Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Cotonou

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotonou: $901 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cotonou
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Cotonou Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Cotonou

🇧🇯 Benin

$901

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $901 in Cotonou.

Austin, TX $2,704
Cotonou $901

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,417 in Cotonou.

Austin, TX $4,133
Cotonou $1,417

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $1,933 in Cotonou.

Austin, TX $5,562
Cotonou $1,933

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 200% more expensive than in Cotonou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Cotonou is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$5.05 F CFA 2,954

300.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$35.47 F CFA 20.8K

139.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$9.56 F CFA 5,592

29.18%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$5.21 F CFA 3,051

4.99%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.06 F CFA 619

260.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.89 F CFA 521

180.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$0.84 F CFA 490

859.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$2.56 F CFA 1,497

251.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$3.07 F CFA 1,793

-63.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.19 F CFA 695

217.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.83 F CFA 1,070

77.60%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.69 F CFA 1,576

53.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$9.19 F CFA 5,375

42.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$5.44 F CFA 3,180

163.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$5.04 F CFA 2,946

216.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$4.05 F CFA 2,372

8.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.84 F CFA 1,074

-21.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.28 F CFA 750

254.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.73 F CFA 1,595

53.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.26 F CFA 736

108.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.74 F CFA 1,021

35.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.44 F CFA 256

300.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.10 F CFA 641

96.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$3.48 F CFA 2,037

181.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$4.18 F CFA 2,444

252.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.23 F CFA 718

126.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.91 F CFA 1,116

82.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.29 F CFA 757

15.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.34 F CFA 782

99.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.38 F CFA 809

14.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.24 F CFA 727

-20.16%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$24.0K F CFA 14.1M

13.02%

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

$219 $219

$146 F CFA 85.4K

50.21%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$33.86 F CFA 19.8K

71.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$49.15 F CFA 28.8K

39.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$49.30 F CFA 28.8K

17.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$3.44 F CFA 2,015

330.81%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$8.68 F CFA 5,079

62.79%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$131 F CFA 76.5K

1054.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$5,460 F CFA 3.2M

293.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$25.96 F CFA 15.2K

99.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$33.73 F CFA 19.7K

152.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$67.9 F CFA 39.7K

55.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$180 F CFA 105.6K

970.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$165 F CFA 96.6K

670.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$599 F CFA 350.7K

512.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$411 F CFA 240.7K

513.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$258 F CFA 151.0K

1877.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

69.75%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cotonou: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Cotonou

$165 18.3% 87% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Cotonou

$221 24.5% 45.1% $182

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Cotonou

$149 16.5% 57.3% $199

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Cotonou

$229 25.4% 33.7% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Cotonou

$57 * 6.4% 55.4% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Cotonou

$67 7.4% 22.6% $20

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Cotonou

$13 * 1.5% 76.5% $44

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $180 in Cotonou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1877% 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: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $35.00 in Cotonou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $221 per month, with Cotonou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇧🇯 Cotonou

🕒 Local time

03:09 3:09 AM

09:09 9:09 AM

6 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

780,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🌐 West African CFA Franc (Fr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

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).

XOF to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Cotonou 10,620 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
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

Austin, TX vs Cotonou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cotonou wins on cost – living expenses run 200% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cotonou the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1877% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $180 in Cotonou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,509 in Austin, TX versus $131 in Cotonou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cotonou – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $901 in Cotonou versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cotonou but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Cotonou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Cotonou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 200% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.