Cost of Living Comparison Between Cameroon and South Africa Cost of Living Comparison Between Cameroon and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $618 per month in Cameroon vs $1,021 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $953 per month in Cameroon vs $1,594 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,288 per month in Cameroon vs $2,167 in South Africa, rent included.

Cameroon is roughly 39% cheaper than South Africa on average — the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Cameroon and South Africa are more affordable than the global median – Cameroon 54% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Cameroon has a wider regional cost range ($72–$1,638) than South Africa ($804–$1,352), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Cameroon.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 FCFA 2,996

$9.20 R 152

-41.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 FCFA 65.9K

$38.46 R 633

206.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.31 FCFA 2,971

$5.11 R 84.2

3.91%

Cappuccino

$1.76 FCFA 986

$2.03 R 33.38

-13.30%

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

$1.47 FCFA 821

$0.95 R 15.60

54.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 FCFA 399

$0.79 R 13.06

-10.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 FCFA 651

$2.31 R 37.97

-49.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 FCFA 1,518

$2.46 R 40.48

10.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.66 FCFA 1,490

$1.08 R 17.77

146.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 FCFA 395

$0.96 R 15.85

-26.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 FCFA 930

$1.60 R 26.41

3.75%

Eggs

$1.93 FCFA 1,078

$2.32 R 38.28

-16.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.34 FCFA 8,581

$7.48 R 123

105.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 FCFA 3,153

$4.57 R 75.2

23.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.96 FCFA 3,333

$6.56 R 108

-9.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 FCFA 1,904

$1.58 R 26.06

115.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 FCFA 851

$1.45 R 23.90

4.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 FCFA 912

$1.50 R 24.78

8.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 FCFA 769

$1.55 R 25.45

-10.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 FCFA 1,053

$1.26 R 20.83

49.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 FCFA 920

$1.29 R 21.23

27.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 FCFA 363

$1.07 R 17.64

-39.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 FCFA 401

$0.90 R 14.87

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.72 FCFA 962

$2.92 R 48.11

-41.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.03 FCFA 5,053

$4.99 R 82.2

80.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 FCFA 733

$1.39 R 22.87

-5.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 FCFA 984

$1.68 R 27.62

4.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 FCFA 463

$1.72 R 28.32

-51.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.87 FCFA 9,997

$45.17 R 744

-60.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.55 FCFA 306

$1.11 R 18.27

-50.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 FCFA 277

$1.06 R 17.48

-53.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.01 FCFA 3,362

$4.84 R 79.8

24.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 FCFA 776

$1.24 R 20.47

12.10%

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

$30.9K FCFA 17.3M

$21.0K R 346.4K

46.89%

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

$15.7K FCFA 8.8M

$24.1K R 396.6K

-34.84%

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

$144 FCFA 80.6K

$112 R 1,846

28.62%

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

$23.35 FCFA 13.1K

$31.87 R 525

-26.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$131 FCFA 73.3K

$40.80 R 672

221.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.97 FCFA 12.9K

$31.46 R 518

-26.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.66 FCFA 2,607

$9.71 R 160

-52.01%

Cinema Ticket

$6.75 FCFA 3,775

$6.68 R 110

1.05%

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

$533 FCFA 298.4K

$192 R 3,159

178.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,391 FCFA 1.9M

$4,306 R 70.9K

-21.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 FCFA 37.0K

$49.12 R 809

34.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 FCFA 34.0K

$30.89 R 509

96.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 FCFA 77.1K

$93.2 R 1,535

47.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 FCFA 73.3K

$78.6 R 1,295

66.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 FCFA 445.3K

$451 R 7,426

76.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 FCFA 267.3K

$366 R 6,033

30.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,727 FCFA 966.5K

$888 R 14.6K

94.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$841 FCFA 470.6K

$709 R 11.7K

18.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,068 FCFA 1.2M

$1,148 R 18.9K

80.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$973 FCFA 544.4K

$807 R 13.3K

20.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 FCFA 92.6K

$1,467 R 24.2K

-88.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.04

11.55

64.85%

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

Last update for Cameroon: April 21, 2026

Last update for South Africa: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $196 in Cameroon vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $150 in Yaounde and $762 in Cape Town.

Average salary: $149 in Cameroon vs $1,458 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 88% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 46% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 78% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 879% higher in South Africa, giving South Africa stronger purchasing power.

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

Cameroon vs South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cameroon is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 26% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in South Africa, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but South Africa consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Cameroon, contributing to the overall 26% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Cameroon, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Cameroon is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.