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: $1,636 in Douala versus $2,341 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,621 in Douala versus $3,462 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,606 in Douala versus $4,582 in Barcelona.

Living in Douala costs roughly 30% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Douala 22% above, Barcelona 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.02 FCFA 5,056

$17.61 €15.04

-48.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 FCFA 70.3K

$68.7 €58.7

82.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.15 FCFA 2,886

$13.75 €11.74

-62.55%

Cappuccino

$1.89 FCFA 1,061

$2.76 €2.36

-31.52%

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

$1.68 FCFA 940

$2.78 €2.38

-39.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 FCFA 466

$2.05 €1.75

-59.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 FCFA 659

$4.61 €3.93

-74.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 FCFA 1,490

$4.59 €3.92

-42.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.90 FCFA 1,625

$1.28 €1.09

126.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 FCFA 250

$2.11 €1.80

-78.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 FCFA 1,257

$1.97 €1.68

13.71%

Eggs

$1.91 FCFA 1,068

$3.44 €2.94

-44.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.75 FCFA 12.7K

$18.83 €16.08

20.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.72 FCFA 4,324

$9.45 €8.07

-18.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.58 FCFA 3,686

$19.01 €16.24

-65.39%

Apples (1kg)

$4.94 FCFA 2,770

$2.72 €2.32

81.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 FCFA 1,176

$2.37 €2.03

-11.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 FCFA 1,169

$2.08 €1.77

0.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 FCFA 761

$2.76 €2.36

-50.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.38 FCFA 1,894

$1.97 €1.68

71.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 FCFA 1,255

$1.79 €1.53

25.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 FCFA 407

$1.51 €1.29

-51.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 FCFA 375

$0.90 €0.77

-25.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.59 FCFA 2,009

$6.76 €5.77

-46.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.32 FCFA 4,663

$7.55 €6.44

10.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 FCFA 757

$1.44 €1.23

-6.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 FCFA 1,091

$2.41 €2.06

-19.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 FCFA 362

$3.03 €2.59

-78.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.48 FCFA 9,796

$28.39 €24.25

-38.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.55 FCFA 306

$4.43 €3.78

-87.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 FCFA 426

$2.05 €1.75

-62.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.19 FCFA 4,587

$29.33 €25.05

-72.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 FCFA 767

$1.89 €1.61

-27.51%

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

$31.0K FCFA 17.4M

$38.7K €33.1K

-19.86%

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

$16.0K FCFA 9.0M

$32.4K €27.6K

-50.48%

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

$170 FCFA 95.1K

$189 €161

-10.03%

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

$25.96 FCFA 14.5K

$22.21 €18.96

16.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$182 FCFA 101.8K

$36.82 €31.44

393.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.43 FCFA 13.1K

$58.0 €49.52

-59.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.47 FCFA 1,946

$20.99 €17.93

-83.47%

Cinema Ticket

$8.60 FCFA 4,817

$11.05 €9.44

-22.17%

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

$530 FCFA 297.0K

$726 €620

-27.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,540 FCFA 2.0M

$15.2K €13.0K

-76.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.1 FCFA 45.4K

$88.3 €75.4

-8.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.3 FCFA 39.4K

$36.98 €31.58

90.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 FCFA 79.3K

$103 €87.6

37.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 FCFA 85.9K

$119 €102

28.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 FCFA 512.4K

$1,526 €1,304

-40.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 FCFA 328.0K

$1,218 €1,040

-51.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,889 FCFA 1.1M

$2,794 €2,386

-32.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,129 FCFA 632.6K

$2,027 €1,731

-44.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,108 FCFA 1.2M

$7,094 €6,058

-70.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,005 FCFA 563.2K

$4,849 €4,141

-79.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 FCFA 91.5K

$2,404 €2,053

-93.21%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $915 in Douala and $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1372% 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: $126 in Douala vs $69.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $282 vs $320, 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 43% in total monthly costs ($1,636 vs $2,341 including rent). Douala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 1372% 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: $915 in Douala versus $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $530 in Douala versus $726 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 $1,636 in Douala versus $2,341 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 43% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.