Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Limbe and Buea

For one person, living is cheaper in Buea: $744 a month against $876 in Limbe, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Limbe outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

42

Cost of Living Index in Limbe
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Limbe Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Buea
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Buea Living Index

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Limbe

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$876

/mo nomad

Buea

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$744

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Limbe and in Buea

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $876 in Limbe versus $744 in Buea.

Limbe $876
Buea $744

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,516 in Limbe versus $1,357 in Buea.

Limbe $1,516
Buea $1,357

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,156 in Limbe versus $1,970 in Buea.

Limbe $2,156
Buea $1,970

Living in Limbe is roughly 18% more expensive than in Buea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Limbe 35% lower, Buea 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.18 FCFA 2,448

$1.65 FCFA 969

153.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 FCFA 69.6K

$121 FCFA 71.0K

-1.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.96 FCFA 4,081

$5.98 FCFA 3,507

16.39%

Cappuccino

$1.03 FCFA 606

$2.08 FCFA 1,219

-50.48%

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

$1.57 FCFA 920

$1.24 FCFA 728

26.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 FCFA 457

$0.46 FCFA 270

69.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 FCFA 715

$1.05 FCFA 614

16.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 FCFA 1,535

$1.57 FCFA 919

66.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.51 FCFA 1,470

$2.89 FCFA 1,692

-13.15%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 FCFA 257

$0.37 FCFA 215

18.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 FCFA 924

$1.61 FCFA 941

-1.86%

Eggs

$1.88 FCFA 1,101

$1.85 FCFA 1,082

1.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.16 FCFA 5,372

$22.16 FCFA 13.0K

-58.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.68 FCFA 2,744

$7.69 FCFA 4,510

-39.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.36 FCFA 3,726

$4.36 FCFA 2,558

45.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 FCFA 1,111

$3.32 FCFA 1,948

-42.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 FCFA 656

$1.33 FCFA 778

-15.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 FCFA 1,094

$0.89 FCFA 522

110.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 FCFA 774

$1.38 FCFA 808

-4.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 FCFA 1,076

$1.73 FCFA 1,014

6.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 FCFA 1,231

$1.38 FCFA 806

52.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 FCFA 427

$0.75 FCFA 440

-2.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 FCFA 387

$0.66 FCFA 388

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 FCFA 1,522

$2.62 FCFA 1,538

-0.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.55 FCFA 5,012

$8.62 FCFA 5,055

-0.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 FCFA 852

$1.17 FCFA 687

23.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 FCFA 1,001

$1.73 FCFA 1,016

-1.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 FCFA 478

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.63 FCFA 15.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.53 FCFA 313

$0.27 FCFA 158

96.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 FCFA 117

$0.49 FCFA 285

-59.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 FCFA 1,011

$5.19 FCFA 3,045

-66.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 FCFA 674

$1.21 FCFA 712

-4.96%

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

$29.8K FCFA 17.4M

$18.9K FCFA 11.1M

57.81%

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

$15.3K FCFA 9.0M

$15.5K FCFA 9.1M

-0.78%

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

$84.5 FCFA 49.6K

$58.8 FCFA 34.5K

43.78%

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

$26.04 FCFA 15.3K

$16.90 FCFA 9,908

54.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.4 FCFA 47.2K

$170 FCFA 99.8K

-52.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.77 FCFA 25.1K

$25.83 FCFA 15.1K

65.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.36 FCFA 2,557

Cinema Ticket

$4.30 FCFA 2,518

$8.26 FCFA 4,844

-47.94%

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

$340 FCFA 199.6K

$504 FCFA 295.7K

-32.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,689 FCFA 990.3K

$3,363 FCFA 2.0M

-49.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.2 FCFA 47.0K

$34.01 FCFA 19.9K

135.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.0 FCFA 39.3K

$65.9 FCFA 38.7K

1.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 FCFA 79.7K

$136 FCFA 80.0K

-0.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 FCFA 86.8K

$68.6 FCFA 40.2K

115.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$130 FCFA 76.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$137 FCFA 80.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$129 FCFA 75.6K

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 Limbe: October 31, 2026

Last update for Buea: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Clothing & Footwear

Limbe

$194 22.2%

Buea

$137 18.4% 29.3% $57

Groceries & Markets

Limbe

$192 21.9%

Buea

$245 32.9% 27.6% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Limbe

$191 21.8%

Buea

$246 33% 28.7% $55

Accommodation & Living

Limbe

$130 14.9%

Buea

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Limbe

$87 10%

Buea

$71 9.6% 18.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Limbe

$51 5.9%

Buea

$42 5.7% 17.5% $9

Getting Around

Limbe

$30 3.5%

Buea

$2.7 * 0.4% 91.1% $28

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $119 in Limbe vs $121 in Buea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $245 per month, with Limbe cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇲 Limbe

🇨🇲 Buea

🕒 Local time

17:44 5:44 PM

Same time as Limbe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

118,210

1,325,000

💱 Currency

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Limbe Buea 17 km

From you

Limbe
Buea

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

Limbe vs Buea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $876 in Limbe and $744 in Buea, so Buea is about 15% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,315 in Limbe and $1,117 in Buea to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $340 in Limbe versus $504 in Buea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $876 per month in Limbe versus $744 in Buea – Buea is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Buea gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.