Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Abomey-Calavi and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Abomey-Calavi: $714 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Abomey-Calavi
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Abomey-Calavi Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Abomey-Calavi

🇧🇯 Benin

$714

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Abomey-Calavi and in Cape Town

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Abomey-Calavi and in Cape Town actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $714 per month in Abomey-Calavi vs $1,568 in Cape Town, rent included.

Abomey-Calavi $714
Cape Town $1,568

A couple spends around $1,133 per month in Abomey-Calavi vs $2,438 in Cape Town, rent included.

Abomey-Calavi $1,133
Cape Town $2,438

A family of three spends $1,553 per month in Abomey-Calavi vs $3,307 in Cape Town, rent included.

Abomey-Calavi $1,553
Cape Town $3,307

Abomey-Calavi is about 54% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Abomey-Calavi sits 47% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.77 F CFA 3,375

$11.78 R 194

-51.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.69 F CFA 15.0K

$46.55 R 768

-44.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.11 F CFA 4,745

$5.96 R 98.4

36.07%

Cappuccino

$4.71 F CFA 2,753

$2.47 R 40.80

90.69%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 F CFA 647

$1.33 R 21.91

-16.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 F CFA 1,032

$1.03 R 16.99

70.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 F CFA 1,031

$3.01 R 49.72

-41.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 F CFA 2,967

$3.66 R 60.4

38.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 F CFA 1,282

$1.39 R 22.96

57.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.25 F CFA 145

$1.19 R 19.60

-78.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 F CFA 1,148

$2.11 R 34.84

-7.11%

Eggs

$2.03 F CFA 1,190

$3.01 R 49.58

-32.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.42 F CFA 1,999

$8.96 R 148

-61.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.79 F CFA 2,220

$6.65 R 110

-43.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.90 F CFA 3,453

$9.29 R 153

-36.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.21 F CFA 1,296

$1.83 R 30.13

20.77%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 F CFA 526

$1.90 R 31.31

-52.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.67 F CFA 389

$1.75 R 28.83

-61.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 F CFA 1,188

$2.09 R 34.41

-2.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 F CFA 570

$1.55 R 25.64

-37.42%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 F CFA 475

$1.49 R 24.53

-45.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 F CFA 397

$1.30 R 21.41

-47.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 F CFA 519

$1.16 R 19.19

-23.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.44 F CFA 260

$3.71 R 61.2

-88.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.66 F CFA 6,237

$6.06 R 100

75.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 F CFA 566

$1.39 R 22.85

-30.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 F CFA 654

$2.20 R 36.32

-49.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 24.98

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.65 F CFA 4,474

$61.0 R 1,006

-87.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.71 F CFA 1,003

$0.63 R 10.33

171.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 F CFA 1,025

$1.53 R 25.29

14.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 F CFA 710

$1.58 R 26.08

-23.42%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.5K R 585.7K

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$31.7K R 523.8K

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$119 F CFA 69.8K

$116 R 1,920

2.51%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$19.96 F CFA 11.7K

$28.37 R 468

-29.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.0 F CFA 50.9K

$40.69 R 671

113.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.49 F CFA 20.2K

$48.85 R 806

-29.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.19 F CFA 3,035

$11.13 R 184

-53.37%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 F CFA 3,564

$8.83 R 146

-31.03%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$261 R 4,314

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 110.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.19 F CFA 10.1K

$55.4 R 914

-68.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$8.54 F CFA 4,998

$32.27 R 532

-73.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$26.30 F CFA 15.4K

$118 R 1,939

-77.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.80 F CFA 15.1K

$107 R 1,766

-75.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$101 F CFA 58.8K

$1,015 R 16.7K

-90.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.8 F CFA 43.2K

$715 R 11.8K

-89.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$221 F CFA 129.2K

$1,801 R 29.7K

-87.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$278 F CFA 162.5K

$1,330 R 22.0K

-79.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$85.1 F CFA 49.8K

$1,636 R 27.0K

-94.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Abomey-Calavi: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Abomey-Calavi

$226 31.4%

Cape Town

$185 11.7% 18% $41

Groceries & Markets

Abomey-Calavi

$163 22.6%

Cape Town

$222 14.1% 36.6% $60

Eating Out

Abomey-Calavi

$157 21.9%

Cape Town

$174 11% 10.3% $16

Accommodation & Living

Abomey-Calavi

$74 10.3%

Cape Town

$715 45.3% 869% $642

Sport & Entertainment

Abomey-Calavi

$47 6.5%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 42.5% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Abomey-Calavi

$35 4.9%

Cape Town

$141 8.9% 301% $105

Getting Around

Abomey-Calavi

$18 * 2.5%

Cape Town

$75 4.8% 316% $57

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $101 in Abomey-Calavi versus $1,015 in Cape Town. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1823% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26.00 in Abomey-Calavi versus $47.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $163 vs $222 – making Abomey-Calavi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇯 Abomey-Calavi

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

06:44 6:44 AM

07:44 7:44 AM

1 h ahead of Abomey-Calavi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

650,000

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to XOF – West African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 West African CFA Franc (Fr)

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Abomey-Calavi Cape Town 4,800 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Abomey-Calavi
Cape Town

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Abomey-Calavi vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cape Town is pricier by about 119%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,071 per month in Abomey-Calavi and $2,352 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Abomey-Calavi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $714 in Abomey-Calavi and $1,568 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 119%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26.00 in Abomey-Calavi and $47.00 in Cape Town. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Abomey-Calavi, where all-in costs run around $714, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Abomey-Calavi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Abomey-Calavi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Abomey-Calavi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.