Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Buea

For one person, living is cheaper in Buea: $739 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Buea
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Buea Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Buea

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$739

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon 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 Lisbon and in Buea actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $739 in Buea.

Lisbon $2,210
Buea $739

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $1,340 in Buea.

Lisbon $3,275
Buea $1,340

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $1,941 in Buea.

Lisbon $4,341
Buea $1,941

Living in Lisbon is roughly 199% more expensive than in Buea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Buea is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

$1.69 FCFA 991

885.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$117 FCFA 68.8K

-47.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$6.06 FCFA 3,561

87.46%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$2.04 FCFA 1,199

45.59%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$1.25 FCFA 736

83.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$0.46 FCFA 270

278.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$0.99 FCFA 582

243.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$1.50 FCFA 878

120.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$2.78 FCFA 1,635

-58.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$0.40 FCFA 233

377.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$1.53 FCFA 901

-1.31%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$1.87 FCFA 1,098

114.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$21.74 FCFA 12.8K

-40.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

$7.58 FCFA 4,450

2.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

$4.36 FCFA 2,562

307.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$3.43 FCFA 2,015

-32.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.38 FCFA 808

25.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$0.88 FCFA 516

111.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$1.31 FCFA 772

97.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.72 FCFA 1,013

5.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.39 FCFA 816

41.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$0.73 FCFA 427

101.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.61 FCFA 361

18.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$2.64 FCFA 1,549

149.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$8.70 FCFA 5,108

-35.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.16 FCFA 679

17.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$1.73 FCFA 1,018

23.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$0.27 FCFA 159

1325.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.53 FCFA 310

101.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

$4.99 FCFA 2,932

229.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.20 FCFA 702

83.33%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$18.7K FCFA 11.0M

82.92%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$15.6K FCFA 9.1M

148.86%

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

$161 €144

$59.1 FCFA 34.7K

172.70%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$16.88 FCFA 9,918

9.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$167 FCFA 98.2K

-80.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

$25.69 FCFA 15.1K

73.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

$4.25 FCFA 2,494

349.41%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$8.54 FCFA 5,015

12.41%

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

$668 €598

$506 FCFA 297.3K

31.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$3,349 FCFA 2.0M

425.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$34.09 FCFA 20.0K

199.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$65.7 FCFA 38.6K

-32.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$137 FCFA 80.3K

-27.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$67.9 FCFA 39.9K

82.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$130 FCFA 76.5K

1109.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

19.04

-79.78%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Buea: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Buea

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Buea

$242 32.8% 11.2% $30

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Buea

$71 9.6% 70.8% $172

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Buea

$243 32.9% 14.5% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Buea

$137 18.5% 17.4% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Buea

$43 5.8% 32.9% $21

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Buea

$2.9 * 0.4% 95.4% $60

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

Cost Breakdown

Lisbon pays about 12 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $117 in Buea. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $242, with Buea cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇨🇲 Buea

🕒 Local time

11:46 11:46 AM

12:46 12:46 PM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

1,325,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XAF, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 587 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.7 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Buea 4,270 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
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

Lisbon vs Buea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $739 in Buea, so Buea is about 67% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Lisbon is about 12 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $506 in Buea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $62 versus $117 in Buea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $739 in Buea versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Buea but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Buea 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.

It comes down to priorities – Buea wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.