Best Suburbs in Yaoundé for Families and Young Professionals: My Digital Nomad Take [2023]
yaoundé, okay. fine. you asked for suburbs. let’s break this down like i’m your bestie who’s down one coffee and high on bad life choices. first off, we’re not talking paris’ cobbled streets or san fran’s leafy hills. this is yaoundé. okay? heat index in the triple digits? check. humidity that could fold a t-shirt into a napkin? double-check. but hey, there’s a vibe here if you know where to look.
*my priority? affordable rent, decent wifi, and not being side-eyed by locals when i ask where the nearest ‘plombier’ is. but also, i need to host netflix parties. and maybe, like, survive a toddler.
data dump incoming:
- average rent: 80,000-150,000 xaf/month (yes, that’s ‘western union transfer-tier’ money, but hear me out),
- wifi speeds: 20-50 mbps in enclaves (more like ‘can i stream netflix in 720p? oof’ territory),
- crime stats: mid-tier safety scores (pickpockets exist, but i’d rather not die? fine.)
suburbs?
first up: songtu. if yaoundé were a spreadsheet, this would have a red flag for ‘overcrowded’ but it’s got the co-working spaces i crave. pluto co-working hits that sweet spot of low rent (~100k xaf) and decent wifi. overheard gossip at café mayo said a freelancer got his laptop stolen here, though. maybe keep that espresso macchiato on the counter.
then there’s ndop, the ‘poor man’s kogane neighborhood.’ cheaper but sketchier. grandmother told me, ‘les mauvais passent par là après 18h,’ which translates to ‘only villains hang around after 6pm.’ fun fact: a local maman sells fried plantains for 500 xaf. better than your average delivery app.
babayéli is for the ‘have your cake and eat it’ crowd. near the university, so families vibe here, but also startups park their gigs in the boulevard. overheard a local enseignant rant about ’’expats clogging the pontons’’ over beers at le vieux café.
nyassos is a project. i mean, literally. not finished tanga still. but rent’s a steal at 60k xaf. wifi? same as babayéli-if you’ve seen the wild west of memphis internet, you’re ready.
my haunt? nkwempole. near the airport, so families freak out like you’ve got ebola, but it’s a 10-minute drive to everything. plus, le snackbar here? best fried chicken in 4d.
weather right now: sweaty like a sauna. humidity’s 90% and it’s 33°C. neighbors are either family or renters. judgmental ones anyway.
one weird tip: never eat at restaurant belle vue at night. something smells like death. go to le mandarin instead-they cater to expats.
links to validate my chaos:*
- tripadvisor: best yaoundé cafés
- reddit: r/Yaounde
- yelp: le vieux café review
- local blog: aparat.la
ps: if you’re a family, skip nyassos. unless you’ve got lungs like a marathon runner
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