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 $627 per month in Cameroon vs $1,019 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $969 per month in Cameroon vs $1,583 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,310 per month in Cameroon vs $2,146 in South Africa, rent included.

The cost of living in Cameroon is roughly 38% lower than in 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 53% lower, South Africa 23% lower.

The regional cost range is wider in Cameroon ($88.0–$1,650) than in South Africa ($804–$1,358), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.13 FCFA 2,915

$8.89 R 146

-42.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 FCFA 66.8K

$39.93 R 657

194.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.14 FCFA 2,920

$4.90 R 80.7

4.90%

Cappuccino

$1.82 FCFA 1,032

$2.03 R 33.48

-10.34%

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

$1.49 FCFA 847

$1.04 R 17.05

43.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 FCFA 398

$0.74 R 12.17

-5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 FCFA 669

$2.29 R 37.72

-48.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 FCFA 1,481

$2.56 R 42.19

1.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.73 FCFA 1,549

$1.07 R 17.53

155.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 FCFA 403

$1.04 R 17.07

-31.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 FCFA 902

$1.56 R 25.65

1.92%

Eggs

$1.97 FCFA 1,120

$2.22 R 36.61

-11.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.51 FCFA 8,805

$7.93 R 131

95.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.62 FCFA 3,193

$4.57 R 75.2

22.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.79 FCFA 3,287

$6.63 R 109

-12.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.50 FCFA 1,987

$1.50 R 24.73

133.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 FCFA 909

$1.47 R 24.17

8.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 FCFA 952

$1.45 R 23.83

15.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 FCFA 802

$1.57 R 25.83

-10.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 FCFA 1,079

$1.20 R 19.73

58.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 FCFA 947

$1.28 R 21.12

30.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 FCFA 370

$1.03 R 17.02

-36.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 FCFA 410

$0.93 R 15.35

-22.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.80 FCFA 1,022

$2.94 R 48.39

-38.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.88 FCFA 5,043

$5.14 R 84.7

72.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 FCFA 745

$1.36 R 22.41

-3.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 FCFA 1,003

$1.66 R 27.34

6.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 FCFA 467

$1.63 R 26.90

-49.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.72 FCFA 10.1K

$44.21 R 728

-59.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.54 FCFA 309

$1.15 R 18.95

-53.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 FCFA 280

$1.10 R 18.08

-55.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.15 FCFA 3,490

$4.77 R 78.6

28.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 FCFA 759

$1.25 R 20.56

7.20%

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

$30.8K FCFA 17.5M

$21.0K R 346.3K

46.26%

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

$15.5K FCFA 8.8M

$23.4K R 385.8K

-33.93%

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

$145 FCFA 82.4K

$114 R 1,869

27.78%

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

$23.20 FCFA 13.2K

$32.92 R 542

-29.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$131 FCFA 74.3K

$40.72 R 670

221.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.56 FCFA 12.8K

$31.49 R 518

-28.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.84 FCFA 2,749

$9.52 R 157

-49.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.46 FCFA 3,667

$6.91 R 114

-6.51%

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

$535 FCFA 304.0K

$188 R 3,088

185.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,431 FCFA 1.9M

$4,300 R 70.8K

-20.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.4 FCFA 36.5K

$49.97 R 823

28.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 FCFA 35.0K

$30.67 R 505

100.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$141 FCFA 80.0K

$94.3 R 1,553

49.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 FCFA 73.8K

$79.9 R 1,315

62.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$776 FCFA 440.4K

$444 R 7,311

74.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 FCFA 269.3K

$374 R 6,158

26.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 FCFA 970.3K

$902 R 14.9K

89.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$841 FCFA 477.7K

$720 R 11.9K

16.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,032 FCFA 1.2M

$1,102 R 18.1K

84.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$974 FCFA 553.1K

$756 R 12.4K

28.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$161 FCFA 91.6K

$1,494 R 24.6K

-89.20%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for South Africa: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $192 in Cameroon vs $367 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $150 in Yaounde and $399 in Pretoria.

Average salary: $158 in Cameroon vs $1,498 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 91% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 46% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 78% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 848% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

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 24% 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 24% 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.