Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buea and Limbe

For one person, living is cheaper in Buea: $744 a month against $876 in Limbe, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Limbe outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

36

Cost of Living Index in Buea
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Buea Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Limbe
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Limbe Living Index

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Buea

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$744

/mo nomad

Limbe

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$876

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buea and in Limbe

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $744 in Buea versus $876 in Limbe.

Buea $744
Limbe $876

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,357 in Buea versus $1,516 in Limbe.

Buea $1,357
Limbe $1,516

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,970 in Buea versus $2,156 in Limbe.

Buea $1,970
Limbe $2,156

Living in Buea costs roughly 15% less than in Limbe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Buea 45% lower, Limbe 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.65 FCFA 969

$4.18 FCFA 2,448

-60.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 FCFA 71.0K

$119 FCFA 69.6K

2.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.98 FCFA 3,507

$6.96 FCFA 4,081

-14.08%

Cappuccino

$2.08 FCFA 1,219

$1.03 FCFA 606

101.94%

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

$1.24 FCFA 728

$1.57 FCFA 920

-21.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 FCFA 270

$0.78 FCFA 457

-41.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 FCFA 614

$1.22 FCFA 715

-13.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 FCFA 919

$2.62 FCFA 1,535

-40.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.89 FCFA 1,692

$2.51 FCFA 1,470

15.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.37 FCFA 215

$0.44 FCFA 257

-15.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 FCFA 941

$1.58 FCFA 924

1.90%

Eggs

$1.85 FCFA 1,082

$1.88 FCFA 1,101

-1.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.16 FCFA 13.0K

$9.16 FCFA 5,372

141.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.69 FCFA 4,510

$4.68 FCFA 2,744

64.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.36 FCFA 2,558

$6.36 FCFA 3,726

-31.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 FCFA 1,948

$1.90 FCFA 1,111

74.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 FCFA 778

$1.12 FCFA 656

18.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.89 FCFA 522

$1.87 FCFA 1,094

-52.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 FCFA 808

$1.32 FCFA 774

4.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 FCFA 1,014

$1.84 FCFA 1,076

-5.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 FCFA 806

$2.10 FCFA 1,231

-34.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 FCFA 440

$0.73 FCFA 427

2.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 FCFA 388

$0.66 FCFA 387

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.62 FCFA 1,538

$2.60 FCFA 1,522

0.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.62 FCFA 5,055

$8.55 FCFA 5,012

0.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 FCFA 687

$1.45 FCFA 852

-19.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 FCFA 1,016

$1.71 FCFA 1,001

1.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 FCFA 478

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.63 FCFA 15.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.27 FCFA 158

$0.53 FCFA 313

-49.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 FCFA 285

$0.20 FCFA 117

145.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.19 FCFA 3,045

$1.73 FCFA 1,011

200.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 FCFA 712

$1.15 FCFA 674

5.22%

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

$18.9K FCFA 11.1M

$29.8K FCFA 17.4M

-36.63%

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

$15.5K FCFA 9.1M

$15.3K FCFA 9.0M

0.79%

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

$58.8 FCFA 34.5K

$84.5 FCFA 49.6K

-30.45%

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

$16.90 FCFA 9,908

$26.04 FCFA 15.3K

-35.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$170 FCFA 99.8K

$80.4 FCFA 47.2K

111.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.83 FCFA 15.1K

$42.77 FCFA 25.1K

-39.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.36 FCFA 2,557

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 FCFA 4,844

$4.30 FCFA 2,518

92.09%

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

$504 FCFA 295.7K

$340 FCFA 199.6K

48.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,363 FCFA 2.0M

$1,689 FCFA 990.3K

99.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.01 FCFA 19.9K

$80.2 FCFA 47.0K

-57.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.9 FCFA 38.7K

$67.0 FCFA 39.3K

-1.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 FCFA 80.0K

$136 FCFA 79.7K

0.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.6 FCFA 40.2K

$148 FCFA 86.8K

-53.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$130 FCFA 76.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$137 FCFA 80.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$129 FCFA 75.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.04

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

Last update for Buea: November 2, 2026

Last update for Limbe: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buea

$246 33%

Limbe

$191 21.8% 22.3% $55

Groceries & Markets

Buea

$245 32.9%

Limbe

$192 21.9% 21.7% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Buea

$137 18.4%

Limbe

$194 22.2% 41.5% $57

Eating Out

Buea

$71 9.6%

Limbe

$87 10% 22.6% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Buea

$42 5.7%

Limbe

$51 5.9% 21.3% $9

Getting Around

Buea

$2.7 * 0.4%

Limbe

$30 3.5% 1027% $28

Accommodation & Living

Buea

- * 0%

Limbe

$130 14.9%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $121 in Buea vs $119 in Limbe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $245 vs $192 per month, with Limbe cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇲 Buea

🇨🇲 Limbe

🕒 Local time

09:02 9:02 AM

Same time as Buea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,325,000

118,210

💱 Currency

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Buea Limbe 17 km

From you

Buea
Limbe

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

Buea vs Limbe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $744 in Buea and $876 in Limbe, so Buea is about 15% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,117 in Buea and $1,315 in Limbe to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $504 in Buea versus $340 in Limbe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $744 per month in Buea versus $876 in Limbe – Buea is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Buea gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.