Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Douala

For one person, living costs are similar in Bucharest and in Douala: $1,351 and $1,329 a month, rent and utilities included.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
Learn more

Bucharest Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Douala
Learn more

Douala Living Index

Jump to prices

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Douala

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$1,329

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Douala

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bucharest and in Douala actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,351 in Bucharest versus $1,329 in Douala.

Bucharest $1,351
Douala $1,329

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,033 in Bucharest versus $2,133 in Douala.

Bucharest $2,033
Douala $2,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,715 in Bucharest versus $2,937 in Douala.

Bucharest $2,715
Douala $2,937

Living in Bucharest is roughly 2% more expensive than in Douala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 RON 68.4

$4.41 FCFA 2,579

227.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 273

$121 FCFA 70.8K

-52.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 RON 35.46

$6.92 FCFA 4,052

8.38%

Cappuccino

$3.43 RON 16.20

$2.10 FCFA 1,228

63.33%

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

$2.46 RON 11.63

$1.60 FCFA 937

53.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.01

$0.78 FCFA 458

198.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 RON 17.97

$1.21 FCFA 710

214.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.41

$2.51 FCFA 1,469

63.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.79

$2.76 FCFA 1,618

-40.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.39

$0.44 FCFA 258

206.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.42

$2.27 FCFA 1,330

-21.59%

Eggs

$3.66 RON 17.33

$1.93 FCFA 1,128

89.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 RON 40.54

$21.83 FCFA 12.8K

-60.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 RON 32.17

$7.91 FCFA 4,629

-14.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 RON 55.4

$6.23 FCFA 3,643

88.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 RON 6.11

$4.78 FCFA 2,798

-73.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.37

$2.11 FCFA 1,233

-26.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.28

$2.07 FCFA 1,210

-25.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 RON 11.75

$1.37 FCFA 804

81.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.92

$3.33 FCFA 1,950

-75.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.77

$2.19 FCFA 1,280

-63.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 RON 3.98

$0.75 FCFA 441

12.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.39

$0.67 FCFA 391

38.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 30.45

$2.61 FCFA 1,526

146.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 RON 29.91

$8.77 FCFA 5,133

-27.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.94

$1.47 FCFA 858

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 RON 7.59

$1.81 FCFA 1,058

-11.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RON 3.85

$0.61 FCFA 358

32.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.13 RON 99.9

$17.37 FCFA 10.2K

21.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.58 FCFA 340

3.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.91

$0.85 FCFA 497

-28.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 RON 29.19

$8.14 FCFA 4,763

-24.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.27

$1.47 FCFA 862

33.33%

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

$28.1K RON 133.1K

$30.5K FCFA 17.8M

-7.72%

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

$26.3K RON 124.3K

$15.2K FCFA 8.9M

72.94%

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

$197 RON 931

$163 FCFA 95.1K

21.12%

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

$8.34 RON 39.44

$25.53 FCFA 14.9K

-67.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.19 RON 43.47

$175 FCFA 102.6K

-94.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.87 RON 236

$41.22 FCFA 24.1K

20.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.99 RON 118

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 RON 40.01

$8.38 FCFA 4,904

0.95%

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

$639 RON 3,023

$507 FCFA 296.9K

25.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 68.1K

$3,426 FCFA 2.0M

320.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 RON 429

$78.6 FCFA 46.0K

15.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 RON 180

$65.9 FCFA 38.5K

-42.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 RON 377

$138 FCFA 80.6K

-42.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 RON 441

$148 FCFA 86.4K

-36.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 RON 3,184

$553 FCFA 323.5K

21.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 RON 2,123

$318 FCFA 186.1K

41.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 RON 5,195

$1,346 FCFA 787.5K

-18.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 RON 3,448

$548 FCFA 320.8K

32.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 RON 17.7K

$1,989 FCFA 1.2M

88.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,189 RON 10.4K

$971 FCFA 568.1K

125.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 RON 6,259

$225 FCFA 131.5K

488.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

19.04

-64.60%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Last update for Douala: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$449 33.5%

Douala

$318 23.8% 29.1% $131

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.8%

Douala

$102 7.6% 54.9% $124

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$222 16.5%

Douala

$278 20.8% 25.5% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 16%

Douala

$363 27.2% 69.5% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$136 10.1%

Douala

$193 14.5% 42.6% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Douala

$58 4.3% 13.2% $8.8

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Douala

$25 1.8% 12.2% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $673 in Bucharest and $553 in Douala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 489% 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: $58.0 in Bucharest vs $121 in Douala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $278 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇨🇲 Douala

🕒 Local time

08:20 8:20 AM

06:20 6:20 AM

2 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

2,000,000

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XAF, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bucharest Douala 4,770 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Douala

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Bucharest vs Douala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Douala differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,351 vs $1,329 including rent). Douala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 489% higher in Bucharest, 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: $673 in Bucharest versus $553 in Douala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,351 per month in Bucharest versus $1,329 in Douala – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Douala runs roughly 22% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,329 in Douala versus $1,351 in Bucharest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Douala but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. 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.

Expats usually find Douala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.