Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bamenda and Buea

For one person, living is cheaper in Bamenda: $670 a month against $739 in Buea, rent and utilities included – about $830 less a year. The total is higher in Buea despite lower rent and utilities.

32

Cost of Living Index in Bamenda
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Bamenda Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Buea
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Buea Living Index

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Bamenda

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$670

/mo nomad

Buea

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$739

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bamenda and in Buea

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

A single person spends $670 per month in Bamenda vs $739 in Buea, rent included.

Bamenda $670
Buea $739

A couple spends around $897 per month in Bamenda vs $1,340 in Buea, rent included.

Bamenda $897
Buea $1,340

A family of three spends $1,123 per month in Bamenda vs $1,941 in Buea, rent included.

Bamenda $1,123
Buea $1,941

Bamenda is about 9% cheaper than Buea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Bamenda and Buea are more affordable than the global median – Bamenda 51% lower, Buea 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.05 FCFA 2,963

$1.69 FCFA 990

198.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 FCFA 68.8K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 FCFA 3,830

$6.06 FCFA 3,560

7.59%

Cappuccino

$1.17 FCFA 685

$2.04 FCFA 1,199

-42.65%

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

$1.74 FCFA 1,022

$1.25 FCFA 735

39.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 FCFA 371

$0.46 FCFA 270

36.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 FCFA 916

$0.99 FCFA 581

57.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 FCFA 976

$1.50 FCFA 878

10.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.78 FCFA 1,631

$2.78 FCFA 1,635

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 FCFA 484

$0.40 FCFA 233

105.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 FCFA 1,142

$1.53 FCFA 901

26.80%

Eggs

$2.96 FCFA 1,741

$1.87 FCFA 1,097

58.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.74 FCFA 12.8K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.74 FCFA 2,195

$7.58 FCFA 4,449

-50.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.75 FCFA 2,791

$4.36 FCFA 2,561

8.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 FCFA 1,522

$3.43 FCFA 2,015

-24.49%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 FCFA 484

$1.38 FCFA 808

-40.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.17 FCFA 687

$0.88 FCFA 516

32.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 FCFA 758

$1.31 FCFA 772

-1.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 FCFA 1,749

$1.72 FCFA 1,012

73.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 FCFA 889

$1.39 FCFA 816

8.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 FCFA 457

$0.73 FCFA 427

6.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 FCFA 452

$0.61 FCFA 360

26.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.73 FCFA 1,018

$2.64 FCFA 1,548

-34.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.62 FCFA 5,651

$8.70 FCFA 5,107

10.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 FCFA 820

$1.16 FCFA 679

20.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 FCFA 971

$1.73 FCFA 1,017

-4.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 FCFA 767

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.99 FCFA 5,280

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 FCFA 360

$0.27 FCFA 159

125.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 FCFA 363

$0.53 FCFA 310

16.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.52 FCFA 3,244

$4.99 FCFA 2,931

10.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 FCFA 843

$1.20 FCFA 702

20.00%

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

$18.7K FCFA 11.0M

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

$15.6K FCFA 9.1M

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

$171 FCFA 100.6K

$59.1 FCFA 34.7K

189.87%

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

$30.03 FCFA 17.6K

$16.88 FCFA 9,916

77.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.80 FCFA 25.1K

$167 FCFA 98.2K

-74.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.19 FCFA 10.1K

$25.69 FCFA 15.1K

-33.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.25 FCFA 2,494

Cinema Ticket

$8.48 FCFA 4,981

$8.54 FCFA 5,014

-0.70%

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

$169 FCFA 99.5K

$506 FCFA 297.3K

-66.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,349 FCFA 2.0M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.42 FCFA 14.9K

$34.09 FCFA 20.0K

-25.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.49 FCFA 25.0K

$65.7 FCFA 38.6K

-35.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.74 FCFA 27.5K

$137 FCFA 80.3K

-65.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.2 FCFA 30.0K

$67.9 FCFA 39.9K

-24.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$68.7 FCFA 40.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$33.55 FCFA 19.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$97.3 FCFA 57.2K

$130 FCFA 76.5K

-25.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.04

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

Last update for Bamenda: October 26, 2026

Last update for Buea: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bamenda

$244 36.4%

Buea

$243 32.9% 0.4% $1

Groceries & Markets

Bamenda

$171 * 25.6%

Buea

$242 32.8% 41.1% $70

Eating Out

Bamenda

$95 14.1%

Buea

$71 9.6% 24.9% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Bamenda

$75 11.1%

Buea

$137 18.5% 83.6% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Bamenda

$34 5.1%

Buea

$43 5.8% 25.2% $8.6

Accommodation & Living

Bamenda

$34 5%

Buea

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Bamenda

$18 2.7%

Buea

$2.9 * 0.4% 83.8% $15

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 34% higher in Buea. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇨🇲 Bamenda

🇨🇲 Buea

🕒 Local time

03:33 3:33 AM

Same time as Bamenda

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,735,000

1,325,000

💱 Currency

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XAF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR

1,000 XAF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bamenda Buea 230 km

From you

Bamenda
Buea

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

Bamenda vs Buea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $670 in Bamenda, $739 in Buea – Bamenda comes out roughly 9% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,006 per month in Bamenda and $1,108 in Buea. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Kindergarten costs $169 per month in Bamenda and $506 in Buea. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $670 in Bamenda and $739 in Buea. That makes Bamenda about 9% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $670 in Bamenda and $739 in Buea, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Buea has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $670 in Bamenda to $739 in Buea. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Bamenda. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Buea makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.