Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bamenda and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Bamenda: $670 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $18,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bamenda, Cameroon
Lisbon, Portugal
Bamenda
🇨🇲 Cameroon
$670
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bamenda and in Lisbon

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

A single person spends $670 per month in Bamenda vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Bamenda $670
  • Lisbon $2,210

A couple spends around $897 per month in Bamenda vs $3,275 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Bamenda $897
  • Lisbon $3,275

A family of three spends $1,123 per month in Bamenda vs $4,341 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Bamenda $1,123
  • Lisbon $4,341

Bamenda is about 70% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Bamenda sits 51% below the global median, while Lisbon is 62% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bamenda
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.05 FCFA 2,951
$16.65 €14.85
-69.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
-
$61.7 €55.1
-
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.52 FCFA 3,814
$11.36 €10.13
-42.61%
Cappuccino
$1.17 FCFA 682
$2.97 €2.65
-60.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 FCFA 1,018
$2.29 €2.04
-24.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.63 FCFA 370
$1.74 €1.55
-63.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.56 FCFA 912
$3.40 €3.04
-54.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 FCFA 972
$3.31 €2.95
-49.85%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bamenda
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.78 FCFA 1,624
$1.16 €1.03
139.66%
White Bread (500g)
$0.82 FCFA 482
$1.91 €1.71
-57.07%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 FCFA 1,138
$1.51 €1.35
28.48%
Eggs
$2.96 FCFA 1,733
$4.02 €3.59
-26.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
-
$12.94 €11.54
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.74 FCFA 2,186
$7.77 €6.94
-51.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.75 FCFA 2,779
$17.76 €15.85
-73.25%
Apples (1kg)
$2.59 FCFA 1,516
$2.30 €2.06
12.61%
Banana (1kg)
$0.82 FCFA 482
$1.73 €1.55
-52.60%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.17 FCFA 684
$1.86 €1.66
-37.10%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.29 FCFA 755
$2.59 €2.31
-50.19%
Potato (1kg)
$2.98 FCFA 1,741
$1.82 €1.62
63.74%
Onion (1kg)
$1.51 FCFA 886
$1.97 €1.76
-23.35%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.78 FCFA 455
$1.47 €1.31
-46.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 FCFA 451
$0.72 €0.65
6.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.73 FCFA 1,013
$6.58 €5.87
-73.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.62 FCFA 5,628
$5.61 €5.00
71.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.40 FCFA 817
$1.36 €1.22
2.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.65 FCFA 967
$2.14 €1.91
-22.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Bamenda
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.31 FCFA 764
$2.33 €2.08
-43.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.99 FCFA 5,258
$44.68 €39.86
-79.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.61 FCFA 359
$3.85 €3.43
-84.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.62 FCFA 362
$1.07 €0.95
-42.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.52 FCFA 3,230
$16.46 €14.69
-66.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 FCFA 840
$2.20 €1.96
-34.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$34.2K €30.5K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$38.7K €34.5K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bamenda
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$171 FCFA 100.2K
$161 €144
6.30%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$30.03 FCFA 17.6K
$18.41 €16.43
63.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.80 FCFA 25.0K
$32.74 €29.21
30.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bamenda
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$17.19 FCFA 10.1K
$44.55 €39.74
-61.41%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.10 €17.04
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.48 FCFA 4,960
$9.60 €8.56
-11.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bamenda
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$169 FCFA 99.1K
$668 €596
-74.63%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$17.6K €15.7K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bamenda
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$25.42 FCFA 14.9K
$102 €91.0
-75.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.49 FCFA 24.9K
$44.46 €39.67
-4.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$46.74 FCFA 27.3K
$98.5 €87.9
-52.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$51.2 FCFA 29.9K
$124 €110
-58.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bamenda
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$68.7 FCFA 40.2K
$1,608 €1,435
-95.73%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$33.55 FCFA 19.6K
$1,190 €1,062
-97.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,812 €2,509
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,013 €1,796
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,839 €6,994
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$4,576 €4,082
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bamenda
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$97.3 FCFA 56.9K
$1,575 €1,405
-93.82%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
3.85
-

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

Last update for Bamenda: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bamenda
$244
Lisbon
$212 13% $32
Groceries & Markets
Bamenda
$171 *
Lisbon
$272 58.8% $101
Eating Out
Bamenda
$95
Lisbon
$243 157% $148
Clothing & Footwear
Bamenda
$75
Lisbon
$166 122% $91
Sport & Entertainment
Bamenda
$34
Lisbon
$64 86.6% $30
Accommodation & Living
Bamenda
$34
Lisbon
$1.2K 3447% $1.2K
Getting Around
Bamenda
$18
Lisbon
$63 253% $45

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $69 in Bamenda versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Lisbon are about 16 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know
🇨🇲 Bamenda
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
13:30 1:30 PM
12:30 12:30 PM
1 h behind Bamenda
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,735,000
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to XAF – Central African CFA Franc Converter

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 653 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bamenda Lisbon 4,130 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bamenda
  • Lisbon

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Bamenda and in Lisbon compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $670 in Bamenda, $2,210 in Lisbon – Bamenda comes out roughly 70% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Bamenda compared to Lisbon?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,006 per month in Bamenda and $3,315 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Bamenda and Lisbon?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bamenda, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $69 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.
Which city is more expensive overall: Bamenda or Lisbon?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $670 in Bamenda and $2,210 in Lisbon. That makes Bamenda about 70% cheaper.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Bamenda and Lisbon?
Kindergarten costs $169 per month in Bamenda and $668 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Bamenda, where all-in costs run around $670, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In Bamenda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Bamenda or Lisbon?
Families tend to lean toward Bamenda – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Bamenda and Lisbon?
If budget matters most, go with Bamenda. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Bamenda vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?