Bamenda at a glance
- Bamenda is the cheapest of Cameroon's 3 priced cities: $503 a month in essentials, 54% below Douala at $1,100.
- The average net salary of $100 covers that 0.2×.
- 93.2 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at region level.
- PM2.5 averages 29 µg/m³ a year, 6× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 3 Cameroon cities we track, so every row says whether Bamenda is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $503 | $612 | $109 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $35 | $191 | 5.46× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $71 | $147 | 2.07× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $120 | $134 | $14 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $80 | $133 | 1.66× as much |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $215 | $215 | same |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $53 | $18 | 2.94× as much |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $100 | $194 | 1.94× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated September 8, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Bamenda, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $5.32 | $4.43 | $0.89 |
|---|---|---|---|
| McMeal at McDonald's | $6.64 | $6.64 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $1.18 | $1.99 | 1.69× as much |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $1.59 | $1.28 | $0.31 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $1.77 | $1.77 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $1.77 | $1.70 | $0.07 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.65 | $0.65 | same |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $2.95 | $2.95 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $0.83 | $0.83 | same |
| White rice, 1 kg | $2.07 | $2.07 | same |
| Eggs, 12 | $3.07 | $2.13 | 1.44× as much |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $3.84 | $6.20 | 1.61× as much |
| Apples, 1 kg | $2.66 | $4.85 | 1.82× as much |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $0.89 | $2.07 | 2.33× as much |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $1.36 | $1.40 | $0.04 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $3.13 | $3.13 | same |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.54 | $1.54 | same |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.77 | $0.66 | $0.11 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $1.33 | $0.66 | 2.02× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $9.30 | $17.72 | 1.91× as much |
| Taxi start | $0.62 | $0.62 | same |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.62 | $0.62 | same |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.47 | $1.49 | $0.02 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $177.20 | $168.78 | $8.42 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $37.80 | $53.16 | 1.41× as much |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $31.01 | $26.58 | $4.43 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $17.72 | $24.36 | 1.37× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $8.86 | $8.86 | same |
Dating-age sex ratio
Bamenda has 93.2 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (region level). That is the 3rd-highest of 4 Cameroon cities we track. Cameroon's national figure is 99.3, so Bamenda runs 6 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Bamenda ranks against every city we track
Bamenda sits ahead of 99% of the 1009 cities we track on city-centre rent. On women aged 20–39 it is ahead of 82% of 1074. Its weakest measure is salary against local costs, ahead of only 2% of 974.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Bamenda sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Bamenda on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Bamenda beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Bamenda in the research deskOr unlock the Cameroon deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Nzanzu Luvako Mystère, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Data updated