Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Cameroon Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Cameroon

Name: Cameroon
Address: CM

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,021 per month in South Africa vs $618 in Cameroon, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,594 per month in South Africa vs $953 in Cameroon, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,167 per month in South Africa vs $1,288 in Cameroon, rent included.

South Africa costs about 65% more than Cameroon on average — the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both South Africa and Cameroon are more affordable than the global median – South Africa 24% lower, Cameroon 54% lower.

Cameroon has a wider regional cost range ($72–$1,638) than South Africa ($804–$1,352), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Cameroon.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.20 R 152

$5.35 FCFA 2,996

71.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.46 R 633

$118 FCFA 65.9K

-67.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 R 84.2

$5.31 FCFA 2,971

-3.77%

Cappuccino

$2.03 R 33.38

$1.76 FCFA 986

15.34%

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

$0.95 R 15.60

$1.47 FCFA 821

-35.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 13.06

$0.71 FCFA 399

11.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 R 37.97

$1.16 FCFA 651

99.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 R 40.48

$2.71 FCFA 1,518

-9.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 R 17.77

$2.66 FCFA 1,490

-59.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 R 15.85

$0.71 FCFA 395

35.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 R 26.41

$1.66 FCFA 930

-3.61%

Eggs

$2.32 R 38.28

$1.93 FCFA 1,078

20.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.48 R 123

$15.34 FCFA 8,581

-51.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.57 R 75.2

$5.63 FCFA 3,153

-18.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.56 R 108

$5.96 FCFA 3,333

10.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.58 R 26.06

$3.40 FCFA 1,904

-53.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 R 23.90

$1.52 FCFA 851

-4.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.78

$1.63 FCFA 912

-7.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.45

$1.38 FCFA 769

12.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R 20.83

$1.88 FCFA 1,053

-32.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 R 21.23

$1.64 FCFA 920

-21.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 R 17.64

$0.65 FCFA 363

64.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 R 14.87

$0.72 FCFA 401

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 R 48.11

$1.72 FCFA 962

69.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.99 R 82.2

$9.03 FCFA 5,053

-44.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.87

$1.31 FCFA 733

6.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 R 27.62

$1.76 FCFA 984

-4.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.32

$0.83 FCFA 463

107.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.17 R 744

$17.87 FCFA 9,997

152.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R 18.27

$0.55 FCFA 306

101.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 R 17.48

$0.49 FCFA 277

116.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.84 R 79.8

$6.01 FCFA 3,362

-19.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R 20.47

$1.39 FCFA 776

-10.79%

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

$21.0K R 346.4K

$30.9K FCFA 17.3M

-31.92%

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

$24.1K R 396.6K

$15.7K FCFA 8.8M

53.46%

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

$112 R 1,846

$144 FCFA 80.6K

-22.25%

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

$31.87 R 525

$23.35 FCFA 13.1K

36.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.80 R 672

$131 FCFA 73.3K

-68.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.46 R 518

$22.97 FCFA 12.9K

36.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.71 R 160

$4.66 FCFA 2,607

108.37%

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 R 110

$6.75 FCFA 3,775

-1.04%

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

$192 R 3,159

$533 FCFA 298.4K

-64.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,306 R 70.9K

$3,391 FCFA 1.9M

27.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.12 R 809

$66.2 FCFA 37.0K

-25.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.89 R 509

$60.7 FCFA 34.0K

-49.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 R 1,535

$138 FCFA 77.1K

-32.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.6 R 1,295

$131 FCFA 73.3K

-40.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$451 R 7,426

$796 FCFA 445.3K

-43.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 R 6,033

$478 FCFA 267.3K

-23.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$888 R 14.6K

$1,727 FCFA 966.5K

-48.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 R 11.7K

$841 FCFA 470.6K

-15.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,148 R 18.9K

$2,068 FCFA 1.2M

-44.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$807 R 13.3K

$973 FCFA 544.4K

-17.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,467 R 24.2K

$165 FCFA 92.6K

786.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

19.04

-39.34%

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

Last update for South Africa: April 20, 2026

Last update for Cameroon: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $368 in South Africa vs $196 in Cameroon. For reference, capital cities sit at $762 in Cape Town and $150 in Yaounde.

Average salary: $1,458 in South Africa vs $149 in Cameroon. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 88% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 46% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 78% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 879% higher in South Africa, giving South Africa stronger purchasing power.

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

South Africa vs Cameroon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cameroon is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 26% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in South Africa, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but South Africa consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Cameroon, contributing to the overall 26% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Cameroon, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Cameroon is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.