Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malabo and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Malabo: $673 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Malabo

🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea

$673

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malabo and in Cebu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Malabo and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $673 in Malabo versus $934 in Cebu.

Malabo $673
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,117 in Malabo versus $1,415 in Cebu.

Malabo $1,117
Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,560 in Malabo versus $1,896 in Cebu.

Malabo $1,560
Cebu $1,896

Living in Malabo costs roughly 28% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Malabo 50% lower, Cebu 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.70 FCFA 5,088

$3.03 ₱190

187.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.6 FCFA 40.7K

$23.48 ₱1,473

196.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 FCFA 5,060

$4.09 ₱256

111.49%

Cappuccino

$4.79 FCFA 2,804

$2.52 ₱158

90.08%

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

$0.84 FCFA 491

$1.54 ₱96.9

-45.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 FCFA 240

$0.49 ₱30.98

-16.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 FCFA 989

$1.79 ₱112

-5.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

Milk (1 liter)

$2.73 FCFA 1,596

$1.95 ₱122

40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 FCFA 1,025

$1.02 ₱63.8

71.57%

Eggs

$3.70 FCFA 2,165

$2.06 ₱129

79.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.75 FCFA 3,948

$9.81 ₱615

-31.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.02 FCFA 3,522

$4.61 ₱289

30.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.08 FCFA 4,142

$7.70 ₱483

-8.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 FCFA 1,385

$3.31 ₱207

-28.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 FCFA 1,027

$1.45 ₱90.9

21.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.47 FCFA 2,615

$3.00 ₱188

49.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 FCFA 822

$1.31 ₱81.9

6.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 FCFA 521

$1.73 ₱108

-48.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.74 FCFA 1,020

$0.25 ₱15.78

596.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.67 FCFA 15.6K

$12.65 ₱793

110.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 FCFA 485

$0.74 ₱46.32

12.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 FCFA 528

$0.21 ₱13.11

328.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.72 FCFA 5,103

$4.33 ₱271

101.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

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

$32.6K FCFA 19.1M

$21.8K ₱1.4M

49.61%

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

$29.1K FCFA 17.0M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

49.85%

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

$121 ₱7,563

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

$17.56 FCFA 10.3K

$14.45 ₱907

21.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.07 FCFA 9,986

$28.29 ₱1,774

-39.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.14 FCFA 20.0K

$32.68 ₱2,050

4.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.84 FCFA 8,685

$6.39 ₱401

132.24%

Cinema Ticket

$5.42 FCFA 3,173

$5.46 ₱342

-0.73%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$344 FCFA 201.4K

$8,156 ₱511.5K

-95.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$223 FCFA 130.4K

$309 ₱19.4K

-27.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$346 FCFA 202.3K

$1,052 ₱66.0K

-67.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 FCFA 166.7K

$619 ₱38.8K

-53.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$841 FCFA 492.3K

$2,915 ₱182.9K

-71.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$648 FCFA 378.9K

$1,867 ₱117.1K

-65.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

7.2

-5.56%

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

Last update for Malabo: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Malabo

–

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Groceries & Markets

Malabo

–

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malabo

–

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Malabo

–

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Eating Out

Malabo

–

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Malabo

–

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Getting Around

Malabo

–

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $70.0 in Malabo vs $23.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $152 vs $210, with Malabo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇬🇶 Malabo

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

05:50 5:50 AM

12:50 12:50 PM

7 h ahead of Malabo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

297,000 Capital

964,169

💱 Currency

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to XAF – Central African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 Central African CFA Franc (Fr)

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).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to XAF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Malabo Cebu 12,670 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Malabo
Cebu

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

Malabo vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malabo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and clothing. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,009 in Malabo and $1,401 in Cebu 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 39% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $673 per month in Malabo versus $934 in Cebu – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Malabo gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Malabo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cebu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Malabo and Cebu 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 39% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.