Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Malabo

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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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Malabo

🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea

$635

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Medellin $1,692
Malabo $635

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

Medellin $2,471
Malabo $1,085

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

Medellin $3,249
Malabo $1,534

Medellin costs about 166% more than Malabo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$8.58 FCFA 5,008

-2.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.3K

$69.1 FCFA 40.4K

-32.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

$8.29 FCFA 4,842

14.23%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$4.75 FCFA 2,770

-34.11%

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

$1.77 COP 5,705

$0.81 FCFA 472

118.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,601

$0.44 FCFA 257

222.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$1.73 FCFA 1,010

82.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,950

$2.70 FCFA 1,574

-43.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,401

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,282

$1.66 FCFA 970

16.87%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,905

$3.66 FCFA 2,138

-16.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.3K

$6.77 FCFA 3,950

47.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$6.11 FCFA 3,569

71.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.1K

$7.13 FCFA 4,162

95.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$2.45 FCFA 1,429

65.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,937

$1.67 FCFA 972

-8.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,797

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,409

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,813

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,521

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,780

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,104

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$4.43 FCFA 2,584

-11.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.4K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,690

$1.45 FCFA 846

21.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,760

$0.89 FCFA 520

204.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,811

$1.73 FCFA 1,013

-31.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.4K

$26.22 FCFA 15.3K

190.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,836

$0.88 FCFA 516

105.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,878

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,119

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

$32.6K FCFA 19.0M

5.61%

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

$34.1K COP 110.3M

$29.9K FCFA 17.5M

14.11%

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

$178 COP 574.1K

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

$13.89 COP 44.9K

$17.44 FCFA 10.2K

-20.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.3K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.5K

$33.78 FCFA 19.7K

24.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.3K

$14.38 FCFA 8,393

16.83%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$5.52 FCFA 3,220

35.33%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$344 FCFA 200.9K

3472.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.9K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$223 FCFA 130.3K

198.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$330 FCFA 192.8K

498.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$275 FCFA 160.5K

275.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$852 FCFA 497.5K

380.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$651 FCFA 379.8K

198.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.8

60.88%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Malabo: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Malabo

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Malabo

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Malabo

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Malabo

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Malabo

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Malabo

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Malabo

–

Cost Breakdown

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

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇬🇶 Malabo

🕒 Local time

21:53 9:53 PM

03:53 3:53 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

297,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XAF, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,626 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 584 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 655 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Malabo 9,340 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
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

Medellin vs Malabo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $953 in Malabo. 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.