Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Douala and Yaounde

For one person, living is cheaper in Yaounde: $782 a month against $1,334 in Douala, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Douala
Learn more

Douala Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Yaounde
Learn more

Yaounde Living Index

Jump to prices

Douala

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$1,334

/mo nomad

Yaounde

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Douala and in Yaounde

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

A single person spends $1,334 per month in Douala vs $782 in Yaounde, rent included.

Douala $1,334
Yaounde $782

A couple spends around $2,136 per month in Douala vs $1,206 in Yaounde, rent included.

Douala $2,136
Yaounde $1,206

A family of three spends $2,939 per month in Douala vs $1,629 in Yaounde, rent included.

Douala $2,939
Yaounde $1,629

Douala costs about 71% more than Yaounde, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Douala and Yaounde are more affordable than the global median – Douala 1% lower, Yaounde 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.27 FCFA 2,493

$3.50 FCFA 2,040

22.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 FCFA 68.5K

$50.7 FCFA 29.6K

131.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.86 FCFA 3,999

$4.97 FCFA 2,896

38.03%

Cappuccino

$2.05 FCFA 1,194

$1.87 FCFA 1,089

9.63%

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

$1.64 FCFA 958

$1.46 FCFA 854

12.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 FCFA 477

$0.56 FCFA 324

46.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 FCFA 679

$1.20 FCFA 698

-3.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 FCFA 1,470

$1.68 FCFA 980

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.85 FCFA 1,661

$3.62 FCFA 2,109

-21.27%

White Bread (500g)

$0.40 FCFA 234

$1.03 FCFA 602

-61.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 FCFA 1,296

$1.27 FCFA 743

74.80%

Eggs

$1.85 FCFA 1,079

$2.02 FCFA 1,179

-8.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.80 FCFA 12.7K

$13.86 FCFA 8,080

57.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 FCFA 4,491

$6.02 FCFA 3,509

27.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.40 FCFA 3,732

$6.42 FCFA 3,744

-0.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.62 FCFA 2,696

$4.97 FCFA 2,899

-7.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 FCFA 1,171

$1.95 FCFA 1,139

3.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 FCFA 1,173

$1.99 FCFA 1,159

1.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 FCFA 768

$1.35 FCFA 786

-2.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.14 FCFA 1,830

$1.63 FCFA 952

92.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 FCFA 1,230

$1.39 FCFA 813

51.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 FCFA 450

$1.12 FCFA 654

-31.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 FCFA 364

$0.65 FCFA 381

-4.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.49 FCFA 1,452

$1.68 FCFA 982

48.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.60 FCFA 5,014

$8.25 FCFA 4,808

4.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 FCFA 818

$1.32 FCFA 772

6.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 FCFA 1,033

$1.94 FCFA 1,132

-8.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 FCFA 357

$0.52 FCFA 305

17.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.69 FCFA 9,730

$17.19 FCFA 10.0K

-2.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 FCFA 343

$0.62 FCFA 363

-4.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 FCFA 482

$0.45 FCFA 261

84.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.17 FCFA 4,765

$5.87 FCFA 3,422

39.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 FCFA 842

$1.46 FCFA 848

-1.37%

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

$29.9K FCFA 17.4M

$32.6K FCFA 19.0M

-8.23%

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

$15.1K FCFA 8.8M

$21.2K FCFA 12.4M

-28.83%

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

$163 FCFA 95.0K

$80.1 FCFA 46.7K

103.38%

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

$25.52 FCFA 14.9K

$17.16 FCFA 10.0K

48.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$172 FCFA 100.5K

$51.3 FCFA 29.9K

236.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.07 FCFA 24.0K

$23.85 FCFA 13.9K

72.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.93 FCFA 4,041

Cinema Ticket

$8.59 FCFA 5,010

$8.32 FCFA 4,849

3.25%

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

$511 FCFA 297.9K

$615 FCFA 358.4K

-16.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,332 FCFA 1.9M

$2,333 FCFA 1.4M

42.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.7 FCFA 45.9K

$16.75 FCFA 9,767

369.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.3 FCFA 38.7K

$27.41 FCFA 16.0K

141.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 FCFA 81.9K

$25.17 FCFA 14.7K

457.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 FCFA 85.7K

$55.8 FCFA 32.6K

163.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$557 FCFA 324.7K

$142 FCFA 83.0K

291.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$323 FCFA 188.3K

$183 FCFA 106.7K

76.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 FCFA 756.6K

$408 FCFA 238.1K

217.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$533 FCFA 310.9K

$208 FCFA 121.2K

156.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 FCFA 1.2M

$855 FCFA 498.8K

130.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$950 FCFA 554.1K

$589 FCFA 343.7K

61.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$222 FCFA 129.5K

$185 FCFA 107.8K

20.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.04

46.46%

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

Last update for Douala: October 12, 2026

Last update for Yaounde: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Douala

$361 27%

Yaounde

$149 19% 58.8% $212

Accommodation & Living

Douala

$323 24.2%

Yaounde

$183 23.4% 43.3% $140

Groceries & Markets

Douala

$274 20.5%

Yaounde

$249 31.8% 9.1% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Douala

$195 14.6%

Yaounde

$56 7.2% 71% $138

Eating Out

Douala

$100 7.5%

Yaounde

$83 10.6% 17.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Douala

$58 4.4%

Yaounde

$40 5.2% 30.5% $18

Getting Around

Douala

$24 1.8%

Yaounde

$22 2.8% 7.2% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $557 in Douala versus $142 in Yaounde. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 20% higher in Douala, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $117 in Douala versus $51.0 in Yaounde. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $249 – making Yaounde the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇲 Douala

🇨🇲 Yaounde

🕒 Local time

21:42 9:42 PM

Same time as Douala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,000,000

1,817,524 Capital

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Douala Yaounde 200 km

From you

Douala
Yaounde

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 Yaounde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Douala is pricier by about 71%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,001 per month in Douala and $1,173 in Yaounde. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yaounde, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Douala, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $117 in Douala and $51.0 in Yaounde. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Yaounde, where all-in costs run around $782, than in Douala at $1,334. In Yaounde it covers expenses comfortably, while in Douala it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Yaounde – 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 Yaounde. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Douala makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.