Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malabo and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Malabo: $640 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 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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Malabo

🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea

$640

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malabo and in Chiang Mai

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 Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $640 per month in Malabo vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Malabo $640
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,090 per month in Malabo vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Malabo $1,090
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,539 per month in Malabo vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Malabo $1,539
Chiang Mai $1,914

Malabo is about 32% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Malabo and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Malabo 53% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.66 FCFA 5,048

$2.26 ฿75.4

283.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 FCFA 39.3K

$19.18 ฿641

251.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.38 FCFA 4,886

$5.59 ฿187

49.91%

Cappuccino

$4.76 FCFA 2,775

$1.72 ฿57.6

176.74%

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

$0.87 FCFA 509

$0.64 ฿21.54

35.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 FCFA 260

$0.33 ฿11.18

36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 FCFA 1,004

$2.36 ฿78.7

-27.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

Milk (1 liter)

$2.77 FCFA 1,614

$2.05 ฿68.6

35.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 FCFA 972

$1.28 ฿42.89

30.47%

Eggs

$3.83 FCFA 2,236

$2.25 ฿75.3

70.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.67 FCFA 3,888

$16.94 ฿566

-60.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.10 FCFA 3,557

$2.74 ฿91.6

122.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.50 FCFA 4,376

$9.36 ฿313

-19.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 FCFA 1,354

$2.40 ฿80.3

-3.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 FCFA 1,013

$1.01 ฿33.92

72.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.47 FCFA 2,606

$4.33 ฿145

3.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 FCFA 823

$1.63 ฿54.4

-13.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 FCFA 482

$2.85 ฿95.3

-70.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 FCFA 1,006

$0.85 ฿28.31

102.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.91 FCFA 15.1K

$53.9 ฿1,801

-51.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 FCFA 508

$1.17 ฿39.18

-25.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

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

$32.8K FCFA 19.1M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

60.20%

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

$29.4K FCFA 17.1M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

10.83%

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)

$17.60 FCFA 10.3K

$12.27 ฿410

43.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.89 FCFA 19.8K

$37.91 ฿1,267

-10.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.75 FCFA 8,603

$3.76 ฿126

292.29%

Cinema Ticket

$5.33 FCFA 3,110

$6.71 ฿224

-20.57%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$346 FCFA 201.9K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-97.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$225 FCFA 131.3K

$305 ฿10.2K

-26.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$334 FCFA 194.9K

$915 ฿30.6K

-63.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 FCFA 164.6K

$552 ฿18.5K

-48.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$856 FCFA 499.2K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

-55.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$652 FCFA 380.0K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-54.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

5.57

22.08%

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

Last update for Malabo: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Malabo

–

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Groceries & Markets

Malabo

–

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Malabo

–

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malabo

–

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Eating Out

Malabo

–

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Getting Around

Malabo

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Malabo

–

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Malabo versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $153 in Malabo vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Malabo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇶 Malabo

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

06:34 6:34 AM

12:34 12:34 PM

6 h ahead of Malabo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

297,000 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 583 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

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).

USD to XAF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Malabo
Chiang Mai

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 Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 47% 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 $960 per month in Malabo and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Public transport costs about 108% less in Malabo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 55% 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 $640, than in Chiang Mai at $938. 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 $640 versus $938 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.