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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $678 in Malabo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,146 in Malabo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $1,613 in Malabo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 268% more expensive than in Malabo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Malabo is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.83

$8.73 FCFA 4,927

110.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$70.9 FCFA 40.0K

-2.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.16

$8.85 FCFA 4,994

59.66%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$4.80 FCFA 2,710

-34.79%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$0.85 FCFA 481

255.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.45 FCFA 256

335.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$1.80 FCFA 1,015

122.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.10

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$2.90 FCFA 1,636

-56.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.76 FCFA 993

-3.98%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$4.00 FCFA 2,258

23.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.39

$6.56 FCFA 3,701

172.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.27

$6.13 FCFA 3,459

56.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.64

$7.30 FCFA 4,121

164.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$2.45 FCFA 1,384

32.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.74 FCFA 984

25.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.13

$4.40 FCFA 2,481

61.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.00

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.41 FCFA 798

6.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$0.92 FCFA 519

202.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$1.79 FCFA 1,011

75.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.23

$26.36 FCFA 14.9K

2.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$0.87 FCFA 491

273.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.91 FCFA 513

64.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.03

$8.66 FCFA 4,887

302.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$33.2K FCFA 18.7M

10.51%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$30.0K FCFA 16.9M

3.09%

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

$188 €161

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

$15.44 €13.29

$17.67 FCFA 9,973

-12.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.52

$17.92 FCFA 10.1K

110.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.21

$35.99 FCFA 20.3K

58.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.45

$14.58 FCFA 8,231

15.23%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.96

$5.42 FCFA 3,057

113.65%

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

$1,003 €863

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$359 FCFA 202.6K

4640.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.8

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.17

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.6

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,440

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,146

$232 FCFA 130.9K

474.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,234

$348 FCFA 196.4K

645.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,678

$291 FCFA 164.3K

569.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,517

$841 FCFA 474.8K

800.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,621

$656 FCFA 370.4K

718.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,067

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.8

-53.53%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Malabo: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $71.0 in Malabo. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $156, 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 268% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $678 including rent). Malabo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,743 in Barcelona and $1,017 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 $71.0 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Malabo runs roughly 2% less than in Barcelona. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $678 in Malabo versus $2,495 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 268% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.