Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yaounde and Penrith

For one person, living is cheaper in Yaounde: $782 a month against $2,604 in Penrith, rent and utilities included – about $21,900 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
122

Cost of Living Index in Penrith
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Penrith Living Index

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Yaounde

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$782

/mo nomad

Penrith

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,604

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Yaounde and in Penrith

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

A single person spends $782 per month in Yaounde vs $2,604 in Penrith, rent included.

Yaounde $782
Penrith $2,604

A couple spends around $1,206 per month in Yaounde vs $3,652 in Penrith, rent included.

Yaounde $1,206
Penrith $3,652

A family of three spends $1,629 per month in Yaounde vs $4,701 in Penrith, rent included.

Yaounde $1,629
Penrith $4,701

Yaounde is about 70% cheaper than Penrith, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Yaounde sits 42% below the global median, while Penrith is 93% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.50 FCFA 2,040

$21.03 A$30.26

-83.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.7 FCFA 29.6K

$89.7 A$129

-43.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 FCFA 2,896

$10.56 A$15.19

-52.94%

Cappuccino

$1.87 FCFA 1,089

$2.04 A$2.93

-8.33%

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

$1.46 FCFA 854

$3.16 A$4.54

-53.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 FCFA 324

$2.56 A$3.69

-78.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 FCFA 698

$8.57 A$12.33

-86.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 FCFA 980

$4.96 A$7.14

-66.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.62 FCFA 2,109

$1.57 A$2.26

130.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 FCFA 602

$3.32 A$4.78

-68.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 FCFA 743

$2.54 A$3.65

-50.00%

Eggs

$2.02 FCFA 1,179

$5.16 A$7.42

-60.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.86 FCFA 8,080

$13.08 A$18.82

5.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.02 FCFA 3,509

$9.74 A$14.02

-38.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.42 FCFA 3,744

$15.40 A$22.16

-58.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.97 FCFA 2,899

$3.93 A$5.65

26.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 FCFA 1,139

$3.08 A$4.43

-36.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 FCFA 1,159

$3.50 A$5.04

-43.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 FCFA 786

$5.31 A$7.65

-74.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 FCFA 952

$3.17 A$4.56

-48.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 FCFA 813

$2.80 A$4.02

-50.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 FCFA 654

$2.48 A$3.57

-54.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 FCFA 381

$1.34 A$1.93

-51.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.68 FCFA 982

$45.42 A$65.4

-96.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.25 FCFA 4,808

$14.07 A$20.24

-41.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 FCFA 772

$4.62 A$6.65

-71.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 FCFA 1,132

$5.64 A$8.11

-65.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 FCFA 305

$3.17 A$4.57

-83.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.19 FCFA 10.0K

$78.5 A$113

-78.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.62 FCFA 363

$4.11 A$5.92

-84.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 FCFA 261

$1.57 A$2.26

-71.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.87 FCFA 3,422

$42.63 A$61.3

-86.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 FCFA 848

$1.18 A$1.70

23.73%

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

$32.6K FCFA 19.0M

$27.1K A$39.0K

20.20%

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

$21.2K FCFA 12.4M

$30.0K A$43.2K

-29.37%

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

$80.1 FCFA 46.7K

$183 A$263

-56.15%

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

$17.16 FCFA 10.0K

$26.16 A$37.65

-34.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.3 FCFA 29.9K

$55.4 A$79.7

-7.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.85 FCFA 13.9K

$51.0 A$73.4

-53.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.93 FCFA 4,041

$17.66 A$25.42

-60.76%

Cinema Ticket

$8.32 FCFA 4,849

$15.88 A$22.86

-47.61%

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

$615 FCFA 358.4K

$2,390 A$3,439

-74.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,333 FCFA 1.4M

$19.9K A$28.7K

-88.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.75 FCFA 9,767

$75.3 A$108

-77.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.41 FCFA 16.0K

$56.1 A$80.8

-51.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$25.17 FCFA 14.7K

$108 A$155

-76.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.8 FCFA 32.6K

$134 A$193

-58.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$142 FCFA 83.0K

$1,371 A$1,973

-89.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$183 FCFA 106.7K

$1,289 A$1,855

-85.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 FCFA 238.1K

$2,142 A$3,082

-80.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$208 FCFA 121.2K

$1,686 A$2,427

-87.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$855 FCFA 498.8K

$4,992 A$7,184

-82.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$589 FCFA 343.7K

$4,361 A$6,275

-86.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$185 FCFA 107.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.95

118.49%

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

Last update for Yaounde: October 11, 2026

Last update for Penrith: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Yaounde

$249 31.8%

Penrith

$396 15.2% 59.2% $147

Accommodation & Living

Yaounde

$183 23.4%

Penrith

$1.3K 49.5% 604% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yaounde

$149 19%

Penrith

$264 10.2% 77.9% $116

Eating Out

Yaounde

$83 10.6%

Penrith

$300 11.5% 263% $217

Clothing & Footwear

Yaounde

$56 7.2%

Penrith

$168 6.5% 198% $112

Sport & Entertainment

Yaounde

$40 5.2%

Penrith

$83 3.2% 104% $42

Getting Around

Yaounde

$22 2.8%

Penrith

$103 4% 366% $81

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $142 in Yaounde versus $1,371 in Penrith. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Yaounde versus $90.0 in Penrith. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $396 – making Yaounde the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇲 Yaounde

🇦🇺 Penrith

🕒 Local time

00:08 12:08 AM

10:08 10:08 AM

10 h ahead of Yaounde

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,817,524 Capital

13,343

💱 Currency

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 583 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to XAF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Yaounde Penrith 14,640 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Yaounde
Penrith

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 Penrith: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Penrith costs about 233% 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 $1,173 per month in Yaounde and $3,905 in Penrith. 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.

Public transport costs about 356% less in Yaounde. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $615 per month in Yaounde and $2,390 in Penrith. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Yaounde, where all-in costs run around $782, than in Penrith at $2,604. In Yaounde it covers expenses comfortably, while in Penrith it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Yaounde – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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