Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Cotonou

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotonou: $897 a month against $1,362 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Cotonou
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Cotonou Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,362

/mo nomad

Cotonou

🇧🇯 Benin

$897

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty 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 Almaty and in Cotonou actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,362 per month in Almaty vs $897 in Cotonou, rent included.

Almaty $1,362
Cotonou $897

A couple spends around $2,151 per month in Almaty vs $1,428 in Cotonou, rent included.

Almaty $2,151
Cotonou $1,428

A family of three spends $2,940 per month in Almaty vs $1,958 in Cotonou, rent included.

Almaty $2,940
Cotonou $1,958

Almaty costs about 52% more than Cotonou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.32 ₸6,066

$5.18 F CFA 3,050

157.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.80 ₸20.4K

$35.68 F CFA 21.0K

25.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 ₸4,071

$9.39 F CFA 5,527

-4.79%

Cappuccino

$3.37 ₸1,537

$5.25 F CFA 3,093

-35.81%

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

$1.32 ₸602

$1.00 F CFA 590

32.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₸398

$0.89 F CFA 523

-2.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 ₸1,434

$0.87 F CFA 511

262.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 ₸1,801

$2.59 F CFA 1,525

52.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₸756

$3.10 F CFA 1,824

-46.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸393

$1.23 F CFA 725

-30.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 ₸913

$1.88 F CFA 1,108

6.91%

Eggs

$2.47 ₸1,127

$2.74 F CFA 1,614

-9.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.58 ₸5,728

$9.25 F CFA 5,449

36.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.57 ₸2,992

$5.43 F CFA 3,196

20.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.61 ₸4,832

$5.04 F CFA 2,966

110.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ₸816

$3.99 F CFA 2,351

-55.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₸1,046

$1.78 F CFA 1,046

29.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 ₸1,349

$1.33 F CFA 781

122.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 ₸1,301

$2.71 F CFA 1,595

5.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ₸367

$1.27 F CFA 746

-36.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₸268

$1.68 F CFA 989

-64.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 ₸721

$0.43 F CFA 253

267.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸453

$1.14 F CFA 672

-13.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.74 ₸1,248

$3.37 F CFA 1,982

-18.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 ₸5,147

$4.30 F CFA 2,530

162.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 ₸558

$1.17 F CFA 690

4.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 ₸1,122

$1.86 F CFA 1,094

32.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$1.30 F CFA 766

-80.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.98 ₸10.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸616

$1.38 F CFA 810

-2.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 ₸320

$1.32 F CFA 778

-46.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.12 ₸5,065

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸329

$1.18 F CFA 696

-38.98%

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

$28.4K ₸12.9M

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

$31.8K ₸14.5M

$23.5K F CFA 13.8M

35.25%

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

$91.3 ₸41.6K

$145 F CFA 85.3K

-36.98%

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

$10.60 ₸4,827

$33.52 F CFA 19.7K

-68.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.89 ₸8,147

$49.06 F CFA 28.9K

-63.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.3 ₸29.7K

$47.60 F CFA 28.0K

37.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.76 ₸12.6K

$3.36 F CFA 1,978

726.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.47 ₸2,945

$8.58 F CFA 5,055

-24.59%

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

$473 ₸215.3K

$131 F CFA 77.1K

261.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K ₸5.6M

$5,544 F CFA 3.3M

121.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.1 ₸42.4K

$25.39 F CFA 15.0K

266.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.67 ₸21.7K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ₸65.0K

$33.44 F CFA 19.7K

326.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₸61.3K

$67.9 F CFA 40.0K

97.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₸355.5K

$176 F CFA 103.6K

343.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$492 ₸224.1K

$163 F CFA 95.9K

202.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₸646.5K

$600 F CFA 353.4K

136.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$934 ₸425.5K

$412 F CFA 242.9K

126.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,462 ₸1.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,591 ₸724.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$873 ₸397.4K

$251 F CFA 147.5K

248.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

416.25%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 26, 2026

Last update for Cotonou: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$492 36.1%

Cotonou

$163 18.2% 66.9% $329

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.4%

Cotonou

$222 24.8% 11.2% $28

Eating Out

Almaty

$206 15.1%

Cotonou

$150 16.7% 27.4% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$188 13.8%

Cotonou

$57 * 6.4% 69.7% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Cotonou

$227 25.4% 89.9% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$78 5.7%

Cotonou

$65 7.2% 17.2% $13

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2.1%

Cotonou

$13 * 1.5% 52.7% $15

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $780 in Almaty 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 Almaty are about 3.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Almaty versus $36 in Cotonou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $222 – making Cotonou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇧🇯 Cotonou

🕒 Local time

01:28 1:28 AM

21:28 9:28 PM

4 h behind Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

780,000

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 455 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 507 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 589 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Almaty Cotonou 8,270 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
Cotonou

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

Almaty vs Cotonou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 52%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,043 per month in Almaty 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 Cotonou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $176 there versus $780 in Almaty.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,362 in Almaty and $897 in Cotonou. That makes Cotonou about 34% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $473 per month in Almaty and $131 in Cotonou. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cotonou, where all-in costs run around $897, than in Almaty at $1,362. In Cotonou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cotonou – 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 Cotonou. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Almaty makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.