Authored by the expert who managed and guided the team behind the Cameroon Property Pack
Everything you need to know before buying real estate is included in our Cameroon Property Pack
Cameroon offers a surprisingly diverse property market, from bustling Douala apartments to beachfront plots in Kribi, but knowing what you can actually buy at each budget level is essential before you start looking.
In this guide, we break down current housing prices in Cameroon for 2026, covering everything from $100k starter properties to $500k premium homes, with real neighborhood examples and honest cost estimates.
We constantly update this blog post to reflect the latest market conditions, exchange rates, and regulatory changes in Cameroon.
And if you're planning to buy a property in this place, you may want to download our pack covering the real estate market in Cameroon.
What can I realistically buy with $100k in Cameroon right now?
Are there any decent properties for $100k in Cameroon, or is it all scams?
Yes, there are decent properties available for around $100,000 (approximately 56 million XAF) in Cameroon, typically a 1 to 2 bedroom apartment in Douala or Yaounde, though you need to be extremely careful about title verification since most scams in Cameroon cluster around untitled land or properties lacking a proper "titre foncier."
For the best value and most legitimate options at this budget, neighborhoods like Bonamoussadi, Makepe, Logpom, and Nyalla in Douala, or Odza, Emana, and Ekounou in Yaounde tend to offer more space for your money while still having access to titled properties that can be properly verified through MINDCAF (the Ministry of State Property, Surveys and Land Tenure).
Buying in popular or upscale areas like Bonapriso in Douala or Bastos in Yaounde for $100k is technically possible, but you would be limited to very small older apartments, distressed sales, or units with significant compromises like no elevator, unreliable water, or questionable building management.
What property types can I afford for $100k in Cameroon (studio, land, old house)?
For $100,000 (around 56 million XAF) in Cameroon, you can realistically afford a 1-bedroom or compact 2-bedroom apartment in Douala or Yaounde's non-prime neighborhoods, a larger 2 to 3 bedroom unit in secondary cities like Buea, Limbe, or Bafoussam, a plot of land on the outskirts, or an older house further from city centers.
At this price point in Cameroon, expect properties that need some work, since construction costs run about 1 million XAF per square meter (roughly $1,700 per sqm), so anything priced significantly below that benchmark is usually older, smaller, located further out, or comes with documentation issues that need resolving.
For long-term value at the $100k level in Cameroon, titled apartments in Douala or Yaounde tend to offer the best combination of legal security and resale liquidity, while land purchases can be cheaper but require extra diligence on title status and the MINDCAF authorization process for foreign buyers.
What's a realistic budget to get a comfortable property in Cameroon as of 2026?
As of early 2026, a realistic minimum budget to get a comfortable property in Cameroon starts around $150,000 (approximately 84 million XAF or 140,000 EUR) if you are targeting Douala or Yaounde, though secondary cities like Buea or Limbe can offer comfort starting from $80,000 to $100,000.
Most buyers looking for a comfortable standard in Cameroon's main cities typically need between $150,000 and $250,000 (84 to 140 million XAF, or 140,000 to 230,000 EUR) to secure a 2-bedroom apartment with reliable building services, good water and power backup, and clean title documentation.
In Cameroon, "comfortable" generally means a property with consistent water supply (often requiring a tank and pump system), reliable electricity backup (generator or inverter), proper security, and quality finishes that do not require immediate renovation, typically in a building with functioning common areas and clear legal status.
Budget requirements in Cameroon can vary dramatically by neighborhood, with prime areas like Bonapriso in Douala or Bastos in Yaounde requiring $250,000 or more for comfort, while neighborhoods like Bonamoussadi or Odza offer similar comfort levels for $150,000 to $200,000.
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What can I get with a $200k budget in Cameroon as of 2026?
What "normal" homes become available at $200k in Cameroon as of 2026?
As of early 2026, a $200,000 budget (approximately 112 million XAF) in Cameroon opens up access to solid 2-bedroom apartments in good neighborhoods of Douala like Bonamoussadi or Makepe, and in Yaounde you can reach areas closer to the expat belt with similar configurations, often in buildings with better services like elevators, generators, and security.
For this budget in Cameroon, expect apartment sizes typically ranging from 80 to 140 square meters (860 to 1,500 square feet), depending on the neighborhood and building quality, with newer constructions in mid-market areas offering the best combination of space and amenities.
By the way, we have much more granular data about housing prices in our property pack about Cameroon.
What places are the smartest $200k buys in Cameroon as of 2026?
As of early 2026, the smartest $200,000 buys in Cameroon tend to be in Bonamoussadi and Makepe in Douala (strong rental demand and reasonable pricing), Odza and Nsimeyong in Yaounde (good residential profiles with growth potential), and Kribi or Limbe for coastal properties with tourism-driven rental income.
These areas in Cameroon represent smarter buys because they offer better title clarity, stronger rental demand from both locals and expatriates, and more predictable resale liquidity compared to cheaper neighborhoods where documentation issues are more common and buyer pools are smaller.
The main growth factor driving value in these Cameroon neighborhoods is a combination of expanding middle-class housing demand, proximity to employment centers like the Douala port and Yaounde administrative districts, and improved infrastructure that makes these areas more accessible without the premium pricing of diplomatic zones.
We have made this infographic to give you a quick and clear snapshot of the property market in Cameroon. It highlights key facts like rental prices, yields, and property costs both in city centers and outside, so you can easily compare opportunities. We’ve done some research and also included useful insights about the country’s economy, like GDP, population, and interest rates, to help you understand the bigger picture.
What can I buy with $300k in Cameroon in 2026?
What quality upgrade do I get at $300k in Cameroon in 2026?
As of early 2026, moving from $200,000 to $300,000 (approximately 168 million XAF) in Cameroon means you are paying for reliability and consistent services rather than just extra space, including newer buildings with functional elevators, working generators, proper parking, active security, and better water systems.
Yes, $300,000 can definitely buy a property in a newer building in Cameroon, particularly in Douala neighborhoods like Bonapriso-adjacent areas or strong mid-market zones, and in Yaounde where newer apartment stock is easier to find outside the tightest Bastos core.
At this $300k budget level in Cameroon, you typically gain access to higher-quality finishes like modern kitchens and bathrooms, better humidity control (critical in Douala's tropical climate), more reliable building management, and sometimes amenities like shared pools or fitness areas in upscale developments.
Can $300k buy a 2-bedroom in Cameroon in 2026 in good areas?
As of early 2026, yes, $300,000 (168 million XAF) can comfortably buy a 2-bedroom property in good areas of Cameroon, and in fact this budget opens up most desirable neighborhoods in both Douala and Yaounde except for the very top-tier streets.
Specific good areas in Cameroon where $300k secures a quality 2-bedroom include Bonapriso in Douala (more consistently accessible at this level), Nlongkak and edges of Bastos in Yaounde, and strong residential zones like Nsimeyong where demand remains stable.
A $300,000 2-bedroom apartment in Cameroon typically offers between 90 and 150 square meters (970 to 1,600 square feet), with the variation depending on whether you prioritize a prime address with slightly less space or a good-but-not-premium location with more generous sizing.
Which places become "accessible" at $300k in Cameroon as of 2026?
At the $300,000 price point in Cameroon, upper-tier neighborhoods become realistically accessible, including Bonapriso in Douala (consistently rather than just occasionally), edges of Bastos in Yaounde, and central areas like Nlongkak where demand from professionals and expatriates keeps values stable.
These newly accessible areas in Cameroon are more desirable because they offer better infrastructure reliability, proximity to international schools and diplomatic facilities, more established building management practices, and a stronger pool of potential tenants or future buyers compared to mid-market zones.
For $300,000 in these Cameroonian neighborhoods, buyers can typically expect a well-maintained 2 to 3 bedroom apartment in a "bon standing" building with services, or occasionally a smaller unit in the most prestigious micro-locations where addresses carry significant resale value.
By the way, we've written a blog article detailing what are the current best areas to invest in property in Cameroon.
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What does a $500k budget unlock in Cameroon in 2026?
What's the typical size and location for $500k in Cameroon in 2026?
As of early 2026, a $500,000 budget (approximately 280 million XAF) in Cameroon typically buys either a high-quality large apartment of 150 to 200 square meters (1,600 to 2,150 square feet) in a prime city district like Bonapriso or Bastos, or a family house with land in strong residential zones slightly outside the tightest premium pockets.
Yes, $500,000 can buy a family home with outdoor space in Cameroon, more commonly by targeting Yaounde (where houses with gardens are easier to find than in dense Douala), the outskirts of Douala with a space-versus-commute trade-off, or lifestyle destinations like Kribi and Limbe where larger plots are available.
At the $500k level in Cameroon, buyers typically access 3 to 4 bedroom properties with 2 to 3 bathrooms, often including features like dedicated parking, private outdoor space or balconies, staff quarters in houses, and high-quality finishes throughout.
Finally, please note that we cover all the housing price data in Cameroon here.
Which "premium" neighborhoods open up at $500k in Cameroon in 2026?
At the $500,000 price point in Cameroon, truly premium neighborhoods become comfortably accessible, including Bonapriso in Douala (the city's most prestigious residential area), some options around Bonanjo (Douala's historic business district), and much more serious access to Bastos and surrounding streets in Yaounde.
These Cameroon neighborhoods are considered premium because they offer the best infrastructure reliability in the country, proximity to embassies and international organizations, established security, mature landscaping, and a concentration of high-quality buildings with professional management and consistent services.
For $500,000 in these premium Cameroonian neighborhoods, buyers can realistically expect a spacious 3-bedroom apartment in a top-tier building, a smaller duplex or villa in some locations, or a generous 2-bedroom in the absolute best addresses where future resale value is strongest.
We did some research and made this infographic to help you quickly compare rental yields of the major cities in Cameroon versus those in neighboring countries. It provides a clear view of how this country positions itself as a real estate investment destination, which might interest you if you’re planning to invest there.
What counts as "luxury" in Cameroon in 2026?
At what amount does "luxury" start in Cameroon right now?
In Cameroon, luxury real estate generally starts around $600,000 to $700,000 (335 to 390 million XAF, or 560,000 to 650,000 EUR), which is where you begin seeing prime addresses combined with high-end finishes, reliable building services, and features like pools, gyms, and premium security systems.
Entry-level luxury in Cameroon typically means a property in Bonapriso or Bastos with imported finishes, backup power systems that handle full loads, professional building management, covered parking, and sometimes shared amenities, all in buildings where maintenance is consistent and common areas are well-kept.
Compared to other African markets, Cameroon's luxury threshold is lower than cities like Lagos or Nairobi where $1 million is often the starting point, but higher than some smaller regional capitals, reflecting Cameroon's position as Central Africa's largest economy with a established expatriate community.
Mid-tier luxury in Cameroon runs from about $800,000 to $1.2 million (450 to 670 million XAF, or 740,000 to 1.1 million EUR), while top-tier luxury properties, including large villas and duplexes in the best streets of Bonapriso, often list at $1.5 million and above (840 million XAF or more).
Which areas are truly high-end in Cameroon right now?
The truly high-end areas in Cameroon are concentrated in Bonapriso and specific micro-streets within Bonanjo in Douala, plus Bastos and select adjacent pockets in Yaounde, with some luxury-tier beachfront properties emerging in Kribi though infrastructure there remains more variable.
These Cameroon neighborhoods are considered truly high-end because they host embassies, international organization headquarters, and the residences of senior diplomats and executives, which creates demand for security, services, and property standards that other areas simply do not match.
The typical buyer profile for high-end areas in Cameroon includes senior expatriate executives, diplomatic personnel, successful business owners with international connections, and diaspora Cameroonians returning with foreign-earned capital who want turnkey properties with no compromises on security, services, or legal clarity.
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How much does it really cost to buy, beyond the price, in Cameroon in 2026?
What are the total closing costs in Cameroon in 2026 as a percentage?
As of early 2026, total closing costs for buying property in Cameroon run approximately 12% to 15% of the purchase price, with the World Bank Doing Business benchmark specifically citing 13.7% as a realistic estimate for standard transactions.
The realistic range in Cameroon covers most standard transactions, with simpler deals sometimes coming in around 12% and more complex purchases (especially those involving foreign buyers requiring MINDCAF authorization) potentially reaching 15% or slightly higher.
The main fee categories making up these Cameroon closing costs include the property transaction tax at 10% (the biggest component), land registry and title transfer fees at around 2%, and notary fees that follow a sliding scale starting higher for smaller transactions and dropping to 0.5% for properties above 50 million XAF.
To avoid hidden costs and bad surprises, you can check our our pack covering the property buying process in Cameroon.
How much are notary, registration, and legal fees in Cameroon in 2026?
As of early 2026, notary, registration, and legal fees in Cameroon typically total between 2.5% and 4.5% of the purchase price depending on property value, which for a $200,000 property (112 million XAF) means approximately $5,000 to $9,000 (2.8 to 5 million XAF, or 4,600 to 8,300 EUR).
In Cameroon, these fees break down as follows: notary fees run from 0.5% for properties above 50 million XAF up to 4.5% for smaller purchases under 3 million XAF, while land registry transfer fees are typically around 2% of the property value.
The most expensive single fee in this category for Cameroon property purchases is usually the land registry transfer at 2%, though for smaller properties the notary fees can actually exceed the registry costs due to the sliding scale that charges higher percentages on lower-value transactions.
What annual property taxes should I expect in Cameroon in 2026?
As of early 2026, annual property tax in Cameroon is set at 0.1% of the assessed property value, which for a $200,000 property (112 million XAF) means approximately $200 per year (112,000 XAF, or about 185 EUR), though actual amounts depend on how local authorities assess your specific property.
This 0.1% annual rate in Cameroon is relatively low compared to many other markets, though what you actually pay depends on whether your property is fully registered in the formal system, how the local assessment values your property, and enforcement dynamics in your specific area.
Property taxes in Cameroon can vary based on property type and location, with formally titled properties in major cities like Douala and Yaounde more likely to be assessed and collected consistently, while properties in smaller towns or those with unclear documentation may face different treatment.
There are no widely publicized exemptions for foreign property owners in Cameroon, though specific situations involving diplomatic status or certain investment incentives may qualify for different treatment, which should be verified with a local tax professional.
You can find the list of all property taxes, costs and fees when buying in Cameroon here.
Is mortgage a viable option for foreigners in Cameroon right now?
For most foreign individual buyers in Cameroon, mortgage financing is not the typical path, with cash purchases or offshore financing being more realistic since Cameroon's housing finance market is relatively narrow and documentation requirements can be challenging for non-residents.
When mortgages are available in Cameroon, typical loan-to-value ratios tend to be conservative (often 50% to 70%), and interest rates hover around 6% according to recent data from Credit Foncier du Cameroun, the country's main housing finance institution, though terms for foreigners are usually less favorable.
To qualify for a mortgage in Cameroon, foreign buyers typically need strong documentable income, an established local banking relationship, proof of residence or employment in Cameroon, and the property itself must have clear title documentation that can serve as collateral acceptable to local lenders.
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We made this infographic to show you how property prices in Cameroon compare to other big cities across the region. It breaks down the average price per square meter in city centers, so you can see how cities stack up. It’s an easy way to spot where you might get the best value for your money. We hope you like it.
What should I predict for resale and growth in Cameroon in 2026?
What property types resell fastest in Cameroon in 2026?
As of early 2026, titled apartments in Douala and Yaounde with clean documentation and consistent building services resell fastest in Cameroon, particularly 1 to 2 bedroom units in high-demand neighborhoods where the buyer pool is largest and verification processes are straightforward.
Typical time on market in Cameroon for a well-priced, clearly titled apartment in Douala or Yaounde runs about 3 to 6 months, while houses with land take 6 to 12 months or longer, and anything with title ambiguity can remain stuck indefinitely until documentation issues are resolved.
In Cameroon specifically, properties resell faster when they have a recent certificate of ownership that can be verified at the land registry, are located near employment centers like the Douala port or Yaounde administrative districts, and are sized for the local middle-class buyer pool rather than the smaller luxury segment.
The slowest properties to resell in Cameroon are typically large villas in premium areas (limited buyer pool at high price points), land without clear titre foncier (title verification issues freeze transactions), and properties in neighborhoods with weaker infrastructure where buyers prefer to rent rather than commit to ownership.
If you're interested, we cover all the best exit strategies in our real estate pack about Cameroon.
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What sources have we used to write this blog article?
Whether it's in our blog articles or the market analyses included in our property pack about Cameroon, we always rely on the strongest methodology we can, and we don't throw out numbers at random.
We also aim to be fully transparent, so below we've listed the authoritative sources we used, and explained how we used them and the methods behind our estimates.
| Source | Why It's Authoritative | How We Used It |
|---|---|---|
| World Bank Doing Business | Global institution with standardized methodology for cross-country comparison. | We used it to estimate total property transfer costs and timelines in Cameroon. We also referenced its notary fee schedule and land registry percentages as baselines. |
| MINDCAF (Cameroon Ministry of State Property) | The official government ministry administering land tenure procedures. | We used it to answer what foreigners can legally buy and what approvals are required. We also used it to ground our guidance on title verification and scam avoidance. |
| Cameroon DGI (Tax Authority) | The official tax administration for Cameroon. | We used it to confirm the existence and administration of annual property tax. We paired it with other sources to estimate likely tax rates buyers will face. |
| PwC Tax Summaries | Globally recognized professional tax reference with regular updates. | We used it to quantify the annual property tax rate of 0.1% in Cameroon. We triangulated it with DGI sources for reliability. |
| Housing Finance Africa | Specialist housing finance institution compiling country dashboards with cited data. | We used it for macro benchmarks including median house prices and construction costs per square meter. We used it to keep budget examples realistic for 2026. |
| KPMG Cameroon Tax Summary | Top-tier professional services firm with consistent statutory rate reporting. | We used it to cross-check the 10% transfer duty against World Bank data. We used it as independent confirmation of the biggest closing cost component. |
| European Central Bank | Official central bank source for EUR exchange rates. | We used it to convert USD budgets into XAF via the EUR peg. We expressed all budgets in both USD and CFA for practical local shopping. |
| Banque de France (CFA Peg) | Official central bank reference describing the CFA franc peg framework. | We used it to justify using EUR as the bridge currency for conversion. We used it to keep USD to XAF rate estimates consistent and reproducible. |
| CoinAfrique Cameroon | Large regional marketplace showing live asking prices and property attributes. | We used it only as illustrative examples of what listings look like in specific neighborhoods. We never treated it as definitive market averages. |
| Cameroon Ministry of Justice | Official government portal for legal instruments and publications. | We used it to validate that land tenure rules are published through official channels. We used it to avoid relying on informal interpretations of foreign ownership laws. |
We created this infographic to give you a simple idea of how much it costs to buy property in different parts of Cameroon. As you can see, it breaks down price ranges and property types for popular cities in the country. We hope this makes it easier to explore your options and understand the market.