Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Malabo

For one person, living is cheaper in Malabo: $635 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Malabo

🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea

$635

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $635 in Malabo, rent included.

Phuket $1,294
Malabo $635

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $1,085 in Malabo, rent included.

Phuket $2,204
Malabo $1,085

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $1,534 in Malabo, rent included.

Phuket $3,115
Malabo $1,534

Phuket costs about 104% more than Malabo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Malabo are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 4% lower, Malabo 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$8.58 FCFA 5,029

-48.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,090

$69.1 FCFA 40.5K

-53.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿294

$8.29 FCFA 4,862

4.95%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.9

$4.75 FCFA 2,782

-42.74%

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

$0.93 ฿31.39

$0.81 FCFA 474

14.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.85

$0.44 FCFA 258

13.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.4

$1.73 FCFA 1,014

46.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.7

$2.70 FCFA 1,580

-35.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.95

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.66 FCFA 974

-9.64%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.3

$3.66 FCFA 2,147

-40.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿644

$6.77 FCFA 3,967

181.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿115

$6.11 FCFA 3,584

-44.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿368

$7.13 FCFA 4,180

52.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿99.2

$2.45 FCFA 1,435

20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.67 FCFA 976

1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿74.0

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.7

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.21

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿46.15

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.30

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.41

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$4.43 FCFA 2,595

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿616

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.8

$1.45 FCFA 850

22.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿97.2

$0.89 FCFA 522

223.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.84

$1.73 FCFA 1,017

-16.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,852

$26.22 FCFA 15.4K

109.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.88 FCFA 518

71.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.18

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿130

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.2

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

$26.9K ฿907.0K

$32.6K FCFA 19.1M

-17.57%

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

$26.3K ฿888.9K

$29.9K FCFA 17.5M

-11.93%

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

$97.8 ฿3,300

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

$11.29 ฿381

$17.44 FCFA 10.2K

-35.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿580

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,305

$33.78 FCFA 19.8K

102.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿368

$14.38 FCFA 8,428

-24.06%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿251

$5.52 FCFA 3,233

34.60%

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

$530 ฿17.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿633.7K

$344 FCFA 201.8K

5356.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,081

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿953

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,239

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,929

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.2K

$223 FCFA 130.9K

127.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.8K

$330 FCFA 193.7K

490.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.1K

$275 FCFA 161.2K

407.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿141.4K

$852 FCFA 499.6K

391.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿111.3K

$651 FCFA 381.4K

406.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.8

-18.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: 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

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Malabo

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Malabo

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Malabo

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Malabo

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Malabo

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Malabo

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Malabo

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $69 in Malabo. Groceries tell a different story – $267 in Phuket vs $152 in Malabo – so Malabo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇬🇶 Malabo

🕒 Local time

05:55 5:55 AM

23:55 11:55 PM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

297,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XAF, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 586 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Malabo 9,910 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
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

Phuket vs Malabo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,294 in Phuket, $635 in Malabo – Malabo comes out roughly 51% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $953 in Malabo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Public transport costs about 52% less in Malabo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 76% more in Phuket, 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 Phuket at $1,294. In Malabo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $635 in Malabo to $1,294 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.