Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buea and Maroua

For one person, living is cheaper in Maroua: $352 a month against $744 in Buea, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. The total is higher in Buea despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Buea
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Buea Living Index

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Buea

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$744

/mo nomad

Maroua

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$352

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buea and in Maroua

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 Maroua actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $744 in Buea versus $352 in Maroua.

Buea $744
Maroua $352

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,352 in Buea versus $522 in Maroua.

Buea $1,352
Maroua $522

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,960 in Buea versus $693 in Maroua.

Buea $1,960
Maroua $693

Living in Buea is roughly 111% more expensive than in Maroua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Buea 45% lower, Maroua 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.72 FCFA 1,006

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 FCFA 69.5K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 FCFA 3,441

Cappuccino

$2.16 FCFA 1,258

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

$1.24 FCFA 725

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 FCFA 268

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 FCFA 577

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 FCFA 886

Milk (1 liter)

$2.86 FCFA 1,667

$1.66 FCFA 970

72.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.37 FCFA 214

$0.87 FCFA 505

-57.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 FCFA 900

$2.95 FCFA 1,723

-47.80%

Eggs

$1.90 FCFA 1,109

$5.80 FCFA 3,380

-67.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.43 FCFA 13.1K

$5.21 FCFA 3,040

330.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.64 FCFA 4,453

$4.99 FCFA 2,912

53.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.24 FCFA 2,471

$3.33 FCFA 1,941

27.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 FCFA 1,961

$1.75 FCFA 1,018

92.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 FCFA 780

$0.83 FCFA 482

61.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.82 FCFA 481

$0.88 FCFA 511

-6.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 FCFA 763

$1.66 FCFA 967

-21.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 FCFA 1,004

$2.50 FCFA 1,458

-31.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 FCFA 781

$1.73 FCFA 1,009

-22.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 FCFA 437

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 FCFA 388

$0.87 FCFA 506

-22.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 FCFA 1,516

Wine (Bottle)

$8.42 FCFA 4,911

$11.00 FCFA 6,416

-23.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 FCFA 685

$0.82 FCFA 480

42.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 FCFA 975

$1.74 FCFA 1,016

-4.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.25 FCFA 144

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 FCFA 306

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.02 FCFA 2,926

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 FCFA 670

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

$18.8K FCFA 11.0M

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

$15.1K FCFA 8.8M

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

$59.0 FCFA 34.4K

$52.0 FCFA 30.3K

13.42%

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

$16.82 FCFA 9,807

$8.74 FCFA 5,095

92.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$169 FCFA 98.6K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.01 FCFA 14.6K

$17.16 FCFA 10.0K

45.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.36 FCFA 2,540

$1.71 FCFA 999

154.97%

Cinema Ticket

$8.48 FCFA 4,942

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

$515 FCFA 300.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,416 FCFA 2.0M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.11 FCFA 19.9K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.3 FCFA 39.3K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 FCFA 80.3K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.7 FCFA 39.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$86.4 FCFA 50.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$155 FCFA 90.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$125 FCFA 73.1K

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: October 12, 2026

Last update for Maroua: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buea

$245 32.9%

Maroua

–

Groceries & Markets

Buea

$244 32.8%

Maroua

–

Clothing & Footwear

Buea

$138 18.6%

Maroua

–

Eating Out

Buea

$72 9.7%

Maroua

–

Sport & Entertainment

Buea

$42 5.6%

Maroua

–

Getting Around

Buea

$2.9 * 0.4%

Maroua

–

Accommodation & Living

Buea

- * 0%

Maroua

–

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

Good to know

🇨🇲 Buea

🇨🇲 Maroua

🕒 Local time

17:52 5:52 PM

Same time as Buea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,325,000

3,119,000

💱 Currency

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Buea Maroua 910 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Buea
Maroua

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 Maroua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buea and Maroua differ by about 111% in total monthly costs ($744 vs $352 including rent). Maroua is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,116 in Buea and $528 in Maroua 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Buea. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $744 per month in Buea versus $352 in Maroua – a 111% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Maroua 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.

Expats usually find Maroua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in Buea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.