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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $829 in Yaounde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,260 in Yaounde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,690 in Yaounde.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 179% more expensive than in Yaounde, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Yaounde is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$3.61 FCFA 2,036

379.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$53.7 FCFA 30.3K

17.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

$5.25 FCFA 2,963

116.95%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$2.04 FCFA 1,151

56.37%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.53 FCFA 861

60.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.54 FCFA 304

225.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$1.24 FCFA 702

189.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$1.76 FCFA 992

92.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$3.80 FCFA 2,144

-67.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.11 FCFA 629

78.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.32 FCFA 747

15.15%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$2.16 FCFA 1,218

87.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$14.28 FCFA 8,059

-5.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$6.03 FCFA 3,405

39.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.70

$6.77 FCFA 3,823

169.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$5.26 FCFA 2,968

-56.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$2.11 FCFA 1,190

-17.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.17 FCFA 1,227

-14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.47 FCFA 829

78.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.69 FCFA 954

13.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.44 FCFA 811

45.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.12 FCFA 633

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.68 FCFA 385

23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$1.73 FCFA 978

291.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$8.96 FCFA 5,058

-36.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.42 FCFA 803

-2.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.04 FCFA 1,154

8.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.60 FCFA 340

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.25

$17.94 FCFA 10.1K

160.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$0.64 FCFA 360

551.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.43 FCFA 243

165.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.21

$6.23 FCFA 3,518

183.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.48 FCFA 833

56.76%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$33.6K FCFA 19.0M

5.16%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$22.3K FCFA 12.6M

85.97%

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

$170 €147

$82.1 FCFA 46.3K

107.39%

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

$19.34 €16.64

$18.00 FCFA 10.2K

7.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.95

$52.9 FCFA 29.9K

-36.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.39

$24.24 FCFA 13.7K

98.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.12

$7.33 FCFA 4,135

171.49%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$8.66 FCFA 4,885

14.55%

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

$717 €617

$642 FCFA 362.3K

11.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$2,469 FCFA 1.4M

607.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$17.46 FCFA 9,854

500.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.40

$28.15 FCFA 15.9K

66.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$26.92 FCFA 15.2K

284.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$57.6 FCFA 32.5K

115.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$147 FCFA 82.7K

1043.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$191 FCFA 107.8K

565.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,568

$411 FCFA 231.8K

626.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$217 FCFA 122.4K

818.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,734

$888 FCFA 501.4K

780.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,008

$621 FCFA 350.3K

650.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

$192 FCFA 108.5K

723.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

-70.85%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Yaounde: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $147 in Yaounde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 723% 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 $54.0 in Yaounde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $261 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 179% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $829 including rent). Yaounde is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 723% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $147 in Yaounde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $642 in Yaounde. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $829 in Yaounde versus $2,316 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 179% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.