Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maroua and Bamenda

For one person, living is cheaper in Maroua: $348 a month against $670 in Bamenda, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Bamenda
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Bamenda Living Index

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Maroua

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$348

/mo nomad

Bamenda

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$670

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Maroua and in Bamenda

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

A single person spends $348 per month in Maroua vs $670 in Bamenda, rent included.

Maroua $348
Bamenda $670

A couple spends around $519 per month in Maroua vs $897 in Bamenda, rent included.

Maroua $519
Bamenda $897

A family of three spends $690 per month in Maroua vs $1,123 in Bamenda, rent included.

Maroua $690
Bamenda $1,123

Maroua is about 48% cheaper than Bamenda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Maroua and Bamenda are more affordable than the global median – Maroua 74% lower, Bamenda 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.05 FCFA 2,963

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 FCFA 3,830

Cappuccino

$1.17 FCFA 685

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

$1.74 FCFA 1,022

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 FCFA 371

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 FCFA 916

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 FCFA 976

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 FCFA 976

$2.78 FCFA 1,631

-40.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 FCFA 491

$0.82 FCFA 484

2.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 FCFA 1,669

$1.94 FCFA 1,142

46.39%

Eggs

$5.62 FCFA 3,303

$2.96 FCFA 1,741

89.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.13 FCFA 3,011

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.24 FCFA 3,076

$3.74 FCFA 2,195

40.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.31 FCFA 1,945

$4.75 FCFA 2,791

-30.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.72 FCFA 1,007

$2.59 FCFA 1,522

-33.59%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 FCFA 510

$0.82 FCFA 484

6.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.87 FCFA 513

$1.17 FCFA 687

-25.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 FCFA 1,020

$1.29 FCFA 758

34.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 FCFA 1,525

$2.98 FCFA 1,749

-12.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 FCFA 1,005

$1.51 FCFA 889

13.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 FCFA 457

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 FCFA 482

$0.77 FCFA 452

6.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.73 FCFA 1,018

Wine (Bottle)

$11.12 FCFA 6,531

$9.62 FCFA 5,651

15.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 FCFA 513

$1.40 FCFA 820

-37.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 FCFA 1,026

$1.65 FCFA 971

6.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 FCFA 767

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.99 FCFA 5,280

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 FCFA 360

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 FCFA 363

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.52 FCFA 3,244

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 FCFA 843

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

$51.6 FCFA 30.3K

$171 FCFA 100.6K

-69.92%

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

$8.43 FCFA 4,952

$30.03 FCFA 17.6K

-71.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.80 FCFA 25.1K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.99 FCFA 9,979

$17.19 FCFA 10.1K

-1.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$1.69 FCFA 992

Cinema Ticket

$8.48 FCFA 4,981

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

$169 FCFA 99.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.42 FCFA 14.9K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.49 FCFA 25.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.74 FCFA 27.5K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.2 FCFA 30.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$68.7 FCFA 40.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$83.7 FCFA 49.1K

$33.55 FCFA 19.7K

149.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 FCFA 90.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$97.3 FCFA 57.2K

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

Last update for Maroua: October 27, 2026

Last update for Bamenda: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maroua

–

Bamenda

$244 36.4%

Groceries & Markets

Maroua

–

Bamenda

$171 * 25.6%

Eating Out

Maroua

–

Bamenda

$95 14.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Maroua

–

Bamenda

$75 11.1%

Sport & Entertainment

Maroua

–

Bamenda

$34 5.1%

Accommodation & Living

Maroua

–

Bamenda

$34 5%

Getting Around

Maroua

–

Bamenda

$18 2.7%

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

Good to know

🇨🇲 Maroua

🇨🇲 Bamenda

🕒 Local time

23:09 11:09 PM

Same time as Maroua

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,119,000

1,735,000

💱 Currency

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XAF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR

1,000 XAF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Maroua Bamenda 690 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Maroua
Bamenda

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

Maroua vs Bamenda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $348 in Maroua, $670 in Bamenda – Maroua comes out roughly 48% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $522 per month in Maroua and $1,006 in Bamenda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $348 in Maroua and $670 in Bamenda. That makes Maroua about 48% cheaper.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Bamenda – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $348 in Maroua and $670 in Bamenda, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.