Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bamenda and Yaounde

For one person, living is cheaper in Bamenda: $667 a month against $782 in Yaounde, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Bamenda
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Bamenda Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Yaounde
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Yaounde Living Index

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Bamenda

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$667

/mo nomad

Yaounde

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bamenda and in Yaounde

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

A single person spends $667 per month in Bamenda vs $782 in Yaounde, rent included.

Bamenda $667
Yaounde $782

A couple spends around $894 per month in Bamenda vs $1,206 in Yaounde, rent included.

Bamenda $894
Yaounde $1,206

A family of three spends $1,120 per month in Bamenda vs $1,629 in Yaounde, rent included.

Bamenda $1,120
Yaounde $1,629

Bamenda is about 15% cheaper than Yaounde, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bamenda and Yaounde are more affordable than the global median – Bamenda 51% lower, Yaounde 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.16 FCFA 3,011

$3.50 FCFA 2,040

47.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.7 FCFA 29.6K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.25 FCFA 3,642

$4.97 FCFA 2,896

25.75%

Cappuccino

$1.14 FCFA 666

$1.87 FCFA 1,089

-39.04%

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

$1.66 FCFA 966

$1.46 FCFA 854

13.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 FCFA 371

$0.56 FCFA 324

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 FCFA 905

$1.20 FCFA 698

29.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 FCFA 1,012

$1.68 FCFA 980

3.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.90 FCFA 1,691

$3.62 FCFA 2,109

-19.89%

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 FCFA 448

$1.03 FCFA 602

-25.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 FCFA 1,176

$1.27 FCFA 743

59.06%

Eggs

$3.00 FCFA 1,747

$2.02 FCFA 1,179

48.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.86 FCFA 8,080

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.60 FCFA 2,099

$6.02 FCFA 3,509

-40.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.83 FCFA 2,818

$6.42 FCFA 3,744

-24.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 FCFA 1,446

$4.97 FCFA 2,899

-50.10%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 FCFA 476

$1.95 FCFA 1,139

-57.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 FCFA 709

$1.99 FCFA 1,159

-38.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 FCFA 764

$1.35 FCFA 786

-2.96%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 FCFA 1,774

$1.63 FCFA 952

86.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 FCFA 881

$1.39 FCFA 813

8.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 FCFA 474

$1.12 FCFA 654

-27.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 FCFA 441

$0.65 FCFA 381

16.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.75 FCFA 1,018

$1.68 FCFA 982

4.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.99 FCFA 5,827

$8.25 FCFA 4,808

21.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 FCFA 803

$1.32 FCFA 772

4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 FCFA 984

$1.94 FCFA 1,132

-12.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.26 FCFA 737

$0.52 FCFA 305

142.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.75 FCFA 5,101

$17.19 FCFA 10.0K

-49.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 FCFA 365

$0.62 FCFA 363

1.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 FCFA 334

$0.45 FCFA 261

26.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 FCFA 3,152

$5.87 FCFA 3,422

-8.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 FCFA 798

$1.46 FCFA 848

-6.16%

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

$32.6K FCFA 19.0M

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

$21.2K FCFA 12.4M

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

$169 FCFA 98.4K

$80.1 FCFA 46.7K

110.60%

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

$30.30 FCFA 17.7K

$17.16 FCFA 10.0K

76.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.17 FCFA 24.6K

$51.3 FCFA 29.9K

-17.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.35 FCFA 10.1K

$23.85 FCFA 13.9K

-27.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.93 FCFA 4,041

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 FCFA 4,814

$8.32 FCFA 4,849

-0.72%

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

$172 FCFA 100.2K

$615 FCFA 358.4K

-72.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,333 FCFA 1.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.90 FCFA 15.1K

$16.75 FCFA 9,767

54.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.28 FCFA 24.7K

$27.41 FCFA 16.0K

54.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.18 FCFA 26.9K

$25.17 FCFA 14.7K

83.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.4 FCFA 29.9K

$55.8 FCFA 32.6K

-8.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$66.9 FCFA 39.0K

$142 FCFA 83.0K

-53.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$33.60 FCFA 19.6K

$183 FCFA 106.7K

-81.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 FCFA 238.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$208 FCFA 121.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$855 FCFA 498.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$589 FCFA 343.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$95.3 FCFA 55.6K

$185 FCFA 107.8K

-48.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Bamenda: October 10, 2026

Last update for Yaounde: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bamenda

$241 36.2%

Yaounde

$149 19% 38.4% $93

Groceries & Markets

Bamenda

$173 * 25.9%

Yaounde

$249 31.8% 44.1% $76

Eating Out

Bamenda

$94 14.1%

Yaounde

$83 10.6% 12.2% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Bamenda

$75 11.2%

Yaounde

$56 7.2% 24.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Bamenda

$34 5.1%

Yaounde

$40 5.2% 19.6% $6.6

Accommodation & Living

Bamenda

$34 5%

Yaounde

$183 23.4% 445% $149

Getting Around

Bamenda

$17 2.6%

Yaounde

$22 2.8% 28% $4.8

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $66.9 in Bamenda versus $142 in Yaounde. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 94% higher in Yaounde, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇨🇲 Bamenda

🇨🇲 Yaounde

🕒 Local time

11:58 11:58 AM

Same time as Bamenda

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,735,000

1,817,524 Capital

💱 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 Yaounde 280 km

From you

Bamenda
Yaounde

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 Yaounde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $667 in Bamenda, $782 in Yaounde – roughly 17% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,001 per month in Bamenda and $1,173 in Yaounde. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bamenda, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $667 in Bamenda and $782 in Yaounde. That's a gap of about 17%.

Kindergarten costs $172 per month in Bamenda and $615 in Yaounde. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $667 in Bamenda and $782 in Yaounde, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.

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