Moving to Cameroon from United States

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from United States to Cameroon — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from United States to Cameroon, you would find that Cameroon is 60.1% cheaper than United States overall. A $75,000 salary in United States would need to be roughly FCFA17,500,000 in Cameroon to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Yaounde averages 84°F vs 62°F in New York City, making it significantly warmer.

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Is Cameroon cheaper than United States?

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 71.1% less

Groceries

pay 36.1% less

Transportation

pay 36.2% less

Housing

pay 75.1% less

Childcare

pay 78.3% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 60.5% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 USD = 585.7 XAF (November 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

What salary do you need in Cameroon?

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 → FCFA17,500,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Cameroon

Calculate with your salary →

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from United States to Cameroon, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
952 ↑ 16% vs 2015

people born in United States live in Cameroon · UN DESA

Who's moving to Cameroon?

Top countries of origin for Cameroon's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How United States and Cameroon stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

US
5.8
CM
6.8
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

US
14.2
CM
10.6

United States generally does better on safety, though Cameroon leads in road traffic deaths.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

US
$13,473
CM
$246
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

US
36.8
CM
1.4

Cameroon generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United States leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

US
14.0
CM
101.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

US
13.6t
CM
0.3t

United States generally does better on environment, though Cameroon leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

US
38.9
CM
2.1
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

US
28.2%
CM
1.6%

United States generally does better on infrastructure, though Cameroon leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

US
4.2%
CM
3.6%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

US
$90,027
CM
$1,972

United States generally does better on employment & economy, though Cameroon leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

US
78.9 yrs
CM
64.0 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

US
5.5
CM
40.2

United States performs better than Cameroon across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Internal Revenue Service (2016), Ministry of Finance (2016), The World Factbook (2010). How we calculate this

Weather in Cameroon vs United States

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

New York City Rain: 49.9 in/yr (1268 mm)
62° / 48°F

Avg. annual high / low

Yaounde Rain: 62.2 in/yr (1580 mm)
84° / 67°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months New York City Yaounde
Jan–Mar 43°/30°F (6°/-1°C) 88°/67°F (31°/19°C)
Apr–Jun 70°/54°F (21°/12°C) 84°/68°F (29°/20°C)
Jul–Sep 81°/66°F (27°/19°C) 81°/66°F (27°/19°C)
Oct–Dec 54°/41°F (12°/5°C) 83°/66°F (28°/19°C)
View all months
Month New York City Yaounde
Jan 38°/27°F (3.5°/-2.8°C) 85°/65°F (29.3°/18.2°C)
Feb 42°/29°F (5.3°/-1.7°C) 87°/68°F (30.6°/20.0°C)
Mar 50°/35°F (9.8°/1.8°C) 92°/68°F (33.4°/19.9°C)
Apr 61°/45°F (16.2°/7.1°C) 85°/68°F (29.5°/20.1°C)
May 71°/54°F (21.6°/12.2°C) 84°/68°F (28.7°/20.1°C)
Jun 79°/64°F (26.3°/17.6°C) 82°/67°F (27.5°/19.3°C)
Jul 84°/69°F (28.9°/20.4°C) 83°/66°F (28.3°/19.0°C)
Aug 83°/68°F (28.1°/19.9°C) 79°/66°F (26.3°/19.0°C)
Sep 75°/61°F (24.0°/16.0°C) 81°/67°F (27.2°/19.6°C)
Oct 64°/50°F (17.7°/10.0°C) 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.9°C)
Nov 54°/42°F (12.1°/5.3°C) 83°/67°F (28.2°/19.2°C)
Dec 43°/32°F (6.1°/0.0°C) 83°/66°F (28.3°/19.1°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service, Direction de la Meteorologie Nationale Direction de la Meteorologie Nationale

Can you move from United States to Cameroon?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States 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.

United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Cameroon

Visa Online (e-Visa)
United States passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to Cameroon.
Cameroon passport

Cameroon passport holder visiting United States

Visa Required
Cameroon passport holders need a visa to enter United States.

Data: 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 United States?

Generally yes: Cameroon runs about 60% cheaper than United States on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to Cameroon?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around FCFA4,375,000 in Cameroon for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Cameroon?

With 2.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Cameroon can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in United States and Cameroon.

Is Cameroon safe for expats?

United States generally does better on safety, though Cameroon leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Cameroon is 6.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 5.8 in United States.

How is healthcare in Cameroon compared to United States?

Cameroon generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United States leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 1.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Cameroon, compared to 36.8 in United States. Cameroon scores 44 on the WHO universal health coverage index (United States: 86).

What's the weather like in Cameroon compared to United States?

The average high temperature in Yaounde is 84°F, compared to 62°F in New York City. Yaounde receives around 62.2 in of rainfall per year, while New York City gets 49.9 in.

What language do they speak in Cameroon?

The official languages in Cameroon are English and French. In United States, the official language is English.

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At a Glance

US CM
Population 341,784,857 29,879,337
Currency United States Dollar ($) CFA Franc BEAC (FCFA)
Languages English English, French
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +1 +237
Time zones 11 1
Emergency number 911 112