Cooking Oil Prices in Cameroon: Current Market Guide (2026)

If you cook in Cameroon, you already know that cooking oil prices can move faster than your budget.

One month a litre of refined oil is around 1,100 FCFA. The next month the same bottle is 1,500. Meanwhile, the government announces one price and your local market charges another.

So what should you actually expect to pay in 2026?

In this guide, I’ll show you:

• The most recent cooking oil prices in Cameroon, in FCFA per litre
• Why the “official” price and the market price often don’t match
• The forces that push oil prices up and down
• 7 practical ways to pay less per litre

Let’s dive in.

TL;DR: Cooking Oil Prices in Cameroon

• Typical retail price per litre (2026): roughly 1,350 to 1,600 FCFA for refined oil in bottles, depending on city, brand and shop.
• Official ceiling: the government’s approved price is 1,500 FCFA per litre.
• Cheapest way to buy: 20 to 25 litre jugs, which the Ministry of Commerce priced at about 1,100 FCFA per litre in 2024.
• Biggest price drivers: import dependence, transport costs, and the global price of palm oil.

One caveat. I could not find a single official, dated price list for this month, so the figures below come from the most recent sources I could verify. Always check the shelf price in your own market.

Cooking Oil Prices in Cameroon Right Now (Per Litre)

Here is what the latest available data shows.

Per-litre figures for the Carrefour and jug rows are my own calculations from the listed prices.

Here’s what stands out.

1. The 2026 national average sits around 1,550 FCFA per litre.
Global Product Prices put cooking oil in Cameroon at 1,550 XAF (about 2.69 USD) in January 2026, compared with a 3.58 USD average across the 77 countries in its database. In other words, Cameroon is cheaper than the global average, even if it doesn’t feel that way at the till.

2. Supermarket 5L containers work out cheaper than 1L bottles.
Carrefour Cameroun listed Oleo 5L at 6,800 FCFA, with 7,000 FCFA shown alongside it, valid until 7 May 2026. That’s roughly 1,360 to 1,400 FCFA per litre, a saving of 100 to 200 FCFA per litre versus a typical 1L bottle.

3. Jugs are the cheapest format by far.
In March 2024, the Minister of Commerce announced that a 25L jug of Oleo would drop from 31,000 to about 27,000 FCFA (1,108 FCFA/L), and a 20L jug of Mayor from 25,500 to 22,000 FCFA (1,100 FCFA/L). Those are the lowest per-litre prices on record in the sources I found.

Official Price vs. Market Price: Why They Don’t Match

Here’s something most price guides skip.

Cameroon has an officially approved (“homologated”) price for refined oil. The Ministry of Commerce described it as 1,500 FCFA per litre, and the 2024 jug prices were presented as substantial cuts below that figure.

But announcing a price and seeing it on the shelf are two different things.

About a week after the March 2024 cuts, sellers at Essos market in Yaoundé said they were still charging the old prices, selling according to what they had paid for their stock. A supermarket stock manager gave a similar explanation, saying older stock invoiced before the announcement had to be sold first.

The takeaway: price cuts take time to reach you, and some never fully do. Retailers price based on what they paid, not on the latest communiqué.

Prices also vary by region. In Ngaoundéré, a litre of Diamaor (made by Sodecoton) sold for 1,500 FCFA in large stores, 1,600 FCFA at City Market for both Diamaor and Azur, and 1,600 to 1,700 FCFA in Tignère. The further you are from the ports and refineries, the more transport adds to the price.

5 Factors That Move Cooking Oil Prices in Cameroon

Understanding what drives prices helps you predict when to stock up.

1. Import Dependence

Analysts note that a large part of urban consumption depends on imports, and that even when international prices fall, consumers don’t always feel it immediately. Expect a lag in both directions.

2. Global Palm Oil Prices

Palm oil is the backbone of refined oil in Cameroon. When the price per tonne of palm oil rose in 2024, the effect showed up in retail prices.

3. Freight and Raw Material Costs

In 2022, a bottle of refined palm oil that normally cost 1,100 FCFA was selling for about 1,400 FCFA, and the country’s largest employers’ association asked the government to approve a price of 2,040 FCFA per litre, citing weak international commodity conditions and freight costs. That request was not granted at that level, but it shows how much input costs can pressure the final price.

4. Fuel and Transport

After transport fares and fuel-related costs rose in Adamaoua in February 2023, table oil that had sold for 1,600 FCFA climbed to between 1,700 and 1,850 FCFA, and groundnut oil sold for 1,700 to 1,750 FCFA per litre. When trucks cost more, your oil costs more.

5. Supply Disruptions and Regulation

Cameroon’s National Institute of Statistics has linked rising local prices to reduced supply caused by insecurity in the North-West and South-West regions, climate change, and supply chain disruption. Separately, the government has spent several years working to remove untraceable vegetable oils from markets. That’s good for quality and safety, but it can tighten supply in the short term.

How Much Does Each Type of Cooking Oil Cost?

Not all oils are priced equally.

• Refined palm-based oil (Oleo, Mayor, Azur): the everyday standard. Expect roughly 1,100 to 1,600 FCFA per litre depending on format and location.
• Cottonseed-based oil (Diamaor): priced similarly. A carton of 15 Diamaor bottles cost retailers 20,000 FCFA in the Adamaoua region. That’s about 1,333 FCFA per bottle at wholesale.
• Groundnut (peanut) oil: usually a bit pricier. The Ngaoundéré figure above was 1,700 to 1,750 FCFA per litre in 2023. Modelled estimates from Selina Wamucii put retail groundnut oil in Yaoundé and Douala at roughly 3,591 to 4,788 FCFA per kilogram, but treat that as a rough guide, since it’s an estimate rather than a shelf survey.
• Olive oil: a luxury product. Retail prices in Yaoundé and Douala range from roughly 7,910 to 20,689 FCFA per kilogram.

7 Ways to Pay Less for Cooking Oil in Cameroon

You can’t control the global palm oil market. But you can control how you buy.

1. Buy in bulk (20 to 25L jugs).
The numbers speak for themselves: roughly 1,100 FCFA per litre in a jug against 1,400 to 1,550 for single bottles. If you have storage space, this is the single biggest saving.

2. Split jugs with neighbours or family.
Can’t use 20 litres before it goes stale? Share the cost and the oil.

3. Choose 5L over 1L.
Even a mid-size container cuts your per-litre cost by about 100 to 200 FCFA, based on the Carrefour listing.

4. Buy by the carton.
Retailers buy by carton and price accordingly. If you’re buying for a household, a carton from a wholesaler or market trader can undercut shelf prices.

5. Compare before you buy.
In the Ngaoundéré example, the same product ranged from 1,500 to 1,700 FCFA within one region. Check two or three shops.

6. Ask for the displayed price.
A shop manager in Ngaoundéré said traders are obliged to put prices on labels. If the shelf price and the till price differ, speak up.

7. Watch for announced price cuts, then check the shelf.
When the Ministry of Commerce announces new prices, shops with older, higher-priced stock may take weeks to adjust. Shop around, or wait a little.

FAQ: Cooking Oil Prices in Cameroon

Final Thoughts

The bottom line: expect to pay roughly 1,350 to 1,600 FCFA per litre for bottled refined oil in 2026, and aim for about 1,100 FCFA per litre by buying jugs.

The official price is a ceiling, not a guarantee. And the format you buy matters as much as the brand.

Want to keep your oil budget under control? Start with tip #1: price out a 20L jug this week and compare it to what you spend on bottles each month.

Sources

• Global Product Prices, Cameroon cooking oil price (Jan 2026): globalproductprices.com/Cameroon/cooking_oil_prices/
• Carrefour Cameroun, Huile Oleo 5L: carrefour.cm/promotions/huile-oleo-5l/
• Journal du Cameroun, “Le prix de l’huile raffinée en baisse” (March 2024)
• Journal du Cameroun, “Le prix de l’huile raffinée n’a pas encore baissé sur le marché” (April 2024)
• Cameroon Tribune, “Huile végétale raffinée : des prix en baisse”
• 237online, “1500 FCFA le litre d’huile de table à Ngaoundéré”
• 237online, “Hausse du prix des denrées alimentaires à Ngaoundéré”
• 237online, “Prix des produits au Cameroun 2026”
• Investir au Cameroun, “Huiles de palme : les raffineurs veulent doubler les prix”
• Le Jour, “Vie chère : la hausse des prix s’accentue”
• Selina Wamucii, Cameroon peanut oil and olive oil price pages