Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Malabo

For one person, living is cheaper in Malabo: $635 a month against $4,048 in London, rent and utilities included – about $41,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

London, United Kingdom
Malabo, Equatorial Guinea
London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$4,048
/mo nomad
Malabo
🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea
$635
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,048 per month in London vs $635 in Malabo, rent included.

  • London $4,048
  • Malabo $635

A couple spends around $5,903 per month in London vs $1,085 in Malabo, rent included.

  • London $5,903
  • Malabo $1,085

A family of three spends $7,758 per month in London vs $1,534 in Malabo, rent included.

  • London $7,758
  • Malabo $1,534

London costs about 537% more than Malabo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

London sits 199% above the global median, while Malabo is 53% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
London
Malabo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.36 £19.59
$8.58 FCFA 5,010
207.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$109 £80.7
$69.1 FCFA 40.4K
57.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.71 £7.96
$8.29 FCFA 4,844
29.19%
Cappuccino
$5.59 £4.15
$4.75 FCFA 2,771
17.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 £2.23
$0.81 FCFA 472
270.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 £1.65
$0.44 FCFA 257
404.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.65 £7.17
$1.73 FCFA 1,010
457.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.26 £6.14
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
London
Malabo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.97 £1.46
$2.70 FCFA 1,574
-27.04%
White Bread (500g)
$2.09 £1.55
-
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.59 £1.93
$1.66 FCFA 971
56.02%
Eggs
$5.37 £3.99
$3.66 FCFA 2,139
46.72%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.12 £9.75
$6.77 FCFA 3,952
93.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.03 £8.20
$6.11 FCFA 3,571
80.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.73 £13.18
$7.13 FCFA 4,164
148.67%
Apples (1kg)
$3.17 £2.36
$2.45 FCFA 1,430
29.39%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 £1.03
$1.67 FCFA 973
-17.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.82 £2.10
-
-
Tomato (1kg)
$3.36 £2.50
-
-
Potato (1kg)
$1.70 £1.26
-
-
Onion (1kg)
$1.78 £1.32
-
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.49 £1.11
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 £1.35
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.85 £17.73
$4.43 FCFA 2,586
438.37%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.44 £9.99
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.11 £2.31
$1.45 FCFA 846
114.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.49 £3.34
$0.89 FCFA 520
404.49%
🚌 Getting Around
London
Malabo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.13 £3.07
$1.73 FCFA 1,013
138.73%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$266 £198
$26.22 FCFA 15.3K
914.42%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.98 £4.45
$0.88 FCFA 516
579.55%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.39 £2.52
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$56.6 £42.03
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.21 £1.64
-
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.3K £28.4K
$32.6K FCFA 19.0M
17.35%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.0K £30.5K
$29.9K FCFA 17.5M
37.13%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
Malabo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$372 £277
-
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.66 £13.87
$17.44 FCFA 10.2K
7.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.53 £30.13
-
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
London
Malabo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.0 £41.63
$33.78 FCFA 19.7K
65.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.10 £12.71
$14.38 FCFA 8,397
18.92%
Cinema Ticket
$17.95 £13.34
$5.52 FCFA 3,221
225.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
London
Malabo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,946 £2,189
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$47.6K £35.4K
$344 FCFA 201.0K
13734.60%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
London
Malabo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$116 £86.4
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.9 £42.29
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$128 £95.1
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$154 £114
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
London
Malabo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,935 £2,182
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,258 £1,678
$223 FCFA 130.4K
911.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,250 £3,902
$330 FCFA 192.9K
1489.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,859 £2,868
$275 FCFA 160.6K
1303.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$17.2K £12.8K
$852 FCFA 497.7K
1916.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,278 £6,153
$651 FCFA 380.0K
1172.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
London
Malabo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,621 £4,177
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.78
6.8
-29.71%

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

Last update for London: November 1, 2026

Last update for Malabo: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
London
$2.3K
Malabo
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
$432
Malabo
–
Eating Out
London
$396
Malabo
–
Groceries & Markets
London
$360
Malabo
–
Getting Around
London
$305
Malabo
–
Clothing & Footwear
London
$205
Malabo
–
Sport & Entertainment
London
$92
Malabo
–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $109 in London versus $69 in Malabo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $360 vs $152 – making Malabo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 London
🇬🇶 Malabo
🕒 Local time
22:32 10:32 PM
23:32 11:32 PM
1 h ahead of London
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,908,083 Capital
297,000 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

XAF, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.743 GBP (1 GBP = 1.35 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 584 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • London Malabo 5,380 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • London
  • 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
London vs Malabo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in London and in Malabo compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $4,048 in London, $635 in Malabo – Malabo comes out roughly 84% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in London compared to Malabo?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,072 per month in London and $953 in Malabo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city is more expensive overall: London or Malabo?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,048 in London and $635 in Malabo. That makes Malabo about 84% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $109 in London and $69 in Malabo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Malabo, where all-in costs run around $635, than in London at $4,048. In Malabo it covers expenses comfortably, while in London it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between London and Malabo?
It depends on your priorities. London has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $635 in Malabo to $4,048 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

London vs other spots: cost of living compared

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