Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Douala and Bamenda

For one person, living is cheaper in Bamenda: $670 a month against $1,334 in Douala, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Douala
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Douala Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Bamenda
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Bamenda Living Index

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Douala

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$1,334

/mo nomad

Bamenda

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$670

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Douala and in Bamenda

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

A single person spends $1,334 per month in Douala vs $670 in Bamenda, rent included.

Douala $1,334
Bamenda $670

A couple spends around $2,160 per month in Douala vs $897 in Bamenda, rent included.

Douala $2,160
Bamenda $897

A family of three spends $2,985 per month in Douala vs $1,123 in Bamenda, rent included.

Douala $2,985
Bamenda $1,123

Douala costs about 99% more than Bamenda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Douala and Bamenda are more affordable than the global median – Douala 2% lower, Bamenda 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.37 FCFA 2,558

$5.05 FCFA 2,951

-13.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 FCFA 71.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.93 FCFA 4,053

$6.52 FCFA 3,814

6.29%

Cappuccino

$2.13 FCFA 1,246

$1.17 FCFA 682

82.05%

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

$1.64 FCFA 960

$1.74 FCFA 1,018

-5.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 FCFA 445

$0.63 FCFA 370

20.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 FCFA 704

$1.56 FCFA 912

-23.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 FCFA 1,528

$1.66 FCFA 972

57.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.90 FCFA 1,698

$2.78 FCFA 1,624

4.32%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 FCFA 238

$0.82 FCFA 482

-50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 FCFA 1,277

$1.94 FCFA 1,138

12.37%

Eggs

$1.85 FCFA 1,082

$2.96 FCFA 1,733

-37.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.34 FCFA 13.1K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 FCFA 4,604

$3.74 FCFA 2,186

110.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.18 FCFA 3,614

$4.75 FCFA 2,779

30.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 FCFA 2,692

$2.59 FCFA 1,516

77.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 FCFA 1,185

$0.82 FCFA 482

147.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 FCFA 1,215

$1.17 FCFA 684

77.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 FCFA 809

$1.29 FCFA 755

6.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.18 FCFA 1,860

$2.98 FCFA 1,741

6.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 FCFA 1,260

$1.51 FCFA 886

42.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 FCFA 443

$0.78 FCFA 455

-2.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 FCFA 391

$0.77 FCFA 451

-12.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.53 FCFA 1,478

$1.73 FCFA 1,013

46.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.59 FCFA 5,024

$9.62 FCFA 5,628

-10.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 FCFA 821

$1.40 FCFA 817

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 FCFA 1,041

$1.65 FCFA 967

7.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 FCFA 388

$1.31 FCFA 764

-49.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.06 FCFA 9,978

$8.99 FCFA 5,258

89.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.58 FCFA 338

$0.61 FCFA 359

-4.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 FCFA 476

$0.62 FCFA 362

30.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.33 FCFA 4,871

$5.52 FCFA 3,230

50.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 FCFA 824

$1.44 FCFA 840

-2.08%

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

$29.4K FCFA 17.2M

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

$15.6K FCFA 9.1M

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

$162 FCFA 94.9K

$171 FCFA 100.2K

-5.36%

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

$25.14 FCFA 14.7K

$30.03 FCFA 17.6K

-16.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$178 FCFA 103.9K

$42.80 FCFA 25.0K

315.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.23 FCFA 24.1K

$17.19 FCFA 10.1K

139.85%

Cinema Ticket

$8.77 FCFA 5,129

$8.48 FCFA 4,960

3.42%

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

$505 FCFA 295.5K

$169 FCFA 99.1K

198.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,387 FCFA 2.0M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.1 FCFA 46.8K

$25.42 FCFA 14.9K

214.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.1 FCFA 39.8K

$42.49 FCFA 24.9K

60.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 FCFA 79.6K

$46.74 FCFA 27.3K

191.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 FCFA 86.0K

$51.2 FCFA 29.9K

187.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$567 FCFA 331.9K

$68.7 FCFA 40.2K

726.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 FCFA 183.0K

$33.55 FCFA 19.6K

832.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,338 FCFA 782.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$542 FCFA 316.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,976 FCFA 1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$952 FCFA 556.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$222 FCFA 129.6K

$97.3 FCFA 56.9K

127.71%

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 Douala: October 24, 2026

Last update for Bamenda: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Douala

$365 27.4%

Bamenda

$244 36.4% 33.1% $121

Accommodation & Living

Douala

$313 23.4%

Bamenda

$34 5% 89.3% $279

Groceries & Markets

Douala

$277 20.8%

Bamenda

$171 * 25.6% 38.1% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Douala

$194 14.5%

Bamenda

$75 11.1% 61.5% $119

Eating Out

Douala

$102 7.7%

Bamenda

$95 14.1% 7.5% $7.7

Sport & Entertainment

Douala

$59 4.4%

Bamenda

$34 5.1% 41.9% $25

Getting Around

Douala

$24 1.8%

Bamenda

$18 2.7% 26.4% $6.4

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $567 in Douala versus $69 in Bamenda. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Douala are about 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇨🇲 Douala

🇨🇲 Bamenda

🕒 Local time

16:04 4:04 PM

Same time as Douala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,000,000

1,735,000

💱 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

Douala Bamenda 220 km

From you

Douala
Bamenda

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

Douala vs Bamenda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,334 in Douala, $670 in Bamenda – Bamenda comes out roughly 50% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,001 per month in Douala and $1,006 in Bamenda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bamenda, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $69 there versus $567 in Douala.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,334 in Douala and $670 in Bamenda. That makes Bamenda about 50% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $505 per month in Douala and $169 in Bamenda. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Bamenda, where all-in costs run around $670, than in Douala at $1,334. In Bamenda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Douala it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bamenda – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Bamenda. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Douala makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.