Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bamenda and Maroua

For one person, living is cheaper in Maroua: $348 a month against $670 in Bamenda, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Bamenda
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Bamenda Living Index

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Bamenda

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$670

/mo nomad

Maroua

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$348

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bamenda and in Maroua

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

A single person spends $670 per month in Bamenda vs $348 in Maroua, rent included.

Bamenda $670
Maroua $348

A couple spends around $897 per month in Bamenda vs $519 in Maroua, rent included.

Bamenda $897
Maroua $519

A family of three spends $1,123 per month in Bamenda vs $690 in Maroua, rent included.

Bamenda $1,123
Maroua $690

Bamenda costs about 93% more than Maroua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Bamenda and Maroua are more affordable than the global median – Bamenda 51% lower, Maroua 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.05 FCFA 2,951

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 FCFA 3,814

Cappuccino

$1.17 FCFA 682

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

$1.74 FCFA 1,018

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 FCFA 370

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 FCFA 912

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 FCFA 972

Milk (1 liter)

$2.78 FCFA 1,624

$1.66 FCFA 972

67.47%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 FCFA 482

$0.84 FCFA 489

-2.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 FCFA 1,138

$2.84 FCFA 1,662

-31.69%

Eggs

$2.96 FCFA 1,733

$5.62 FCFA 3,290

-47.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.13 FCFA 2,998

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.74 FCFA 2,186

$5.24 FCFA 3,064

-28.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.75 FCFA 2,779

$3.31 FCFA 1,936

43.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 FCFA 1,516

$1.72 FCFA 1,003

50.58%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 FCFA 482

$0.87 FCFA 508

-5.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.17 FCFA 684

$0.87 FCFA 511

34.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 FCFA 755

$1.74 FCFA 1,016

-25.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 FCFA 1,741

$2.60 FCFA 1,519

14.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 FCFA 886

$1.71 FCFA 1,000

-11.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 FCFA 455

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 FCFA 451

$0.82 FCFA 480

-6.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.73 FCFA 1,013

Wine (Bottle)

$9.62 FCFA 5,628

$11.12 FCFA 6,504

-13.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 FCFA 817

$0.87 FCFA 511

60.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 FCFA 967

$1.75 FCFA 1,022

-5.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 FCFA 764

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.99 FCFA 5,258

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 FCFA 359

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 FCFA 362

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.52 FCFA 3,230

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 FCFA 840

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

$171 FCFA 100.2K

$51.6 FCFA 30.2K

232.43%

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

$30.03 FCFA 17.6K

$8.43 FCFA 4,932

256.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.80 FCFA 25.0K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.19 FCFA 10.1K

$16.99 FCFA 9,937

1.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$1.69 FCFA 988

Cinema Ticket

$8.48 FCFA 4,960

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

$169 FCFA 99.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.42 FCFA 14.9K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.49 FCFA 24.9K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.74 FCFA 27.3K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.2 FCFA 29.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$68.7 FCFA 40.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$33.55 FCFA 19.6K

$83.7 FCFA 48.9K

-59.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 FCFA 89.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$97.3 FCFA 56.9K

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

Last update for Bamenda: October 26, 2026

Last update for Maroua: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bamenda

$244 36.4%

Maroua

–

Groceries & Markets

Bamenda

$171 * 25.6%

Maroua

–

Eating Out

Bamenda

$95 14.1%

Maroua

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bamenda

$75 11.1%

Maroua

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bamenda

$34 5.1%

Maroua

–

Accommodation & Living

Bamenda

$34 5%

Maroua

–

Getting Around

Bamenda

$18 2.7%

Maroua

–

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

Good to know

🇨🇲 Bamenda

🇨🇲 Maroua

🕒 Local time

13:38 1:38 PM

Same time as Bamenda

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,735,000

3,119,000

💱 Currency

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Bamenda Maroua 690 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bamenda
Maroua

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 Maroua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $670 in Bamenda, $348 in Maroua – Maroua comes out roughly 48% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,006 per month in Bamenda and $522 in Maroua. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $670 in Bamenda and $348 in Maroua. That makes Maroua about 48% cheaper.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Bamenda – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $670 in Bamenda and $348 in Maroua, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.