5.56 FCFA 3,138

101.26%

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

$721 €620

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$359 FCFA 202.2K

4094.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$26.93 FCFA 15.2K

220.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$132 FCFA 74.2K

-71.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$89.9 FCFA 50.7K

28.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$266 FCFA 150.0K

476.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$123 FCFA 69.4K

891.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$956 FCFA 539.2K

181.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$522 FCFA 294.3K

285.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$847 FCFA 477.4K

752.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$634 FCFA 357.8K

717.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.8

-50.15%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Malabo: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $266 in Malabo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $69.0 in Malabo. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $147, with Malabo cheaper for home cooking.

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

Barcelona vs Malabo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Malabo differ by about 291% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $605 including rent). Malabo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,550 in Barcelona and $907 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $266 in Malabo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Malabo – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Malabo runs roughly 10% less than in Barcelona. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $605 in Malabo versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Malabo but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. 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.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Malabo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Malabo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 291% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.