Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Douala Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Douala

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,650 in Douala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $2,654 in Douala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $3,658 in Douala.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 42% more expensive than Douala, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Douala 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$8.77 FCFA 4,954

94.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$125 FCFA 70.8K

-44.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$5.34 FCFA 3,016

158.05%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$1.82 FCFA 1,030

51.65%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.64 FCFA 927

70.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.79 FCFA 448

151.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.13 FCFA 637

285.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$2.58 FCFA 1,456

83.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$2.81 FCFA 1,589

-54.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.45 FCFA 251

355.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.31 FCFA 1,307

-13.85%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.02 FCFA 1,139

67.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$22.79 FCFA 12.9K

-17.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$7.72 FCFA 4,362

21.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$6.63 FCFA 3,744

188.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$4.86 FCFA 2,742

-44.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.09 FCFA 1,183

11.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.16 FCFA 1,217

-1.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.36 FCFA 767

109.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$3.33 FCFA 1,879

-40.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$2.17 FCFA 1,227

-17.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.79 FCFA 447

83.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.62 FCFA 352

38.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$3.47 FCFA 1,958

95.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$8.57 FCFA 4,840

-7.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.42 FCFA 800

-2.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.95 FCFA 1,099

21.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.68 FCFA 385

329.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$17.61 FCFA 9,946

62.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.56 FCFA 314

696.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.75 FCFA 425

173.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$8.46 FCFA 4,780

249.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.44 FCFA 814

26.39%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$30.3K FCFA 17.1M

28.02%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$16.0K FCFA 9.0M

107.04%

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

$189 €163

$167 FCFA 94.1K

13.63%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$26.57 FCFA 15.0K

-14.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$185 FCFA 104.6K

-79.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$23.91 FCFA 13.5K

141.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$3.63 FCFA 2,051

471.35%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$8.71 FCFA 4,921

24.23%

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

$728 €628

$534 FCFA 301.4K

36.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$3,478 FCFA 2.0M

324.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$81.3 FCFA 45.9K

9.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$68.9 FCFA 38.9K

-46.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$143 FCFA 80.5K

-28.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$155 FCFA 87.7K

-25.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$927 FCFA 523.8K

69.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$592 FCFA 334.5K

105.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$1,895 FCFA 1.1M

47.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$1,132 FCFA 639.5K

74.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$2,065 FCFA 1.2M

275.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$988 FCFA 557.9K

424.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$162 FCFA 91.5K

1346.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

19.21

-82.35%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Douala: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $927 in Douala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1347% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $125 in Douala. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $282, with Douala cheaper for home cooking.

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

Barcelona vs Douala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Douala differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,650 including rent). Douala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 1347% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $927 in Douala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $534 in Douala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,650 in Douala versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Douala but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Douala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Douala are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Douala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.