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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $589 in Malabo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,225 in Malabo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,862 in Malabo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 294% more expensive than in Malabo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Malabo is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$69.9 FCFA 40.1K

-0.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$8.68 FCFA 4,984

63.13%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$5.20 FCFA 2,988

-46.15%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.90 FCFA 517

212.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.91 FCFA 521

126.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$2.84 FCFA 1,629

-56.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$4.11 FCFA 2,360

-15.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$6.80 FCFA 3,905

169.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$6.71 FCFA 3,852

46.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$7.49 FCFA 4,301

155.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.93 FCFA 532

59.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.26 FCFA 725

-27.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$4.48 FCFA 2,571

59.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.46 FCFA 839

-5.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.30 FCFA 748

131.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$26.74 FCFA 15.4K

9.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$0.84 FCFA 483

419.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.80 FCFA 460

166.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$8.80 FCFA 5,052

236.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$33.5K FCFA 19.2M

13.18%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$29.5K FCFA 17.0M

9.65%

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

$189 €166

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

$22.29 €19.52

$17.49 FCFA 10.0K

27.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$17.52 FCFA 10.1K

112.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$34.61 FCFA 19.9K

67.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$14.94 FCFA 8,575

38.29%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$5.54 FCFA 3,181

96.21%

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

$706 €618

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$357 FCFA 205.0K

4064.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$26.55 FCFA 15.2K

236.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$134 FCFA 76.7K

-72.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$89.8 FCFA 51.6K

32.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$267 FCFA 153.1K

492.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$124 FCFA 70.9K

902.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$958 FCFA 549.8K

183.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$520 FCFA 298.7K

292.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$846 FCFA 485.5K

790.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$645 FCFA 370.1K

712.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Malabo: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $267 in Malabo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $70.0 in Malabo. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 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 294% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $589 including rent). Malabo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,480 in Barcelona and $883 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $267 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 $70.0 versus $70.0 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 $589 in Malabo versus $2,320 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 294% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.