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: $725 in Yaounde versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,195 in Yaounde versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,665 in Yaounde versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Yaounde is 46% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.87 FCFA 2,747

$15.91 €13.70

-69.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.99 FCFA 24.8K

$64.8 €55.8

-32.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 FCFA 3,272

$10.51 €9.05

-44.81%

Cappuccino

$2.59 FCFA 1,463

$2.87 €2.47

-9.76%

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

$1.48 FCFA 834

$2.24 €1.93

-33.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 FCFA 391

$1.50 €1.29

-54.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 FCFA 661

$3.49 €3.01

-66.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 FCFA 970

$3.88 €3.34

-55.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.83 FCFA 1,600

$1.14 €0.98

148.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 FCFA 558

$1.75 €1.51

-43.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 FCFA 624

$1.76 €1.51

-36.93%

Eggs

$1.83 FCFA 1,034

$3.22 €2.77

-43.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 FCFA 7,881

$13.49 €11.61

3.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.32 FCFA 3,567

$7.91 €6.81

-20.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.98 FCFA 3,374

$15.87 €13.67

-62.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.63 FCFA 2,615

$2.31 €1.99

100.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 FCFA 1,182

$1.70 €1.46

23.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 FCFA 1,162

$2.01 €1.73

2.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 FCFA 672

$2.46 €2.12

-51.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 FCFA 906

$1.84 €1.59

-12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 FCFA 822

$2.00 €1.72

-27.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 FCFA 324

$1.93 €1.66

-70.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 FCFA 562

$0.79 €0.68

26.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.73 FCFA 978

$6.61 €5.69

-73.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 FCFA 4,954

$5.72 €4.93

53.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 FCFA 695

$1.37 €1.18

-10.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 FCFA 906

$2.97 €2.56

-46.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 FCFA 337

$2.37 €2.04

-74.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.76 FCFA 10.0K

$45.56 €39.22

-61.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 FCFA 365

$4.29 €3.69

-84.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 FCFA 215

$0.82 €0.70

-53.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 FCFA 3,158

$18.30 €15.76

-69.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 FCFA 761

$2.06 €1.78

-34.47%

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

$33.1K FCFA 18.7M

$34.3K €29.5K

-3.35%

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

$16.2K FCFA 9.1M

$39.3K €33.8K

-58.87%

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

$79.3 FCFA 44.8K

$148 €127

-46.35%

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

$21.48 FCFA 12.1K

$20.52 €17.67

4.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.79 FCFA 26.4K

$39.61 €34.10

18.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.01 FCFA 14.7K

$47.85 €41.19

-45.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.26 FCFA 4,095

$18.92 €16.29

-61.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.54 FCFA 3,692

$9.18 €7.91

-28.76%

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

$346 FCFA 195.2K

$614 €529

-43.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,832 FCFA 1.0M

$16.0K €13.8K

-88.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.69 FCFA 9,419

$105 €90.1

-84.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.83 FCFA 13.5K

$42.06 €36.21

-43.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$19.67 FCFA 11.1K

$94.0 €80.9

-79.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.2 FCFA 32.9K

$120 €103

-51.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$153 FCFA 86.2K

$1,628 €1,401

-90.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$118 FCFA 66.5K

$1,255 €1,081

-90.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 FCFA 283.7K

$3,030 €2,609

-83.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$256 FCFA 144.6K

$2,020 €1,739

-87.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$887 FCFA 500.5K

$7,800 €6,715

-88.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$626 FCFA 353.4K

$4,273 €3,678

-85.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$189 FCFA 106.8K

$1,603 €1,380

-88.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

57.48%

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

Last update for Yaounde: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $153 in Yaounde and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 748% 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: $44.00 in Yaounde vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $269 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 205% in total monthly costs ($725 vs $2,210 including rent). Yaounde is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 748% less. 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: $153 in Yaounde versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $346 in Yaounde versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $725 in Yaounde versus $2,210 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 205% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.