Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yaounde and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Yaounde: $789 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Yaounde
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Yaounde Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Yaounde

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$789

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Yaounde and in Cape Town

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

A single person spends $789 per month in Yaounde vs $1,568 in Cape Town, rent included.

Yaounde $789
Cape Town $1,568

A couple spends around $1,225 per month in Yaounde vs $2,438 in Cape Town, rent included.

Yaounde $1,225
Cape Town $2,438

A family of three spends $1,661 per month in Yaounde vs $3,307 in Cape Town, rent included.

Yaounde $1,661
Cape Town $3,307

Yaounde is about 50% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Yaounde sits 41% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.51 FCFA 2,051

$11.78 R 194

-70.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.5 FCFA 29.5K

$46.55 R 768

8.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.22 FCFA 3,053

$5.96 R 98.4

-12.42%

Cappuccino

$1.96 FCFA 1,145

$2.47 R 40.80

-20.65%

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

$1.53 FCFA 898

$1.33 R 21.91

15.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 FCFA 318

$1.03 R 16.99

-47.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.27 FCFA 744

$3.01 R 49.72

-57.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 FCFA 1,014

$3.66 R 60.4

-52.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.66 FCFA 2,143

$1.39 R 22.96

163.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 FCFA 638

$1.19 R 19.60

-8.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 FCFA 772

$2.11 R 34.84

-37.44%

Eggs

$2.10 FCFA 1,228

$3.01 R 49.58

-30.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 FCFA 7,923

$8.96 R 148

51.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.16 FCFA 3,605

$6.65 R 110

-7.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 FCFA 3,919

$9.29 R 153

-27.88%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 FCFA 3,037

$1.83 R 30.13

183.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 FCFA 1,178

$1.90 R 31.31

5.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 FCFA 1,180

$1.75 R 28.83

15.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 FCFA 803

$2.09 R 34.41

-34.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 FCFA 960

$1.55 R 25.64

5.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 FCFA 847

$1.49 R 24.53

-2.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 FCFA 635

$1.30 R 21.41

-16.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 FCFA 388

$1.16 R 19.19

-43.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.68 FCFA 981

$3.71 R 61.2

-54.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.32 FCFA 4,869

$6.06 R 100

37.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 FCFA 803

$1.39 R 22.85

-1.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 FCFA 1,146

$2.20 R 36.32

-10.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 FCFA 339

$1.51 R 24.98

-61.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.43 FCFA 10.2K

$61.0 R 1,006

-71.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 FCFA 343

$0.63 R 10.33

-6.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 FCFA 262

$1.53 R 25.29

-70.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.06 FCFA 3,546

$4.81 R 79.4

25.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 FCFA 826

$1.58 R 26.08

-10.76%

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

$32.4K FCFA 19.0M

$35.5K R 585.7K

-8.59%

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

$21.3K FCFA 12.5M

$31.7K R 523.8K

-32.94%

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

$80.3 FCFA 47.0K

$116 R 1,920

-31.01%

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

$17.09 FCFA 9,997

$28.37 R 468

-39.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.9 FCFA 30.4K

$40.69 R 671

27.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.33 FCFA 13.6K

$48.85 R 806

-52.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.27 FCFA 4,251

$11.13 R 184

-34.68%

Cinema Ticket

$8.59 FCFA 5,025

$8.83 R 146

-2.72%

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

$610 FCFA 357.1K

$261 R 4,314

133.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,355 FCFA 1.4M

$6,702 R 110.6K

-64.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.95 FCFA 9,915

$55.4 R 914

-69.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.00 FCFA 15.8K

$32.27 R 532

-16.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$25.98 FCFA 15.2K

$118 R 1,939

-77.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.7 FCFA 32.6K

$107 R 1,766

-47.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$140 FCFA 81.9K

$1,015 R 16.7K

-86.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$185 FCFA 108.2K

$715 R 11.8K

-74.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$409 FCFA 239.5K

$1,801 R 29.7K

-77.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$211 FCFA 123.2K

$1,330 R 22.0K

-84.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$847 FCFA 495.6K

$2,331 R 38.5K

-63.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$593 FCFA 347.2K

$1,513 R 25.0K

-60.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$190 FCFA 111.1K

$1,636 R 27.0K

-88.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

18.51%

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

Last update for Yaounde: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Yaounde

$253 32%

Cape Town

$222 14.1% 12.2% $31

Accommodation & Living

Yaounde

$185 23.3%

Cape Town

$715 45.3% 287% $530

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yaounde

$149 18.8%

Cape Town

$185 11.7% 24.2% $36

Eating Out

Yaounde

$85 10.8%

Cape Town

$174 11% 104% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Yaounde

$57 7.1%

Cape Town

$141 8.9% 149% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Yaounde

$41 5.1%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 64.2% $26

Getting Around

Yaounde

$23 2.9%

Cape Town

$75 4.8% 234% $53

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $140 in Yaounde versus $1,015 in Cape Town. 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 761% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Yaounde versus $47.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $253 vs $222 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇲 Yaounde

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

03:26 3:26 AM

04:26 4:26 AM

1 h ahead of Yaounde

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,817,524 Capital

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, 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).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to XAF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Yaounde Cape Town 4,260 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Yaounde
Cape Town

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 Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 99% more than Yaounde, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,183 per month in Yaounde and $2,352 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yaounde, 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 $789 in Yaounde and $1,568 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 99%.

Public transport costs about 250% less in Yaounde. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Yaounde, where all-in costs run around $789, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Yaounde it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Yaounde costs $789 versus $1,568 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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