Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Malabo

For one person, living is cheaper in Malabo: $638 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Malabo

🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea

$638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $638 in Malabo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Malabo $638

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,084 in Malabo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Malabo $1,084

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,530 in Malabo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Malabo $1,530

Chiang Mai costs about 45% more than Malabo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chiang Mai and Malabo are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Malabo 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$8.35 FCFA 4,871

-72.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$68.0 FCFA 39.7K

-71.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$8.34 FCFA 4,863

-32.73%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$4.77 FCFA 2,779

-65.20%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.83 FCFA 485

-15.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.42 FCFA 242

-26.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.65 FCFA 962

46.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$2.69 FCFA 1,570

-27.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.66 FCFA 970

-21.08%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$3.79 FCFA 2,208

-42.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$6.87 FCFA 4,003

142.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$5.98 FCFA 3,487

-53.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$7.49 FCFA 4,366

21.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$2.43 FCFA 1,417

-1.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.73 FCFA 1,009

-40.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$4.60 FCFA 2,684

-6.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.45 FCFA 844

8.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$0.82 FCFA 479

246.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$1.72 FCFA 1,000

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$26.69 FCFA 15.6K

99.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.81 FCFA 473

49.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$33.2K FCFA 19.4M

-37.55%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$29.1K FCFA 16.9M

-7.75%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

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

$12.11 ฿405

$17.24 FCFA 10.1K

-29.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$33.88 FCFA 19.8K

9.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$14.75 FCFA 8,603

-74.37%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$5.52 FCFA 3,219

17.75%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$335 FCFA 195.3K

4320.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$226 FCFA 131.6K

31.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$336 FCFA 196.0K

170.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$276 FCFA 160.8K

100.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$840 FCFA 489.7K

129.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$651 FCFA 379.9K

121.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.8

-18.09%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Malabo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Malabo

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Malabo

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Malabo

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Malabo

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Malabo

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Malabo

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Malabo

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $68.0 in Malabo. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $153 in Malabo – so Malabo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇬🇶 Malabo

🕒 Local time

18:17 6:17 PM

12:17 12:17 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

297,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XAF, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 583 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Malabo 9,900 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
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

Chiang Mai vs Malabo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 45% more than Malabo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $956 in Malabo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Public transport costs about 100% less in Malabo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 54% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Malabo, where all-in costs run around $638, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Malabo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Malabo costs $638 versus $925 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Malabo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.