Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Yaounde Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Yaounde

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $725 in Yaounde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,195 in Yaounde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,665 in Yaounde.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 226% more expensive than Yaounde, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Yaounde is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.25

$4.87 FCFA 2,769

260.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €59.4

$43.99 FCFA 25.0K

55.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.19

$5.80 FCFA 3,298

142.41%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.59 FCFA 1,474

7.34%

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

$2.80 €2.43

$1.48 FCFA 840

89.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.79

$0.69 FCFA 394

198.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.87

$1.17 FCFA 667

281.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.00

$1.72 FCFA 978

168.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$2.83 FCFA 1,612

-56.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.76

$0.99 FCFA 563

105.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.67

$1.11 FCFA 629

72.97%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.87

$1.83 FCFA 1,042

80.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.99

$13.96 FCFA 7,944

32.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.23

$6.32 FCFA 3,596

50.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.62

$5.98 FCFA 3,401

220.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.29

$4.63 FCFA 2,636

-42.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.12

$2.10 FCFA 1,192

16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$2.06 FCFA 1,171

2.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$1.19 FCFA 677

139.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.61 FCFA 913

26.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.46 FCFA 829

26.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.28

$0.57 FCFA 327

157.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.00 FCFA 567

-16.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.20

$1.73 FCFA 986

312.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.84

$8.78 FCFA 4,994

-10.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$1.23 FCFA 700

12.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.00

$1.60 FCFA 913

44.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.59

$0.60 FCFA 339

396.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.38

$17.76 FCFA 10.1K

64.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.99

$0.65 FCFA 368

607.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.38 FCFA 217

444.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.31

$5.60 FCFA 3,184

421.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.35 FCFA 767

36.30%

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

$39.0K €33.8K

$33.1K FCFA 18.8M

17.75%

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

$32.7K €28.4K

$16.2K FCFA 9.2M

102.34%

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

$188 €163

$79.3 FCFA 45.1K

136.76%

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

$22.93 €19.90

$21.48 FCFA 12.2K

6.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.85

$46.79 FCFA 26.6K

-21.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.77

$26.01 FCFA 14.8K

120.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.95

$7.26 FCFA 4,128

185.12%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.71

$6.54 FCFA 3,722

71.10%

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

$721 €625

$346 FCFA 196.8K

108.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.1K

$1,832 FCFA 1.0M

721.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.8

$16.69 FCFA 9,495

416.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €32.16

$23.83 FCFA 13.6K

55.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.5

$19.67 FCFA 11.2K

418.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$58.2 FCFA 33.1K

99.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,330

$153 FCFA 86.9K

904.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,059

$118 FCFA 67.1K

935.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,338

$503 FCFA 286.0K

436.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,746

$256 FCFA 145.8K

685.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,264

$887 FCFA 504.5K

714.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,501

$626 FCFA 356.2K

728.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,047

$189 FCFA 107.6K

1147.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-43.50%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Yaounde: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $153 in Yaounde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1147% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $44.00 in Yaounde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $240 per month, with Yaounde cheaper across the board.

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 Yaounde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Yaounde differ by about 226% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $725 including rent). Yaounde is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 1147% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $153 in Yaounde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $346 in Yaounde. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $725 in Yaounde versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Yaounde but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Yaounde 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 Yaounde 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 Yaounde gentler on the wallet – expenses run 226% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.