Moving to Cameroon from Costa Rica
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Costa Rica to Cameroon — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Costa Rica to Cameroon, you would find that Cameroon is 42.7% cheaper than Costa Rica overall. A CRC34,000,000 salary in Costa Rica would need to be roughly FCFA25,000,000 in Cameroon to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English and French.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Costa Rica to Cameroon.
What does your salary buy?
CRC34,000,000 → FCFA25,000,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Cameroon
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 60.9% less
Groceries
pay 30.3% less
Transportation
pay 35.8% less
Housing
pay 46.7% less
Childcare
pay 59.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 44.4% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Costa Rica to Cameroon.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Cameroon performs significantly better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Cameroon leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Costa Rica generally does better on environment, though Cameroon leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Costa Rica generally does better on infrastructure, though Cameroon leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Costa Rica generally does better on employment & economy, though Cameroon leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Costa Rica performs better than Cameroon across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2018–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Directorate General of Taxation of Costa Rica (2016), Ministry of Finance (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | San Jose | Yaounde |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) | 88°/67°F (31°/19°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) | 84°/68°F (29°/20°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) | 81°/66°F (27°/19°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) | 83°/66°F (28°/19°C) |
View all months
| Month | San Jose | Yaounde |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) | 85°/65°F (29.3°/18.2°C) |
| Feb | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) | 87°/68°F (30.6°/20.0°C) |
| Mar | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) | 92°/68°F (33.4°/19.9°C) |
| Apr | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) | 85°/68°F (29.5°/20.1°C) |
| May | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) | 84°/68°F (28.7°/20.1°C) |
| Jun | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) | 82°/67°F (27.5°/19.3°C) |
| Jul | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) | 83°/66°F (28.3°/19.0°C) |
| Aug | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) | 79°/66°F (26.3°/19.0°C) |
| Sep | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) | 81°/67°F (27.2°/19.6°C) |
| Oct | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) | 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.9°C) |
| Nov | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) | 83°/67°F (28.2°/19.2°C) |
| Dec | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) | 83°/66°F (28.3°/19.1°C) |
Data:
Instituto Meteorológico Nacional,
Direction de la Meteorologie Nationale
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Costa Rica and Cameroon. To live, work, or study long-term in Cameroon, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Cameroon's immigration authority.
Costa Rica passport holder visiting Cameroon
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Cameroon passport holder visiting Costa Rica
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Cameroon than Costa Rica?
Yes — Cameroon is on average about 43% cheaper than Costa Rica. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Cameroon?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly FCFA6,250,000 in Cameroon on a CRC34,000,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Cameroon?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Cameroon has 2.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Cameroon safe for expats?
Cameroon performs significantly better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Cameroon is 6.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 17.8 in Costa Rica.
How is healthcare in Cameroon compared to Costa Rica?
Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Cameroon leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 1.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Cameroon, compared to 26.9 in Costa Rica. Cameroon scores 44 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Costa Rica: 81).
What's the weather like in Cameroon compared to Costa Rica?
The average high temperature in Yaounde is 84°F, compared to 77°F in San Jose. Yaounde receives around 62.2 in of rainfall per year, while San Jose gets 73.5 in.
What language do they speak in Cameroon?
The official languages in Cameroon are English and French. In Costa Rica, the official language is Spanish.
