Yaoundé at a glance
- Yaoundé ranks 2nd of 3 priced cities in Cameroon on cost: $612 a month in essentials, 22% above Bamenda, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $194 covers that 0.3×.
- 100.4 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at region level.
- PM2.5 averages 16.8 µg/m³ a year, 3× 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 Yaoundé 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 | $612 | $612 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $191 | $191 | same |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $147 | $147 | same |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $134 | $134 | same |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $133 | $133 | same |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $136 | $215 | 1.58× as much |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $18 | $18 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $194 | $194 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $220 | ||
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $418 |
Single person, USD. Data updated September 8, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Yaoundé, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $3.54 | $4.43 | 1.25× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $53.16 | ||
| McMeal at McDonald's | $5.32 | $6.64 | $1.32 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $1.99 | $1.99 | same |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $1.28 | $1.28 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $1.77 | $1.77 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $1.55 | $1.70 | $0.15 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.55 | $0.65 | $0.10 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $3.74 | $2.95 | 1.27× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.10 | $0.83 | 1.33× as much |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.35 | $2.07 | 1.53× as much |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.13 | $2.13 | same |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $14.18 | ||
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $6.20 | $6.20 | same |
| Apples, 1 kg | $5.32 | $4.85 | $0.47 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $2.07 | $2.07 | same |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $1.44 | $1.40 | $0.04 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.65 | $3.13 | 1.90× as much |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.48 | $1.54 | $0.06 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.66 | $0.66 | same |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.58 | $0.66 | $0.08 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $17.72 | $17.72 | same |
| Taxi start | $0.62 | $0.62 | same |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.44 | $0.62 | 1.41× as much |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.49 | $1.49 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $82.45 | $168.78 | 2.05× as much |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $53.16 | $53.16 | same |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $17.72 | $26.58 | 1.50× as much |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $24.36 | $24.36 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $8.86 | $8.86 | same |
Dating-age sex ratio
Yaoundé has 100.4 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (region level). That is the highest of the 4 Cameroon cities we track. Cameroon's national figure is 99.3, so Yaoundé runs 1 above the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Yaoundé ranks against every city we track
Yaoundé sits ahead of 96% of the 1009 cities we track on city-centre rent. On cost of living it is ahead of 70% of 981. Its weakest measure is salary against local costs, ahead of only 5% of 974.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Yaoundé sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Yaoundé on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Yaoundé beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Yaoundé in the research deskOr unlock the Cameroon deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Mac9, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Data updated