Cost of Living Comparison Between Yaounde and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Yaounde and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $829 in Yaounde versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,260 in Yaounde versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,690 in Yaounde versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Yaounde costs roughly 67% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Yaounde is 40% below, Barcelona is 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.61 FCFA 2,033

$18.39 €15.81

-80.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.7 FCFA 30.3K

$69.2 €59.5

-22.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 FCFA 2,959

$14.13 €12.15

-62.85%

Cappuccino

$2.04 FCFA 1,150

$3.13 €2.69

-34.82%

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

$1.53 FCFA 860

$3.02 €2.59

-49.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 FCFA 304

$1.96 €1.69

-72.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.24 FCFA 701

$4.00 €3.44

-69.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 FCFA 990

$4.76 €4.09

-63.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.80 FCFA 2,142

$1.25 €1.07

204.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 FCFA 628

$2.16 €1.86

-48.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 FCFA 746

$1.69 €1.45

-21.89%

Eggs

$2.16 FCFA 1,216

$4.93 €4.24

-56.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.28 FCFA 8,049

$17.88 €15.37

-20.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.03 FCFA 3,401

$9.61 €8.26

-37.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.77 FCFA 3,818

$19.34 €16.63

-64.99%

Apples (1kg)

$5.26 FCFA 2,964

$3.24 €2.78

62.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 FCFA 1,189

$2.18 €1.87

-3.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 FCFA 1,225

$2.67 €2.30

-18.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 FCFA 828

$2.77 €2.38

-46.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 FCFA 953

$2.21 €1.90

-23.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 FCFA 810

$2.19 €1.88

-34.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 FCFA 633

$1.52 €1.31

-26.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 FCFA 385

$0.92 €0.79

-26.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.73 FCFA 976

$7.12 €6.12

-75.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.96 FCFA 5,051

$8.14 €6.99

10.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 FCFA 801

$1.50 €1.29

-5.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 FCFA 1,152

$2.78 €2.39

-26.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 FCFA 340

$3.15 €2.71

-80.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.94 FCFA 10.1K

$26.99 €23.21

-33.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 FCFA 359

$3.25 €2.79

-80.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 FCFA 242

$1.50 €1.29

-71.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.23 FCFA 3,514

$34.89 €30.00

-82.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 FCFA 832

$1.75 €1.50

-15.43%

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

$33.6K FCFA 18.9M

$36.7K €31.5K

-8.34%

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

$22.3K FCFA 12.6M

$30.9K €26.6K

-27.97%

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

$82.1 FCFA 46.3K

$188 €161

-56.23%

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

$18.00 FCFA 10.1K

$15.44 €13.27

16.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.9 FCFA 29.8K

$37.80 €32.49

40.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.24 FCFA 13.7K

$57.2 €49.16

-57.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.33 FCFA 4,129

$16.80 €14.44

-56.37%

Cinema Ticket

$8.66 FCFA 4,879

$11.58 €9.95

-25.22%

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

$642 FCFA 361.9K

$1,003 €862

-35.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,469 FCFA 1.4M

$17.0K €14.6K

-85.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.46 FCFA 9,841

$89.2 €76.7

-80.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.15 FCFA 15.9K

$40.87 €35.14

-31.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$26.92 FCFA 15.2K

$110 €94.5

-75.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.6 FCFA 32.5K

$123 €105

-53.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$147 FCFA 82.6K

$1,673 €1,438

-91.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 FCFA 107.6K

$1,331 €1,145

-85.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 FCFA 231.5K

$2,596 €2,232

-84.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$217 FCFA 122.3K

$1,950 €1,676

-88.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$888 FCFA 500.8K

$7,573 €6,511

-88.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$621 FCFA 349.9K

$5,370 €4,617

-88.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$192 FCFA 108.4K

$2,402 €2,065

-91.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

311.39%

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

Last update for Yaounde: August 29, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $147 in Yaounde and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1149% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Yaounde vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $261 vs $332 per month, with Yaounde cheaper across the board.

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 Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yaounde and Barcelona differ by about 201% in total monthly costs ($829 vs $2,495 including rent). Yaounde is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1149% lower in Barcelona. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $147 in Yaounde versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $642 in Yaounde versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $829 in Yaounde versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Yaounde but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Yaounde the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Yaounde and Barcelona are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Yaounde gentler on the wallet – expenses run 201% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.