Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malabo and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Malabo: $635 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Malabo

🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea

$635

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malabo and in Medellin

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

A single person spends $635 per month in Malabo vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

Malabo $635
Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $1,085 per month in Malabo vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

Malabo $1,085
Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $1,534 per month in Malabo vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

Malabo $1,534
Medellin $3,249

Malabo is about 62% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Malabo sits 53% below the global median, while Medellin is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.58 FCFA 5,010

$8.34 COP 26.8K

2.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 FCFA 40.4K

$46.53 COP 149.7K

48.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.29 FCFA 4,844

$9.47 COP 30.5K

-12.46%

Cappuccino

$4.75 FCFA 2,771

$3.13 COP 10.1K

51.76%

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

$0.81 FCFA 472

$1.77 COP 5,681

-54.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 FCFA 257

$1.42 COP 4,582

-69.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 FCFA 1,010

$3.15 COP 10.1K

-45.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$2.70 FCFA 1,574

$1.53 COP 4,930

76.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,370

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 FCFA 971

$1.94 COP 6,257

-14.43%

Eggs

$3.66 FCFA 2,139

$3.07 COP 9,864

19.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.77 FCFA 3,952

$9.99 COP 32.1K

-32.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.11 FCFA 3,571

$10.45 COP 33.6K

-41.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.13 FCFA 4,164

$13.96 COP 44.9K

-48.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 FCFA 1,430

$4.05 COP 13.0K

-39.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 FCFA 973

$1.53 COP 4,916

9.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,769

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,378

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,785

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,498

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,764

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,083

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 FCFA 2,586

$3.91 COP 12.6K

13.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 FCFA 846

$1.76 COP 5,667

-17.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 FCFA 520

$2.71 COP 8,724

-67.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 FCFA 1,013

$1.18 COP 3,795

46.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.22 FCFA 15.3K

$76.3 COP 245.4K

-65.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 FCFA 516

$1.81 COP 5,812

-51.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,849

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.2K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,102

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

$32.6K FCFA 19.0M

$34.4K COP 110.8M

-5.31%

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

$29.9K FCFA 17.5M

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-12.36%

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

$178 COP 571.7K

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

$17.44 FCFA 10.2K

$13.89 COP 44.7K

25.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 98.9K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.78 FCFA 19.7K

$41.94 COP 134.9K

-19.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.38 FCFA 8,397

$16.80 COP 54.0K

-14.40%

Cinema Ticket

$5.52 FCFA 3,221

$7.47 COP 24.0K

-26.10%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$344 FCFA 201.0K

$12.3K COP 39.6M

-97.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 277.7K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 190.6K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 445.0K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 317.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$223 FCFA 130.4K

$667 COP 2.1M

-66.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$330 FCFA 192.9K

$1,976 COP 6.4M

-83.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 FCFA 160.6K

$1,033 COP 3.3M

-73.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$852 FCFA 497.7K

$4,098 COP 13.2M

-79.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$651 FCFA 380.0K

$1,940 COP 6.2M

-66.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

10.94

-37.84%

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

Last update for Malabo: November 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Malabo

–

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Groceries & Markets

Malabo

–

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malabo

–

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Eating Out

Malabo

–

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Malabo

–

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Getting Around

Malabo

–

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Malabo

–

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69 in Malabo versus $47 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $152 in Malabo vs $307 in Medellin – so Malabo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇶 Malabo

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

20:30 8:30 PM

14:30 2:30 PM

6 h behind Malabo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

297,000 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.11 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 584 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,217 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to XAF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Malabo Medellin 9,340 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Malabo
Medellin

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 Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $635 in Malabo, $1,692 in Medellin – Malabo comes out roughly 62% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $953 per month in Malabo and $2,538 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Public transport costs about 66% less in Malabo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 103% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Malabo, where all-in costs run around $635, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Malabo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $635 in Malabo to $1,692 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.