Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Yaounde Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Yaounde

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $736 in Yaounde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,190 in Yaounde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,644 in Yaounde.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 211% more expensive than in Yaounde, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Yaounde is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$4.89 FCFA 2,806

231.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$44.62 FCFA 25.6K

41.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$5.65 FCFA 3,246

82.65%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.73 FCFA 1,566

3.66%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$1.43 FCFA 819

60.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.66 FCFA 379

139.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.16 FCFA 664

193.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$1.75 FCFA 1,005

130.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$2.86 FCFA 1,641

-61.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.02 FCFA 583

71.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.11 FCFA 635

58.56%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.79 FCFA 1,028

77.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$14.15 FCFA 8,123

-6.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$6.11 FCFA 3,510

30.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$5.89 FCFA 3,382

163.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$4.62 FCFA 2,651

-48.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.08 FCFA 1,192

-17.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.06 FCFA 1,183

-2.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.24 FCFA 711

95.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.67 FCFA 958

5.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.45 FCFA 832

40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.57 FCFA 328

236.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.01 FCFA 578

-15.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$1.72 FCFA 987

282.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$8.63 FCFA 4,954

-35.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.28 FCFA 734

3.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.55 FCFA 891

91.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.61 FCFA 349

273.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$17.38 FCFA 9,981

163.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$0.60 FCFA 346

605.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.42 FCFA 240

92.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$5.78 FCFA 3,319

219.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.34 FCFA 772

55.22%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$33.6K FCFA 19.3M

3.12%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$15.6K FCFA 9.0M

150.80%

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

$148 €130

$78.6 FCFA 45.1K

88.43%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$21.11 FCFA 12.1K

-3.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$47.48 FCFA 27.3K

-16.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$26.58 FCFA 15.3K

80.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$7.21 FCFA 4,140

157.98%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$6.66 FCFA 3,826

38.44%

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

$616 €540

$335 FCFA 192.4K

83.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$1,827 FCFA 1.0M

799.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$16.31 FCFA 9,364

529.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$24.04 FCFA 13.8K

73.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$19.51 FCFA 11.2K

385.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$58.0 FCFA 33.3K

110.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$149 FCFA 85.4K

997.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$121 FCFA 69.4K

920.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$498 FCFA 285.7K

522.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$252 FCFA 144.5K

707.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$866 FCFA 497.3K

804.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$614 FCFA 352.5K

614.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$184 FCFA 105.9K

771.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-36.50%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Yaounde: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $149 in Yaounde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 771% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $45.00 in Yaounde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $240 per month, with Yaounde cheaper across the board.

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 Yaounde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Yaounde differ by about 211% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $736 including rent). Yaounde is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 771% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $149 in Yaounde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $335 in Yaounde. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $736 in Yaounde versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Yaounde but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Yaounde 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, Lisbon and Yaounde 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 Yaounde gentler on the wallet – expenses run 211% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.