Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yaounde and Bamenda

For one person, living is cheaper in Bamenda: $667 a month against $782 in Yaounde, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Yaounde
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Yaounde Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Bamenda
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Bamenda Living Index

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Yaounde

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$782

/mo nomad

Bamenda

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$667

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Yaounde 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 Yaounde and in Bamenda actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $782 per month in Yaounde vs $667 in Bamenda, rent included.

Yaounde $782
Bamenda $667

A couple spends around $1,206 per month in Yaounde vs $894 in Bamenda, rent included.

Yaounde $1,206
Bamenda $894

A family of three spends $1,629 per month in Yaounde vs $1,120 in Bamenda, rent included.

Yaounde $1,629
Bamenda $1,120

Yaounde costs about 17% more than Bamenda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Yaounde and Bamenda are more affordable than the global median – Yaounde 42% lower, Bamenda 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.50 FCFA 2,040

$5.16 FCFA 3,011

-32.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.7 FCFA 29.6K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 FCFA 2,896

$6.25 FCFA 3,642

-20.48%

Cappuccino

$1.87 FCFA 1,089

$1.14 FCFA 666

64.04%

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

$1.46 FCFA 854

$1.66 FCFA 966

-12.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 FCFA 324

$0.64 FCFA 371

-12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 FCFA 698

$1.55 FCFA 905

-22.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 FCFA 980

$1.74 FCFA 1,012

-3.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.62 FCFA 2,109

$2.90 FCFA 1,691

24.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 FCFA 602

$0.77 FCFA 448

33.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 FCFA 743

$2.02 FCFA 1,176

-37.13%

Eggs

$2.02 FCFA 1,179

$3.00 FCFA 1,747

-32.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.86 FCFA 8,080

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.02 FCFA 3,509

$3.60 FCFA 2,099

67.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.42 FCFA 3,744

$4.83 FCFA 2,818

32.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.97 FCFA 2,899

$2.48 FCFA 1,446

100.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 FCFA 1,139

$0.82 FCFA 476

137.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 FCFA 1,159

$1.22 FCFA 709

63.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 FCFA 786

$1.31 FCFA 764

3.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 FCFA 952

$3.04 FCFA 1,774

-46.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 FCFA 813

$1.51 FCFA 881

-7.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 FCFA 654

$0.81 FCFA 474

38.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 FCFA 381

$0.76 FCFA 441

-14.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.68 FCFA 982

$1.75 FCFA 1,018

-4.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.25 FCFA 4,808

$9.99 FCFA 5,827

-17.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 FCFA 772

$1.38 FCFA 803

-4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 FCFA 1,132

$1.69 FCFA 984

14.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 FCFA 305

$1.26 FCFA 737

-58.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.19 FCFA 10.0K

$8.75 FCFA 5,101

96.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.62 FCFA 363

$0.63 FCFA 365

-1.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 FCFA 261

$0.57 FCFA 334

-21.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.87 FCFA 3,422

$5.40 FCFA 3,152

8.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 FCFA 848

$1.37 FCFA 798

6.57%

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

$32.6K FCFA 19.0M

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

$21.2K FCFA 12.4M

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

$80.1 FCFA 46.7K

$169 FCFA 98.4K

-52.52%

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

$17.16 FCFA 10.0K

$30.30 FCFA 17.7K

-43.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.3 FCFA 29.9K

$42.17 FCFA 24.6K

21.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.85 FCFA 13.9K

$17.35 FCFA 10.1K

37.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.93 FCFA 4,041

Cinema Ticket

$8.32 FCFA 4,849

$8.26 FCFA 4,814

0.73%

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

$615 FCFA 358.4K

$172 FCFA 100.2K

257.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,333 FCFA 1.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.75 FCFA 9,767

$25.90 FCFA 15.1K

-35.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.41 FCFA 16.0K

$42.28 FCFA 24.7K

-35.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$25.17 FCFA 14.7K

$46.18 FCFA 26.9K

-45.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.8 FCFA 32.6K

$51.4 FCFA 29.9K

8.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$142 FCFA 83.0K

$66.9 FCFA 39.0K

112.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$183 FCFA 106.7K

$33.60 FCFA 19.6K

444.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 FCFA 238.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$208 FCFA 121.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$855 FCFA 498.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$589 FCFA 343.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$185 FCFA 107.8K

$95.3 FCFA 55.6K

94.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Yaounde: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bamenda: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Yaounde

$249 31.8%

Bamenda

$173 * 25.9% 30.6% $76

Accommodation & Living

Yaounde

$183 23.4%

Bamenda

$34 5% 81.6% $149

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yaounde

$149 19%

Bamenda

$241 36.2% 62.4% $93

Eating Out

Yaounde

$83 10.6%

Bamenda

$94 14.1% 13.8% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Yaounde

$56 7.2%

Bamenda

$75 11.2% 32.4% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Yaounde

$40 5.2%

Bamenda

$34 5.1% 16.4% $6.6

Getting Around

Yaounde

$22 2.8%

Bamenda

$17 2.6% 21.9% $4.8

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $142 in Yaounde versus $66.9 in Bamenda. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 94% higher in Yaounde, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇨🇲 Yaounde

🇨🇲 Bamenda

🕒 Local time

12:06 12:06 PM

Same time as Yaounde

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,817,524 Capital

1,735,000

💱 Currency

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Yaounde Bamenda 280 km

From you

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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

Yaounde vs Bamenda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $782 in Yaounde, $667 in Bamenda – roughly 17% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,173 per month in Yaounde and $1,001 in Bamenda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bamenda, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $782 in Yaounde and $667 in Bamenda. That's a gap of about 17%.

Kindergarten costs $615 per month in Yaounde and $172 in Bamenda. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $782 in Yaounde and $667 in Bamenda, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Bamenda – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Bamenda. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Yaounde makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.