Fuel Prices in Cameroon: What You Pay at the Pump and Why
Drivers in Cameroon currently pay around $1.458 per liter for gasoline, which works out to roughly $5.52 per US gallon. In local currency that is about 839.7 XAF per liter. Diesel is slightly cheaper at $1.438 per liter. Those numbers place Cameroon at rank 78 out of 170 countries tracked worldwide, sitting just below the global average of $1.484 per liter. In other words, Cameroon is squarely in the middle of the pack: not a cheap-fuel petrostate, but not among the most expensive markets either.
What actually drives Cameroon's pump prices
Cameroon is a paradox familiar across the region: it produces crude oil yet still imports most of its refined fuel. The country's only refinery, SONARA in Limbe, was badly damaged by fire in 2019 and has operated far below capacity since, forcing Cameroon to buy finished gasoline and diesel on the international market. That import dependence means pump prices are exposed both to global oil swings and to shipping and distribution costs, even though crude flows out of Cameroonian fields.
The single biggest force keeping prices stable, however, is the government subsidy. For years the state capped retail fuel prices well below import cost, absorbing the difference through the national treasury. As that bill ballooned, authorities raised pump prices in February 2024 — which is exactly why the historical high of $1.458 per liter was recorded on 2024-02-05, the very level still in force today. Taxes and regulated margins are layered on top, but the political reality is that prices move in deliberate steps rather than freely with the market.
Currency and the CFA franc
Cameroon uses the Central African CFA franc (XAF), which is pegged to the euro. That peg gives the XAF more stability against major currencies than free-floating African currencies enjoy, but it also means the dollar value of local prices shifts with the euro-dollar rate. When the dollar strengthens, imported fuel paid for in foreign currency becomes more expensive locally — a pressure the subsidy has historically masked.
The trend: a decade of slow climbing
Looking at the record from 2016-07-18 to 2026-06-22 tells a clear story. The low of $1.094 came right at the start of the window on 2016-07-18, the ten-year average sits at $1.201, and the peak of $1.458 is where prices stand now. That is a roughly one-third increase over the decade, concentrated in the 2024 subsidy reform. The takeaway: regulated prices held the line for years, then jumped — and they have not come back down.
Compared with neighbors and peers, Cameroon's pricing looks moderate. You can see how it stacks up against fellow West and Central African markets such as Ghana and landlocked Burkina Faso, or against import-dependent economies further afield like Mozambique and Nepal. For the full global picture, browse our world fuel prices comparison.
FAQ
How much does a liter of gas cost in Cameroon?
A liter of gasoline costs about $1.458, or roughly 839.7 XAF. Diesel is slightly lower at $1.438 per liter, and a US gallon of gasoline works out to about $5.52.
Why is fuel in Cameroon not cheaper if it produces oil?
Cameroon exports crude but imports most of its refined fuel because its SONARA refinery has run below capacity since a 2019 fire. Pump prices therefore track global refined-product costs, plus taxes and regulated margins, partly offset by a government subsidy.
Why did Cameroon's fuel prices rise in 2024?
The government reduced its costly fuel subsidy in February 2024, lifting regulated pump prices to about $1.458 per liter — the highest level in the past decade and the price still in effect today.