Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Abomey-Calavi and Cotonou

For one person, living is cheaper in Abomey-Calavi: $712 a month against $897 in Cotonou, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Abomey-Calavi
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Abomey-Calavi Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Cotonou
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Cotonou Living Index

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Abomey-Calavi

🇧🇯 Benin

$712

/mo nomad

Cotonou

🇧🇯 Benin

$897

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Abomey-Calavi and in Cotonou

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 Cotonou actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $712 per month in Abomey-Calavi vs $897 in Cotonou, rent included.

Abomey-Calavi $712
Cotonou $897

A couple spends around $1,119 per month in Abomey-Calavi vs $1,428 in Cotonou, rent included.

Abomey-Calavi $1,119
Cotonou $1,428

A family of three spends $1,526 per month in Abomey-Calavi vs $1,958 in Cotonou, rent included.

Abomey-Calavi $1,526
Cotonou $1,958

Abomey-Calavi is about 21% cheaper than Cotonou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Abomey-Calavi and Cotonou are more affordable than the global median – Abomey-Calavi 48% lower, Cotonou 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.67 F CFA 3,333

$5.18 F CFA 3,042

9.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.09 F CFA 14.7K

$35.68 F CFA 21.0K

-29.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.97 F CFA 4,681

$9.39 F CFA 5,512

-15.12%

Cappuccino

$4.61 F CFA 2,705

$5.25 F CFA 3,085

-12.19%

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

$1.14 F CFA 668

$1.00 F CFA 588

14.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 F CFA 1,027

$0.89 F CFA 521

96.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 F CFA 1,007

$0.87 F CFA 509

96.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.03 F CFA 2,957

$2.59 F CFA 1,521

94.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 F CFA 1,281

$3.10 F CFA 1,819

-29.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.25 F CFA 146

$1.23 F CFA 723

-79.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 F CFA 1,158

$1.88 F CFA 1,105

4.79%

Eggs

$1.92 F CFA 1,125

$2.74 F CFA 1,610

-29.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.40 F CFA 1,996

$9.25 F CFA 5,435

-63.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.94 F CFA 2,313

$5.43 F CFA 3,188

-27.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.06 F CFA 3,562

$5.04 F CFA 2,959

20.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 F CFA 1,232

$3.99 F CFA 2,345

-47.37%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 F CFA 513

$1.78 F CFA 1,043

-51.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.70 F CFA 410

$1.33 F CFA 779

-47.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 F CFA 1,226

$2.71 F CFA 1,591

-22.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 F CFA 544

$1.27 F CFA 744

-26.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 F CFA 443

$1.68 F CFA 987

-54.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 F CFA 414

$0.43 F CFA 253

65.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 F CFA 515

$1.14 F CFA 670

-22.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.41 F CFA 243

$3.37 F CFA 1,977

-87.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.84 F CFA 6,367

$4.30 F CFA 2,523

152.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 F CFA 543

$1.17 F CFA 688

-21.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 F CFA 642

$1.86 F CFA 1,092

-41.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 F CFA 764

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.62 F CFA 4,478

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 F CFA 1,022

$1.38 F CFA 808

26.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 F CFA 1,023

$1.32 F CFA 776

31.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 F CFA 705

$1.18 F CFA 694

1.69%

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

$23.5K F CFA 13.8M

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

$118 F CFA 69.3K

$145 F CFA 85.1K

-18.60%

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

$19.68 F CFA 11.6K

$33.52 F CFA 19.7K

-41.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.4 F CFA 50.7K

$49.06 F CFA 28.8K

76.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.76 F CFA 19.8K

$47.60 F CFA 28.0K

-29.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.18 F CFA 3,041

$3.36 F CFA 1,973

54.17%

Cinema Ticket

$5.99 F CFA 3,519

$8.58 F CFA 5,042

-30.19%

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

$131 F CFA 76.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,544 F CFA 3.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.82 F CFA 9,878

$25.39 F CFA 14.9K

-33.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$8.48 F CFA 4,980

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$25.81 F CFA 15.2K

$33.44 F CFA 19.6K

-22.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.94 F CFA 15.2K

$67.9 F CFA 39.9K

-61.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$96.9 F CFA 56.9K

$176 F CFA 103.3K

-44.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$72.2 F CFA 42.4K

$163 F CFA 95.6K

-55.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$209 F CFA 122.6K

$600 F CFA 352.4K

-65.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 F CFA 161.7K

$412 F CFA 242.3K

-33.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$85.1 F CFA 50.0K

$251 F CFA 147.1K

-66.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Abomey-Calavi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cotonou: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Abomey-Calavi

$224 31.4%

Cotonou

$227 25.4% 1.5% $3.5

Groceries & Markets

Abomey-Calavi

$163 22.9%

Cotonou

$222 24.8% 36.2% $59

Eating Out

Abomey-Calavi

$155 21.7%

Cotonou

$150 16.7% 3.3% $5.1

Accommodation & Living

Abomey-Calavi

$72 10.1%

Cotonou

$163 18.2% 125% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Abomey-Calavi

$46 6.4%

Cotonou

$65 7.2% 41.6% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Abomey-Calavi

$35 4.9%

Cotonou

$57 * 6.4% 64.6% $22

Getting Around

Abomey-Calavi

$18 * 2.5%

Cotonou

$13 * 1.5% 27.1% $4.9

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $97 in Abomey-Calavi versus $176 in Cotonou. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Cotonou are about 2.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Abomey-Calavi versus $36 in Cotonou. 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

🇧🇯 Cotonou

🕒 Local time

04:35 4:35 AM

Same time as Abomey-Calavi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

650,000

780,000

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Abomey-Calavi Cotonou 12 km

From you

Abomey-Calavi
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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 Cotonou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cotonou is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,069 per month in Abomey-Calavi and $1,345 in Cotonou. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $97 there versus $176 in Cotonou.

Groceries cost about 36% more in Cotonou, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Abomey-Calavi and $36 in Cotonou. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $712 in Abomey-Calavi and $897 in Cotonou, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Cotonou has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $712 in Abomey-Calavi to $897 in Cotonou. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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