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 $1,019 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $956 per month in Cameroon vs $1,585 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,294 per month in Cameroon vs $2,150 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 ($71.0–$1,650) than South Africa ($806–$1,361), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Cameroon.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.23 FCFA 2,952

$8.88 R 144

-41.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 FCFA 66.9K

$39.40 R 637

200.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 FCFA 3,035

$4.92 R 79.6

9.15%

Cappuccino

$1.85 FCFA 1,047

$2.00 R 32.28

-7.50%

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

$1.50 FCFA 848

$1.03 R 16.58

45.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 FCFA 375

$0.75 R 12.15

-12.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 FCFA 637

$2.26 R 36.50

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 FCFA 1,488

$2.47 R 40.00

6.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.78 FCFA 1,571

$1.08 R 17.42

157.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 FCFA 376

$1.04 R 16.78

-35.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 FCFA 928

$1.57 R 25.45

4.46%

Eggs

$1.89 FCFA 1,065

$2.28 R 36.86

-17.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.00 FCFA 8,472

$7.73 R 125

94.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.68 FCFA 3,207

$4.56 R 73.8

24.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.87 FCFA 3,314

$6.72 R 109

-12.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 FCFA 1,930

$1.50 R 24.31

128.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 FCFA 869

$1.41 R 22.87

9.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 FCFA 917

$1.51 R 24.38

7.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.39 FCFA 784

$1.52 R 24.51

-8.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 FCFA 1,067

$1.26 R 20.44

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 FCFA 889

$1.30 R 20.95

20.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 FCFA 384

$1.09 R 17.62

-37.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 FCFA 425

$0.99 R 15.99

-24.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.74 FCFA 984

$2.98 R 48.20

-41.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.82 FCFA 4,981

$5.12 R 82.9

72.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 FCFA 767

$1.32 R 21.37

3.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 FCFA 1,034

$1.65 R 26.68

10.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 FCFA 465

$1.71 R 27.60

-52.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.73 FCFA 10.0K

$45.13 R 730

-60.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 FCFA 332

$1.11 R 17.93

-46.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 FCFA 261

$1.11 R 17.91

-58.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.00 FCFA 3,391

$4.70 R 76.1

27.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 FCFA 781

$1.28 R 20.74

7.81%

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

$31.3K FCFA 17.7M

$20.8K R 335.8K

50.65%

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

$15.4K FCFA 8.7M

$23.5K R 379.4K

-34.28%

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

$144 FCFA 81.2K

$111 R 1,792

29.76%

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

$23.59 FCFA 13.3K

$32.41 R 524

-27.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$131 FCFA 73.8K

$41.64 R 673

213.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.79 FCFA 12.9K

$31.24 R 505

-27.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.75 FCFA 2,683

$9.78 R 158

-51.43%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 FCFA 3,665

$6.78 R 110

-4.28%

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

$531 FCFA 300.0K

$189 R 3,048

181.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,473 FCFA 2.0M

$4,394 R 71.0K

-20.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 FCFA 37.4K

$49.42 R 799

33.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 FCFA 35.2K

$30.39 R 491

104.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 FCFA 79.3K

$94.1 R 1,522

49.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 FCFA 73.2K

$79.4 R 1,283

63.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 FCFA 442.3K

$444 R 7,171

76.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 FCFA 269.7K

$368 R 5,948

29.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,720 FCFA 971.2K

$880 R 14.2K

95.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$835 FCFA 471.4K

$714 R 11.5K

16.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,108 FCFA 1.2M

$1,061 R 17.2K

98.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$972 FCFA 548.9K

$782 R 12.6K

24.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 FCFA 92.8K

$1,505 R 24.3K

-89.09%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for South Africa: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $195 in Cameroon vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $148 in Yaounde and $764 in Cape Town.

Average salary: $148 in Cameroon vs $1,501 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 89% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 46% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 78% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 914% 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.