Douala at a glance
- Douala is the most expensive of Cameroon's 3 priced cities: $1,100 a month in essentials, 119% above Bamenda at $503.
- The average net salary of $233 covers that 0.2×.
- 100.3 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at region level.
- PM2.5 averages 17.5 µg/m³ a year, 4× 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 Douala 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 | $1,100 | $612 | 1.80× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $331 | $191 | 1.73× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $581 | $147 | 3.95× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $146 | $134 | $12 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $253 | $133 | 1.90× as much |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $352 | $215 | 1.64× as much |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $18 | $18 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $233 | $194 | $39 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $561 | ||
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,375 |
Single person, USD. Data updated September 8, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Douala, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $4.43 | $4.43 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $124.04 | ||
| McMeal at McDonald's | $7.09 | $6.64 | $0.45 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $2.17 | $1.99 | $0.18 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $1.24 | $1.28 | $0.04 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $2.66 | $1.77 | 1.50× as much |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $1.70 | $1.70 | same |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.83 | $0.65 | 1.28× as much |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $2.95 | $2.95 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $0.43 | $0.83 | 1.93× as much |
| White rice, 1 kg | $2.29 | $2.07 | $0.22 |
| Eggs, 12 | $1.97 | $2.13 | $0.16 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $23.04 | ||
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $7.98 | $6.20 | 1.29× as much |
| Apples, 1 kg | $4.85 | $4.85 | same |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $2.13 | $2.07 | $0.06 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $1.40 | $1.40 | same |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $3.37 | $3.13 | $0.24 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $2.22 | $1.54 | 1.44× as much |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.66 | $0.66 | same |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.66 | $0.66 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $17.72 | $17.72 | same |
| Taxi start | $0.62 | $0.62 | same |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.89 | $0.62 | 1.44× as much |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.49 | $1.49 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $168.78 | $168.78 | same |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $183.11 | $53.16 | 3.44× as much |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $26.58 | $26.58 | same |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $42.08 | $24.36 | 1.73× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $8.86 | $8.86 | same |
Dating-age sex ratio
Douala has 100.3 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (region level). That is the 2nd-highest of 4 Cameroon cities we track. Cameroon's national figure is 99.3, so Douala runs 1 above the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Douala ranks against every city we track
Douala sits ahead of 49% of the 1074 cities we track on women aged 20–39. On city-centre rent it is ahead of 48% of 1009. Its weakest measure is salary against local costs, ahead of only 3% of 974.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Douala sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Douala on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Douala beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Douala in the research deskOr unlock the Cameroon deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Olivier Charly1, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Data updated