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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $829 in Yaounde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,260 in Yaounde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $1,690 in Yaounde.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 201% more expensive than in Yaounde, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Yaounde is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$3.61 FCFA 2,033

409.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$53.7 FCFA 30.3K

28.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$5.25 FCFA 2,959

169.14%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$2.04 FCFA 1,150

53.43%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$1.53 FCFA 860

97.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.54 FCFA 304

262.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$1.24 FCFA 701

222.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$1.76 FCFA 990

170.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$3.80 FCFA 2,142

-67.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.11 FCFA 628

94.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.32 FCFA 746

28.03%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$2.16 FCFA 1,216

128.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$14.28 FCFA 8,049

25.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$6.03 FCFA 3,401

59.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$6.77 FCFA 3,818

185.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$5.26 FCFA 2,964

-38.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$2.11 FCFA 1,189

3.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.17 FCFA 1,225

23.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$1.47 FCFA 828

88.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.69 FCFA 953

30.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.44 FCFA 810

52.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.12 FCFA 633

35.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.68 FCFA 385

35.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$1.73 FCFA 976

311.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$8.96 FCFA 5,051

-9.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.42 FCFA 801

5.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.04 FCFA 1,152

36.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.60 FCFA 340

425.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

$17.94 FCFA 10.1K

50.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$0.64 FCFA 359

407.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.43 FCFA 242

248.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$6.23 FCFA 3,514

460.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.48 FCFA 832

18.24%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$33.6K FCFA 18.9M

9.10%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$22.3K FCFA 12.6M

38.83%

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

$188 €161

$82.1 FCFA 46.3K

128.45%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$18.00 FCFA 10.1K

-14.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$52.9 FCFA 29.8K

-28.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$24.24 FCFA 13.7K

135.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

$7.33 FCFA 4,129

129.20%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$8.66 FCFA 4,879

33.72%

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

$1,003 €862

$642 FCFA 361.9K

56.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$2,469 FCFA 1.4M

589.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$17.46 FCFA 9,841

410.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$28.15 FCFA 15.9K

45.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$26.92 FCFA 15.2K

308.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$57.6 FCFA 32.5K

112.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$147 FCFA 82.6K

1041.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$191 FCFA 107.6K

597.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$411 FCFA 231.5K

532.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$217 FCFA 122.3K

798.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$888 FCFA 500.8K

752.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$621 FCFA 349.9K

765.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$192 FCFA 108.4K

1149.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

-75.69%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Yaounde: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $147 in Yaounde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1149% 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 $54.0 in Yaounde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $261 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 201% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $829 including rent). Yaounde is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1149% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $147 in Yaounde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $642 in Yaounde. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $829 in Yaounde versus $2,495 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 201% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.