Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Malabo

For one person, living is cheaper in Malabo: $673 a month against $1,351 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Malabo

🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea

$673

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,351 in Bucharest versus $673 in Malabo.

Bucharest $1,351
Malabo $673

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,033 in Bucharest versus $1,117 in Malabo.

Bucharest $2,033
Malabo $1,117

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,715 in Bucharest versus $1,560 in Malabo.

Bucharest $2,715
Malabo $1,560

Living in Bucharest is roughly 101% more expensive than in Malabo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% above, Malabo is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 RON 68.4

$8.70 FCFA 5,088

66.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 273

$69.6 FCFA 40.7K

-17.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 RON 35.46

$8.65 FCFA 5,060

-13.29%

Cappuccino

$3.43 RON 16.20

$4.79 FCFA 2,804

-28.39%

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

$2.46 RON 11.63

$0.84 FCFA 491

192.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.01

$0.41 FCFA 240

468.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 RON 17.97

$1.69 FCFA 989

124.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.41

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.79

$2.73 FCFA 1,596

-39.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.39

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.42

$1.75 FCFA 1,025

1.71%

Eggs

$3.66 RON 17.33

$3.70 FCFA 2,165

-1.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 RON 40.54

$6.75 FCFA 3,948

26.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 RON 32.17

$6.02 FCFA 3,522

12.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 RON 55.4

$7.08 FCFA 4,142

65.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 RON 6.11

$2.37 FCFA 1,385

-45.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.37

$1.76 FCFA 1,027

-11.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.28

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 RON 11.75

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.92

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.77

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 RON 3.98

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 30.45

$4.47 FCFA 2,615

44.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 RON 29.91

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.94

$1.40 FCFA 822

-10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 RON 7.59

$0.89 FCFA 521

79.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RON 3.85

$1.74 FCFA 1,020

-53.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.13 RON 99.9

$26.67 FCFA 15.6K

-20.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.83 FCFA 485

-27.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.91

$0.90 FCFA 528

-32.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 RON 29.19

$8.72 FCFA 5,103

-29.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.27

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

$28.1K RON 133.1K

$32.6K FCFA 19.1M

-13.56%

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

$26.3K RON 124.3K

$29.1K FCFA 17.0M

-9.55%

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

$197 RON 931

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

$8.34 RON 39.44

$17.56 FCFA 10.3K

-52.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.19 RON 43.47

$17.07 FCFA 9,986

-46.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.87 RON 236

$34.14 FCFA 20.0K

46.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.99 RON 118

$14.84 FCFA 8,685

68.40%

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 RON 40.01

$5.42 FCFA 3,173

56.09%

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

$639 RON 3,023

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 68.1K

$344 FCFA 201.4K

4081.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 RON 429

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 RON 180

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 RON 377

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 RON 441

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 RON 3,184

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 RON 2,123

$223 FCFA 130.4K

101.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 RON 5,195

$346 FCFA 202.3K

217.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 RON 3,448

$285 FCFA 166.7K

155.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 RON 17.7K

$841 FCFA 492.3K

344.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,189 RON 10.4K

$648 FCFA 378.9K

237.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 RON 6,259

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

6.8

-0.88%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Last update for Malabo: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$449 33.5%

Malabo

–

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.8%

Malabo

–

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$222 16.5%

Malabo

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 16%

Malabo

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$136 10.1%

Malabo

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Malabo

–

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Malabo

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $58.0 in Bucharest vs $70.0 in Malabo. Groceries flip the comparison at $222 vs $152, with Malabo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇬🇶 Malabo

🕒 Local time

07:49 7:49 AM

05:49 5:49 AM

2 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

297,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XAF, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 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).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Malabo 4,830 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
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

Bucharest vs Malabo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Malabo differ by about 101% in total monthly costs ($1,351 vs $673 including rent). Malabo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,027 in Bucharest 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Bucharest. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,351 per month in Bucharest versus $673 in Malabo – a 101% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $673 in Malabo versus $1,351 in Bucharest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Malabo but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. 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 101% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.