Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Douala and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Douala: $1,330 a month against $4,048 in London, rent and utilities included – about $32,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Douala, Cameroon
London, United Kingdom
Douala
🇨🇲 Cameroon
$1,330
/mo nomad
London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$4,048
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Douala and in London

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 London actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,330 per month in Douala vs $4,048 in London, rent included.

  • Douala $1,330
  • London $4,048

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Douala vs $5,903 in London, rent included.

  • Douala $2,125
  • London $5,903

A family of three spends $2,920 per month in Douala vs $7,758 in London, rent included.

  • Douala $2,920
  • London $7,758

Douala is about 67% cheaper than London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Douala sits 2% below the global median, while London is 199% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Douala
London
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.21 FCFA 2,458
$26.36 £19.59
-84.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$121 FCFA 70.7K
$109 £80.7
11.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.83 FCFA 3,991
$10.71 £7.96
-36.23%
Cappuccino
$2.06 FCFA 1,203
$5.59 £4.15
-63.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 FCFA 975
$3.00 £2.23
-44.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.86 FCFA 501
$2.22 £1.65
-61.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.17 FCFA 683
$9.65 £7.17
-87.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.58 FCFA 1,509
$8.26 £6.14
-68.77%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Douala
London
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.83 FCFA 1,651
$1.97 £1.46
43.65%
White Bread (500g)
$0.43 FCFA 254
$2.09 £1.55
-79.43%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.18 FCFA 1,275
$2.59 £1.93
-15.83%
Eggs
$1.87 FCFA 1,094
$5.37 £3.99
-65.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$21.89 FCFA 12.8K
$13.12 £9.75
66.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 FCFA 4,494
$11.03 £8.20
-30.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.25 FCFA 3,651
$17.73 £13.18
-64.75%
Apples (1kg)
$4.72 FCFA 2,756
$3.17 £2.36
48.90%
Banana (1kg)
$2.09 FCFA 1,219
$1.38 £1.03
51.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.00 FCFA 1,168
$2.82 £2.10
-29.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.36 FCFA 795
$3.36 £2.50
-59.52%
Potato (1kg)
$3.21 FCFA 1,876
$1.70 £1.26
88.82%
Onion (1kg)
$2.08 FCFA 1,215
$1.78 £1.32
16.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.73 FCFA 425
$1.49 £1.11
-51.01%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.66 FCFA 385
$1.82 £1.35
-63.74%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.55 FCFA 1,486
$23.85 £17.73
-89.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.34 FCFA 4,870
$13.44 £9.99
-37.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.42 FCFA 828
$3.11 £2.31
-54.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 FCFA 1,038
$4.49 £3.34
-60.36%
🚌 Getting Around
Douala
London
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.67 FCFA 392
$4.13 £3.07
-83.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$17.21 FCFA 10.0K
$266 £198
-93.53%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.57 FCFA 335
$5.98 £4.45
-90.47%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.84 FCFA 488
$3.39 £2.52
-75.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.21 FCFA 4,797
$56.6 £42.03
-85.48%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.41 FCFA 821
$2.21 £1.64
-36.20%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.2K FCFA 17.7M
$38.3K £28.4K
-20.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.4K FCFA 9.0M
$41.0K £30.5K
-62.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Douala
London
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$160 FCFA 93.7K
$372 £277
-56.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.99 FCFA 15.2K
$18.66 £13.87
39.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$177 FCFA 103.3K
$40.53 £30.13
336.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Douala
London
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.46 FCFA 23.6K
$56.0 £41.63
-27.78%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.10 £12.71
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.79 FCFA 5,131
$17.95 £13.34
-51.03%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Douala
London
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$509 FCFA 297.3K
$2,946 £2,189
-82.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,977 FCFA 5.2M
$47.6K £35.4K
-81.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Douala
London
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$79.8 FCFA 46.6K
$116 £86.4
-31.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$67.0 FCFA 39.1K
$56.9 £42.29
17.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$139 FCFA 81.3K
$128 £95.1
8.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$151 FCFA 88.0K
$154 £114
-2.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Douala
London
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$570 FCFA 332.7K
$2,935 £2,182
-80.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$313 FCFA 182.5K
$2,258 £1,678
-86.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,310 FCFA 764.8K
$5,250 £3,902
-75.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$486 FCFA 283.5K
$3,859 £2,868
-87.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,039 FCFA 1.2M
$17.2K £12.8K
-88.14%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$965 FCFA 563.5K
$8,278 £6,153
-88.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Douala
London
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$224 FCFA 130.8K
$5,621 £4,177
-96.01%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
19.04
4.78
298.33%

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

Last update for Douala: November 1, 2026

Last update for London: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Douala
$363
London
$432 18.8% $68
Accommodation & Living
Douala
$313
London
$2.3K 623% $1.9K
Groceries & Markets
Douala
$275
London
$360 31.2% $86
Clothing & Footwear
Douala
$197
London
$205 4.2% $8.2
Eating Out
Douala
$100
London
$396 296% $296
Sport & Entertainment
Douala
$58
London
$92 58.4% $34
Getting Around
Douala
$25
London
$305 1139% $281

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $570 in Douala versus $2,935 in London. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in London are about 25 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $121 in Douala versus $109 in London. Groceries tell a different story – $275 in Douala vs $360 in London – so Douala wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇲 Douala
🇬🇧 London
🕒 Local time
02:32 2:32 AM
01:32 1:32 AM
1 h behind Douala
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,000,000
8,908,083 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to XAF – Central African CFA Franc Converter

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 584 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.743 GBP (1 GBP = 1.35 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Douala London 5,360 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Douala
  • London

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 London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Douala cheaper than London?
Yes – London is pricier by about 204%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,995 per month in Douala and $6,072 in London. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Douala, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $570 there versus $2,935 in London.
How do food prices compare in Douala and in London?
Groceries cost about 31% more in London, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in Douala or in London?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $121 in Douala and $109 in London. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Douala or in London?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Douala, where all-in costs run around $1,330, than in London at $4,048. In Douala it covers expenses comfortably, while in London it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Douala or London more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Douala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Douala. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, London makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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