Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Abuja and Benin

For one person, living is cheaper in Benin: $446 a month against $1,087 in Abuja, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Abuja
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Abuja Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Benin
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Benin Living Index

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Abuja

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$1,087

/mo nomad

Benin

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$446

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Abuja and in Benin

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,087 in Abuja versus $446 in Benin.

Abuja $1,087
Benin $446

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,937 in Abuja versus $756 in Benin.

Abuja $1,937
Benin $756

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,786 in Abuja versus $1,065 in Benin.

Abuja $2,786
Benin $1,065

Living in Abuja is roughly 144% more expensive than in Benin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Abuja 20% lower, Benin 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.07 ₦2,771

$1.27 ₦1,704

62.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.92 ₦40.0K

$50.1 ₦67.0K

-40.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₦5,255

$5.47 ₦7,320

-28.15%

Cappuccino

$3.36 ₦4,497

$2.84 ₦3,801

18.31%

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

$0.43 ₦575

$0.29 ₦391

48.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₦887

$0.17 ₦226

288.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ₦1,330

$0.93 ₦1,249

6.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₦2,643

$0.90 ₦1,207

120.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.61 ₦4,821

$3.23 ₦4,318

11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 ₦1,699

$0.74 ₦984

71.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ₦2,905

$1.20 ₦1,603

80.83%

Eggs

$1.79 ₦2,399

$2.18 ₦2,917

-17.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 ₦15.0K

$3.59 ₦4,796

211.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.37 ₦7,180

$3.85 ₦5,150

39.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.06 ₦8,100

$4.51 ₦6,031

34.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 ₦2,672

$1.62 ₦2,165

23.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 ₦1,973

$1.26 ₦1,685

17.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 ₦1,961

$1.09 ₦1,454

34.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 ₦3,105

$1.54 ₦2,056

50.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 ₦2,465

$1.58 ₦2,118

16.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 ₦3,320

$1.51 ₦2,017

64.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ₦800

$0.84 ₦1,120

-28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 ₦484

$0.36 ₦487

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 ₦2,612

$0.54 ₦725

261.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.69 ₦7,615

$2.46 ₦3,286

131.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 ₦1,583

$0.49 ₦662

140.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₦2,468

$0.46 ₦612

302.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₦622

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.00 ₦42.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 ₦838

$0.70 ₦938

-10.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₦1,056

$0.91 ₦1,215

-13.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₦2,454

$2.20 ₦2,947

-16.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.53 ₦714

$0.77 ₦1,028

-31.17%

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

$26.1K ₦34.9M

$11.3K ₦15.1M

131.69%

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

$36.4K ₦48.7M

$29.2K ₦39.0M

24.78%

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

$111 ₦148.6K

$111 ₦149.1K

-0.30%

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

$6.54 ₦8,743

$14.40 ₦19.3K

-54.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.96 ₦38.7K

$33.30 ₦44.5K

-13.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.73 ₦43.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.31 ₦12.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 ₦8,390

$6.00 ₦8,029

4.50%

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

$45.02 ₦60.2K

$657 ₦878.9K

-93.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,561 ₦7.4M

$19.8K ₦26.5M

-71.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.67 ₦34.3K

$14.70 ₦19.7K

74.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 ₦79.4K

$17.96 ₦24.0K

230.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.3 ₦103.3K

$36.73 ₦49.1K

110.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ₦142.0K

$47.54 ₦63.6K

123.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₦1.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 ₦583.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,673 ₦3.6M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,365 ₦1.8M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$695 ₦929.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$371 ₦496.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 ₦222.4K

$110 ₦146.8K

51.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.5

18.39

22.35%

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

Last update for Abuja: November 2, 2026

Last update for Benin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Abuja

$436 40.1%

Benin

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Abuja

$218 20%

Benin

$148 33.2% 31.9% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Abuja

$147 13.5%

Benin

$159 35.7% 8.6% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Abuja

$121 11.1%

Benin

$53 11.8% 56.5% $68

Eating Out

Abuja

$82 7.5%

Benin

$69 15.5% 15.8% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Abuja

$45 4.2%

Benin

$12 * 2.7% 73.5% $33

Getting Around

Abuja

$38 3.5%

Benin

$5.3 * 1.2% 86.3% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

Abuja pays 52% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $30 in Abuja vs $50 in Benin. Groceries flip the comparison at $218 vs $148, with Benin cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇬 Abuja

🇳🇬 Benin

🕒 Local time

23:17 11:17 PM

Same time as Abuja

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

776,298 Capital

1,147,188

💱 Currency

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 NGN = 7.48 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.64 EUR

10,000 NGN = 7.48 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Abuja Benin 370 km

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Abuja
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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

Abuja vs Benin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,087 in Abuja and $446 in Benin, so Benin is about 59% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 52% higher in Abuja, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $45 in Abuja versus $657 in Benin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Abuja – a meal for two runs $30 versus $50 in Benin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $446 in Benin versus $1,087 in Abuja, a $800 budget is realistic in Benin but tight or insufficient in Abuja. The gap between the two cities makes Benin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

It comes down to priorities – Benin wins on affordability, Abuja on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.