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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,636 in Douala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $2,621 in Douala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $3,606 in Douala.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 43% more expensive than Douala, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Douala 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$9.02 FCFA 5,062

95.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$126 FCFA 70.4K

-45.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$5.15 FCFA 2,890

166.99%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$1.89 FCFA 1,062

46.03%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.68 FCFA 941

65.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.83 FCFA 467

146.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$1.18 FCFA 660

290.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$2.66 FCFA 1,492

72.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$2.90 FCFA 1,627

-55.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.45 FCFA 250

368.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.24 FCFA 1,258

-12.05%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$1.91 FCFA 1,069

80.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$22.75 FCFA 12.8K

-17.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$7.72 FCFA 4,329

22.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$6.58 FCFA 3,690

188.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$4.94 FCFA 2,773

-44.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.10 FCFA 1,177

12.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.09 FCFA 1,171

-0.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.36 FCFA 762

102.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$3.38 FCFA 1,897

-41.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.24 FCFA 1,256

-20.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.73 FCFA 408

106.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.67 FCFA 375

34.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$3.59 FCFA 2,011

88.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$8.32 FCFA 4,669

-9.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.35 FCFA 758

6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.95 FCFA 1,092

23.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.65 FCFA 362

366.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$17.48 FCFA 9,807

62.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$0.55 FCFA 306

705.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.76 FCFA 426

169.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$8.19 FCFA 4,592

258.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.37 FCFA 768

37.96%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$31.0K FCFA 17.4M

24.78%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$16.0K FCFA 9.0M

101.94%

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

$189 €161

$170 FCFA 95.2K

11.14%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$25.96 FCFA 14.6K

-14.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$182 FCFA 101.9K

-79.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$23.43 FCFA 13.1K

147.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$3.47 FCFA 1,948

504.90%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$8.60 FCFA 4,822

28.49%

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

$726 €622

$530 FCFA 297.3K

37.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$3,540 FCFA 2.0M

330.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$81.1 FCFA 45.5K

8.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$70.3 FCFA 39.4K

-47.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$142 FCFA 79.4K

-27.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$153 FCFA 86.0K

-22.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$915 FCFA 513.0K

66.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$585 FCFA 328.3K

108.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$1,889 FCFA 1.1M

47.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$1,129 FCFA 633.3K

79.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$2,108 FCFA 1.2M

236.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$1,005 FCFA 563.8K

382.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$163 FCFA 91.6K

1371.68%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Douala: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $915 in Douala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1372% 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 $126 in Douala. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 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 43% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,636 including rent). Douala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 1372% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $915 in Douala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $530 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 $1,636 in Douala versus $2,341 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 43% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.