Cost of Living Comparison Between Douala and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Douala and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,650 in Douala versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,654 in Douala versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,658 in Douala versus $4,599 in Barcelona.

Living in Douala costs roughly 29% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Douala 23% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.77 FCFA 4,954

$17.08 €14.72

-48.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 FCFA 70.8K

$69.2 €59.7

81.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.34 FCFA 3,016

$13.78 €11.87

-61.25%

Cappuccino

$1.82 FCFA 1,030

$2.76 €2.37

-34.06%

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

$1.64 FCFA 927

$2.79 €2.40

-41.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 FCFA 448

$1.99 €1.72

-60.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 FCFA 637

$4.36 €3.76

-74.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 FCFA 1,456

$4.74 €4.09

-45.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.81 FCFA 1,589

$1.29 €1.11

117.83%

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 FCFA 251

$2.05 €1.77

-78.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 FCFA 1,307

$1.99 €1.71

16.08%

Eggs

$2.02 FCFA 1,139

$3.39 €2.92

-40.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.79 FCFA 12.9K

$18.81 €16.21

21.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.72 FCFA 4,362

$9.36 €8.07

-17.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 FCFA 3,744

$19.12 €16.48

-65.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.86 FCFA 2,742

$2.70 €2.32

80.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 FCFA 1,183

$2.34 €2.02

-10.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 FCFA 1,217

$2.12 €1.83

1.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 FCFA 767

$2.85 €2.46

-52.28%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 FCFA 1,879

$1.97 €1.70

69.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 FCFA 1,227

$1.80 €1.55

20.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 FCFA 447

$1.45 €1.25

-45.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 FCFA 352

$0.86 €0.74

-27.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.47 FCFA 1,958

$6.78 €5.84

-48.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.57 FCFA 4,840

$7.90 €6.81

8.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 FCFA 800

$1.39 €1.20

2.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 FCFA 1,099

$2.37 €2.04

-17.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 FCFA 385

$2.92 €2.52

-76.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.61 FCFA 9,946

$28.69 €24.72

-38.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.56 FCFA 314

$4.46 €3.84

-87.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 FCFA 425

$2.05 €1.77

-63.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.46 FCFA 4,780

$29.55 €25.46

-71.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 FCFA 814

$1.82 €1.56

-20.88%

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

$30.3K FCFA 17.1M

$38.8K €33.5K

-21.89%

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

$16.0K FCFA 9.0M

$33.1K €28.5K

-51.70%

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

$167 FCFA 94.1K

$189 €163

-12.00%

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

$26.57 FCFA 15.0K

$22.80 €19.65

16.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$185 FCFA 104.6K

$37.59 €32.39

392.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.91 FCFA 13.5K

$57.7 €49.75

-58.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.63 FCFA 2,051

$20.74 €17.87

-82.50%

Cinema Ticket

$8.71 FCFA 4,921

$10.82 €9.33

-19.50%

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

$534 FCFA 301.4K

$728 €628

-26.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,478 FCFA 2.0M

$14.8K €12.7K

-76.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.3 FCFA 45.9K

$88.6 €76.4

-8.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.9 FCFA 38.9K

$36.85 €31.75

86.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 FCFA 80.5K

$102 €87.9

39.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 FCFA 87.7K

$116 €100

33.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 FCFA 523.8K

$1,569 €1,352

-40.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$592 FCFA 334.5K

$1,218 €1,050

-51.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,895 FCFA 1.1M

$2,795 €2,409

-32.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 FCFA 639.5K

$1,975 €1,702

-42.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,065 FCFA 1.2M

$7,754 €6,680

-73.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$988 FCFA 557.9K

$5,176 €4,460

-80.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$162 FCFA 91.5K

$2,343 €2,019

-93.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.21

3.39

466.67%

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

Last update for Douala: June 8, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $927 in Douala and $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1347% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $125 in Douala vs $69.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $282 vs $319, with Douala cheaper for home cooking.

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 Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Douala and Barcelona differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($1,650 vs $2,337 including rent). Douala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 1347% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $927 in Douala versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $534 in Douala versus $728 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,650 in Douala versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Douala but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Douala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Douala and Barcelona are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Douala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.