Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yaounde and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Yaounde: $789 a month against $1,351 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Yaounde
Learn more

Yaounde Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
Learn more

Bucharest Living Index

Jump to prices

Yaounde

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$789

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Yaounde and in Bucharest

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 Bucharest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $789 in Yaounde versus $1,351 in Bucharest.

Yaounde $789
Bucharest $1,351

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,225 in Yaounde versus $2,033 in Bucharest.

Yaounde $1,225
Bucharest $2,033

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,661 in Yaounde versus $2,715 in Bucharest.

Yaounde $1,661
Bucharest $2,715

Living in Yaounde costs roughly 42% less than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Yaounde is 41% below, Bucharest is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.51 FCFA 2,051

$14.46 RON 68.4

-75.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.5 FCFA 29.5K

$57.7 RON 273

-12.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.22 FCFA 3,053

$7.50 RON 35.46

-30.40%

Cappuccino

$1.96 FCFA 1,145

$3.43 RON 16.20

-42.86%

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

$1.53 FCFA 898

$2.46 RON 11.63

-37.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 FCFA 318

$2.33 RON 11.01

-76.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.27 FCFA 744

$3.80 RON 17.97

-66.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 FCFA 1,014

$4.10 RON 19.41

-57.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.66 FCFA 2,143

$1.65 RON 7.79

121.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 FCFA 638

$1.35 RON 6.39

-19.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 FCFA 772

$1.78 RON 8.42

-25.84%

Eggs

$2.10 FCFA 1,228

$3.66 RON 17.33

-42.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 FCFA 7,923

$8.57 RON 40.54

57.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.16 FCFA 3,605

$6.80 RON 32.17

-9.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 FCFA 3,919

$11.72 RON 55.4

-42.83%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 FCFA 3,037

$1.29 RON 6.11

302.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 FCFA 1,178

$1.56 RON 7.37

28.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 FCFA 1,180

$1.54 RON 7.28

31.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 FCFA 803

$2.48 RON 11.75

-44.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 FCFA 960

$0.83 RON 3.92

97.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 FCFA 847

$0.80 RON 3.77

81.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 FCFA 635

$0.84 RON 3.98

29.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 FCFA 388

$0.93 RON 4.39

-29.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.68 FCFA 981

$6.44 RON 30.45

-73.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.32 FCFA 4,869

$6.32 RON 29.91

31.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 FCFA 803

$1.26 RON 5.94

8.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 FCFA 1,146

$1.60 RON 7.59

22.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 FCFA 339

$0.81 RON 3.85

-28.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.43 FCFA 10.2K

$21.13 RON 99.9

-17.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 FCFA 343

$0.60 RON 2.86

-1.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 FCFA 262

$0.61 RON 2.91

-26.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.06 FCFA 3,546

$6.17 RON 29.19

-1.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 FCFA 826

$1.96 RON 9.27

-28.06%

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

$32.4K FCFA 19.0M

$28.1K RON 133.1K

15.27%

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

$21.3K FCFA 12.5M

$26.3K RON 124.3K

-19.01%

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

$80.3 FCFA 47.0K

$197 RON 931

-59.21%

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

$17.09 FCFA 9,997

$8.34 RON 39.44

104.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.9 FCFA 30.4K

$9.19 RON 43.47

464.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.33 FCFA 13.6K

$49.87 RON 236

-53.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.27 FCFA 4,251

$24.99 RON 118

-70.91%

Cinema Ticket

$8.59 FCFA 5,025

$8.46 RON 40.01

1.54%

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

$610 FCFA 357.1K

$639 RON 3,023

-4.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,355 FCFA 1.4M

$14.4K RON 68.1K

-83.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.95 FCFA 9,915

$90.6 RON 429

-81.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.00 FCFA 15.8K

$38.05 RON 180

-29.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$25.98 FCFA 15.2K

$79.7 RON 377

-67.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.7 FCFA 32.6K

$93.2 RON 441

-40.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$140 FCFA 81.9K

$673 RON 3,184

-79.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$185 FCFA 108.2K

$449 RON 2,123

-58.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$409 FCFA 239.5K

$1,098 RON 5,195

-62.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$211 FCFA 123.2K

$729 RON 3,448

-71.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$847 FCFA 495.6K

$3,740 RON 17.7K

-77.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$593 FCFA 347.2K

$2,189 RON 10.4K

-72.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$190 FCFA 111.1K

$1,323 RON 6,259

-85.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

92.88%

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

Last update for Yaounde: October 4, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Yaounde

$253 32%

Bucharest

$222 16.5% 12.4% $32

Accommodation & Living

Yaounde

$185 23.3%

Bucharest

$449 33.5% 143% $264

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yaounde

$149 18.8%

Bucharest

$214 16% 43.6% $65

Eating Out

Yaounde

$85 10.8%

Bucharest

$226 16.8% 165% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Yaounde

$57 7.1%

Bucharest

$136 10.1% 140% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Yaounde

$41 5.1%

Bucharest

$67 5% 64.9% $26

Getting Around

Yaounde

$23 2.9%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 24.3% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $140 in Yaounde and $673 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 597% 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: $50.0 in Yaounde vs $58.0 in Bucharest. Groceries flip the comparison at $253 vs $222, with Bucharest cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇲 Yaounde

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

07:13 7:13 AM

09:13 9:13 AM

2 h ahead of Yaounde

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,817,524 Capital

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to XAF – Central African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 Central African CFA Franc (Fr)

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

USD to XAF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Yaounde Bucharest 4,730 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Yaounde
Bucharest

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 Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yaounde and Bucharest differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($789 vs $1,351 including rent). Yaounde is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 597% lower in Bucharest. 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: $140 in Yaounde versus $673 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $789 per month in Yaounde versus $1,351 in Bucharest – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Yaounde runs roughly 21% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $789 in Yaounde versus $1,351 in Bucharest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Yaounde but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. 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.

Expats usually find Yaounde gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.