Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Cameroon

Name: Cameroon
Address: CM

For one person, living is cheaper in Cameroon: $997 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $20,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Cameroon
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Cameroon Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$997

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Cameroon

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

A single person spends $2,734 per month in the United States vs $997 in Cameroon, rent included.

United States $2,734
Cameroon $997

A couple spends around $3,985 per month in the United States vs $1,617 in Cameroon, rent included.

United States $3,985
Cameroon $1,617

A family of three spends $5,235 per month in the United States vs $2,236 in Cameroon, rent included.

United States $5,235
Cameroon $2,236

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in Cameroon ($348–$1,334), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the United States is about 174% higher than in Cameroon on average.

The United States sits 101% above the global median, while Cameroon is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$3.93 FCFA 2,301

409.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$85.7 FCFA 50.1K

-6.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$5.83 FCFA 3,412

102.40%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$1.88 FCFA 1,101

195.21%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$1.64 FCFA 956

62.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.65 FCFA 379

233.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$1.20 FCFA 705

410.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$1.69 FCFA 987

369.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.78 FCFA 1,628

-62.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$0.67 FCFA 389

435.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.79 FCFA 1,048

152.51%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$2.00 FCFA 1,170

114.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$14.95 FCFA 8,745

-11.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$5.16 FCFA 3,018

144.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$6.04 FCFA 3,533

191.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.57 FCFA 2,087

48.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.27 FCFA 745

33.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$1.55 FCFA 908

186.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$1.43 FCFA 838

233.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.13 FCFA 1,248

39.44%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.67 FCFA 979

88.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$0.78 FCFA 456

182.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.71 FCFA 413

230.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$1.73 FCFA 1,011

534.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$8.67 FCFA 5,074

73.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.39 FCFA 816

48.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$1.81 FCFA 1,061

109.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.75 FCFA 437

158.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$17.18 FCFA 10.0K

245.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$0.58 FCFA 338

517.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$0.52 FCFA 305

261.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$6.00 FCFA 3,509

397.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.39 FCFA 813

-26.62%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$30.4K FCFA 17.8M

-5.44%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$17.4K FCFA 10.2M

50.92%

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

$218 $218

$144 FCFA 84.0K

51.76%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$22.82 FCFA 13.3K

173.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$129 FCFA 75.7K

-42.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$27.71 FCFA 16.2K

51.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$5.70 FCFA 3,335

300.18%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$8.51 FCFA 4,976

72.74%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$506 FCFA 296.0K

194.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$3,318 FCFA 1.9M

661.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$62.7 FCFA 36.6K

-13.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$61.0 FCFA 35.7K

-29.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$134 FCFA 78.2K

-29.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$121 FCFA 71.1K

-6.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$343 FCFA 200.8K

383.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$146 FCFA 85.2K

825.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$831 FCFA 485.8K

222.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$267 FCFA 156.4K

711.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$1,979 FCFA 1.2M

65.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$951 FCFA 556.0K

161.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$146 FCFA 85.1K

2852.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

18.96

-65.45%

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cameroon: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Cameroon

$146 14.6% 89.2% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Cameroon

$227 22.7% 45.4% $189

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Cameroon

$296 29.7% 16.6% $59

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Cameroon

$90 9% 72.5% $238

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Cameroon

$171 17.1% 24.4% $33

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Cameroon

$23 2.3% 70.9% $57

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Cameroon

$45 4.5% 37.2% $27

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,620 in the United States vs $259 in Cameroon. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,768 in Washington, DC and $142 in Yaounde.

Average salary: $4,549 in the United States vs $158 in Cameroon. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 525% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 40% more in Cameroon.

Public transport is 271% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 29 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇨🇲 Cameroon

🕒 Local time

09:26 9:26 AM

15:26 3:26 PM

6 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

28,372,687

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XAF, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🌐 Central African CFA Franc (Fr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 653 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

XAF to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

United States Cameroon 10,530 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
Cameroon

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

United States vs Cameroon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cameroon is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 64% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 versus $259 in Cameroon.

$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Cameroon, but in the United States it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

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