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: $2,442 in Barcelona versus $1,351 in Douala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,414 in Barcelona versus $2,258 in Douala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,386 in Barcelona versus $3,164 in Douala.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 81% more expensive than in Douala, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Douala is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.56 €16.09

$4.32 FCFA 2,454

329.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.8

$125 FCFA 70.8K

-43.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.70 €11.88

$6.98 FCFA 3,966

96.28%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.69

$2.15 FCFA 1,221

44.19%

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

$2.76 €2.39

$1.72 FCFA 980

60.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.61

$0.85 FCFA 482

118.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.47

$1.21 FCFA 691

230.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.07

$2.61 FCFA 1,484

79.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.89 FCFA 1,646

-57.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.45 FCFA 253

373.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 €1.58

$2.29 FCFA 1,301

-20.52%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.45

$1.91 FCFA 1,087

168.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.74 €14.51

$22.94 FCFA 13.0K

-27.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 €8.22

$7.78 FCFA 4,421

21.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.25 €16.70

$6.62 FCFA 3,765

190.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 €2.66

$4.85 FCFA 2,759

-36.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 €1.90

$2.17 FCFA 1,231

0.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 €2.11

$2.06 FCFA 1,170

18.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.89 €2.51

$1.43 FCFA 812

102.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$3.39 FCFA 1,928

-34.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 €1.97

$2.23 FCFA 1,267

1.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.34

$0.77 FCFA 439

101.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.75

$0.69 FCFA 394

24.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.31 €6.34

$3.44 FCFA 1,956

112.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 €6.95

$8.54 FCFA 4,856

-6.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.33

$1.47 FCFA 836

4.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 €2.23

$1.81 FCFA 1,029

41.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.13 €2.71

$0.64 FCFA 364

389.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.14 €22.67

$17.71 FCFA 10.1K

47.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 €2.90

$0.59 FCFA 338

466.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 €1.62

$0.89 FCFA 509

110.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.29 €29.74

$8.26 FCFA 4,694

315.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.44 FCFA 820

18.75%

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

$37.0K €32.1K

$30.5K FCFA 17.3M

21.46%

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

$30.8K €26.8K

$15.8K FCFA 9.0M

95.14%

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

$180 €156

$167 FCFA 95.1K

7.66%

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

$16.25 €14.10

$26.24 FCFA 14.9K

-38.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.47 €32.49

$178 FCFA 101.4K

-78.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 €47.07

$42.39 FCFA 24.1K

28.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.79 €14.56

Cinema Ticket

$11.69 €10.14

$9.06 FCFA 5,149

29.03%

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

$949 €823

$532 FCFA 302.5K

78.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$3,513 FCFA 2.0M

363.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.4 €74.1

$83.3 FCFA 47.4K

2.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.82 €34.53

$68.5 FCFA 39.0K

-41.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €94.6

$141 FCFA 80.3K

-22.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$152 FCFA 86.3K

-18.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 €1,455

$503 FCFA 286.1K

233.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 €1,120

$309 FCFA 175.4K

318.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,624 €2,276

$1,668 FCFA 948.2K

57.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 €1,654

$640 FCFA 364.1K

197.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,775 €6,742

$2,039 FCFA 1.2M

281.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,316 €4,610

$1,014 FCFA 576.2K

424.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,451 €2,126

$215 FCFA 122.2K

1040.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

19.04

-83.61%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 9, 2026

Last update for Douala: August 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,678 in Barcelona and $503 in Douala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1040% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $125 in Douala. Groceries flip the comparison at $326 vs $284, 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 81% in total monthly costs ($2,442 vs $1,351 including rent). Douala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1040% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,678 in Barcelona versus $503 in Douala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $949 in Barcelona versus $532 in Douala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,351 in Douala versus $2,442 in Barcelona, a $1,500 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 81% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.