Cost of Living Comparison Between Yaounde and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Yaounde and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $829 in Yaounde versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,260 in Yaounde versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,690 in Yaounde versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Yaounde costs roughly 64% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Yaounde is 40% below, Lisbon is 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.61 FCFA 2,033

$17.30 €14.87

-79.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.7 FCFA 30.3K

$63.3 €54.4

-15.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 FCFA 2,959

$11.39 €9.79

-53.91%

Cappuccino

$2.04 FCFA 1,150

$3.19 €2.74

-36.05%

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

$1.53 FCFA 860

$2.45 €2.10

-37.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 FCFA 304

$1.76 €1.52

-69.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.24 FCFA 701

$3.59 €3.09

-65.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 FCFA 990

$3.39 €2.92

-48.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.80 FCFA 2,142

$1.24 €1.06

206.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 FCFA 628

$1.98 €1.71

-43.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 FCFA 746

$1.52 €1.31

-13.16%

Eggs

$2.16 FCFA 1,216

$4.04 €3.47

-46.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.28 FCFA 8,049

$13.54 €11.64

5.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.03 FCFA 3,401

$8.39 €7.21

-28.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.77 FCFA 3,818

$18.25 €15.69

-62.90%

Apples (1kg)

$5.26 FCFA 2,964

$2.29 €1.97

129.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 FCFA 1,189

$1.74 €1.50

21.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 FCFA 1,225

$1.86 €1.60

16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 FCFA 828

$2.63 €2.26

-44.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 FCFA 953

$1.92 €1.65

-11.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 FCFA 810

$2.09 €1.80

-31.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 FCFA 633

$1.44 €1.24

-22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 FCFA 385

$0.84 €0.72

-19.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.73 FCFA 976

$6.78 €5.83

-74.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.96 FCFA 5,051

$5.71 €4.91

56.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 FCFA 801

$1.38 €1.18

2.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 FCFA 1,152

$2.22 €1.91

-8.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 FCFA 340

$2.40 €2.06

-75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.94 FCFA 10.1K

$46.78 €40.22

-61.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 FCFA 359

$4.17 €3.59

-84.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 FCFA 242

$1.14 €0.98

-62.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.23 FCFA 3,514

$17.68 €15.20

-64.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 FCFA 832

$2.32 €2.00

-36.21%

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

$33.6K FCFA 18.9M

$35.3K €30.4K

-4.91%

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

$22.3K FCFA 12.6M

$41.4K €35.6K

-46.23%

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

$82.1 FCFA 46.3K

$170 €146

-51.78%

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

$18.00 FCFA 10.1K

$19.34 €16.62

-6.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.9 FCFA 29.8K

$33.64 €28.92

57.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.24 FCFA 13.7K

$48.10 €41.35

-49.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.33 FCFA 4,129

$19.90 €17.11

-63.17%

Cinema Ticket

$8.66 FCFA 4,879

$9.92 €8.53

-12.70%

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

$642 FCFA 361.9K

$717 €617

-10.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,469 FCFA 1.4M

$17.5K €15.0K

-85.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.46 FCFA 9,841

$105 €90.1

-83.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.15 FCFA 15.9K

$46.95 €40.36

-40.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$26.92 FCFA 15.2K

$103 €88.9

-73.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.6 FCFA 32.5K

$124 €107

-53.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$147 FCFA 82.6K

$1,677 €1,441

-91.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 FCFA 107.6K

$1,271 €1,093

-84.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 FCFA 231.5K

$2,985 €2,566

-86.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$217 FCFA 122.3K

$1,992 €1,713

-89.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$888 FCFA 500.8K

$7,826 €6,728

-88.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$621 FCFA 349.9K

$4,658 €4,004

-86.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$192 FCFA 108.4K

$1,583 €1,361

-87.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

243.01%

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

Last update for Yaounde: August 29, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $147 in Yaounde and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 723% 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 $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $261 vs $283 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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yaounde and Lisbon differ by about 179% in total monthly costs ($829 vs $2,316 including rent). Yaounde is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 723% lower in Lisbon. 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 $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $642 in Yaounde versus $717 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $829 in Yaounde versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Yaounde but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. 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 Lisbon 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 179% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.