Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Douala

For one person, living is cheaper in Douala: $1,330 a month against $4,048 in London, rent and utilities included – about $32,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

London, United Kingdom
Douala, Cameroon
London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$4,048
/mo nomad
Douala
🇨🇲 Cameroon
$1,330
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Douala

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

A single person spends $4,048 per month in London vs $1,330 in Douala, rent included.

  • London $4,048
  • Douala $1,330

A couple spends around $5,903 per month in London vs $2,125 in Douala, rent included.

  • London $5,903
  • Douala $2,125

A family of three spends $7,758 per month in London vs $2,920 in Douala, rent included.

  • London $7,758
  • Douala $2,920

London costs about 204% more than Douala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

London sits 199% above the global median, while Douala is 2% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
London
Douala
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.36 £19.59
$4.21 FCFA 2,456
526.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$109 £80.7
$121 FCFA 70.7K
-10.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.71 £7.96
$6.83 FCFA 3,989
56.81%
Cappuccino
$5.59 £4.15
$2.06 FCFA 1,202
171.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 £2.23
$1.67 FCFA 975
79.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 £1.65
$0.86 FCFA 501
158.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.65 £7.17
$1.17 FCFA 682
724.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.26 £6.14
$2.58 FCFA 1,508
220.16%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
London
Douala
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.97 £1.46
$2.83 FCFA 1,651
-30.39%
White Bread (500g)
$2.09 £1.55
$0.43 FCFA 254
386.05%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.59 £1.93
$2.18 FCFA 1,275
18.81%
Eggs
$5.37 £3.99
$1.87 FCFA 1,093
187.17%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.12 £9.75
$21.89 FCFA 12.8K
-40.06%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.03 £8.20
$7.70 FCFA 4,492
43.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.73 £13.17
$6.25 FCFA 3,649
183.68%
Apples (1kg)
$3.17 £2.36
$4.72 FCFA 2,754
-32.84%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 £1.03
$2.09 FCFA 1,218
-33.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.82 £2.10
$2.00 FCFA 1,167
41.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.36 £2.50
$1.36 FCFA 795
147.06%
Potato (1kg)
$1.70 £1.26
$3.21 FCFA 1,875
-47.04%
Onion (1kg)
$1.78 £1.32
$2.08 FCFA 1,214
-14.42%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.49 £1.11
$0.73 FCFA 424
104.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 £1.35
$0.66 FCFA 385
175.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.85 £17.72
$2.55 FCFA 1,486
835.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.44 £9.98
$8.34 FCFA 4,867
61.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.11 £2.31
$1.42 FCFA 828
119.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.49 £3.34
$1.78 FCFA 1,038
152.25%
🚌 Getting Around
London
Douala
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.13 £3.07
$0.67 FCFA 392
516.42%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$266 £198
$17.21 FCFA 10.0K
1445.50%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.98 £4.44
$0.57 FCFA 335
949.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.39 £2.52
$0.84 FCFA 488
303.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$56.6 £42.03
$8.21 FCFA 4,795
588.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.21 £1.64
$1.41 FCFA 820
56.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.3K £28.4K
$30.2K FCFA 17.7M
26.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.0K £30.5K
$15.4K FCFA 9.0M
165.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
Douala
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$372 £277
$160 FCFA 93.6K
132.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.66 £13.87
$25.99 FCFA 15.2K
-28.20%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.53 £30.12
$177 FCFA 103.3K
-77.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
London
Douala
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.0 £41.63
$40.46 FCFA 23.6K
38.46%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.10 £12.71
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$17.95 £13.34
$8.79 FCFA 5,128
104.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
London
Douala
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,946 £2,189
$509 FCFA 297.2K
478.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$47.6K £35.4K
$8,977 FCFA 5.2M
430.50%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
London
Douala
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$116 £86.4
$79.8 FCFA 46.6K
45.63%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.9 £42.28
$67.0 FCFA 39.1K
-15.05%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$128 £95.1
$139 FCFA 81.3K
-8.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$154 £114
$151 FCFA 87.9K
2.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
London
Douala
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,935 £2,182
$570 FCFA 332.5K
415.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,258 £1,678
$313 FCFA 182.4K
622.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,250 £3,901
$1,310 FCFA 764.5K
300.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,859 £2,868
$486 FCFA 283.4K
694.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$17.2K £12.8K
$2,039 FCFA 1.2M
742.82%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,278 £6,152
$965 FCFA 563.2K
757.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
London
Douala
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,621 £4,177
$224 FCFA 130.8K
2408.95%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.78
19.04
-74.89%

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

Last update for London: November 1, 2026

Last update for Douala: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
London
$2.3K
Douala
$313 86.2% $1.9K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
$432
Douala
$363 15.8% $68
Eating Out
London
$396
Douala
$100 74.7% $296
Groceries & Markets
London
$360
Douala
$275 23.8% $86
Getting Around
London
$305
Douala
$25 91.9% $281
Clothing & Footwear
London
$205
Douala
$197 4% $8.2
Sport & Entertainment
London
$92
Douala
$58 36.9% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,935 in London versus $570 in Douala. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in London are about 25 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $109 in London versus $121 in Douala. Groceries tell a different story – $360 in London vs $275 in Douala – so Douala wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇬🇧 London
🇨🇲 Douala
🕒 Local time
00:00 12:00 AM
01:00 1:00 AM
1 h ahead of London
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,908,083 Capital
2,000,000
Exchange rates and currency converter

XAF, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.743 GBP (1 GBP = 1.35 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 584 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 655 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • London Douala 5,360 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • London
  • Douala

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
London vs Douala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Douala cheaper than London?
Yes – London is pricier by about 204%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,072 per month in London and $1,995 in Douala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Douala, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $570 there versus $2,935 in London.
How do food prices compare in London and in Douala?
Groceries cost about 31% more in London, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in London or in Douala?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $109 in London and $121 in Douala. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in London or in Douala?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Douala, where all-in costs run around $1,330, than in London at $4,048. In Douala it covers expenses comfortably, while in London it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is London or Douala more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Douala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Douala. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, London makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

London vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?