Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Benin and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $814 in Benin, rent and utilities included – about $280 less a year. The total is higher in Benin despite lower rent and utilities.

39

Cost of Living Index in Benin
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Benin Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index

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🇧🇯 Benin

$814

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Benin and in China

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

A single person spends $814 per month in Benin vs $791 in China, rent included.

Benin $814
China $791

A couple spends around $1,313 per month in Benin vs $1,251 in China, rent included.

Benin $1,313
China $1,251

A family of three spends $1,812 per month in Benin vs $1,711 in China, rent included.

Benin $1,812
China $1,711

The regional cost range is wider in China ($465–$1,222) than in Benin ($712–$897), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Benin is about 3% higher than in China on average.

Both Benin and China are more affordable than the global median – Benin 40% lower, China 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.09 F CFA 2,975

$2.98 ¥19.76

70.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.52 F CFA 20.8K

$22.09 ¥147

60.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 F CFA 5,465

$5.20 ¥34.51

79.62%

Cappuccino

$5.26 F CFA 3,076

$2.97 ¥19.68

77.10%

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

$1.22 F CFA 712

$0.48 ¥3.18

154.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 F CFA 780

$0.30 ¥2.00

343.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.81 F CFA 474

$1.08 ¥7.16

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 F CFA 2,278

$2.28 ¥15.11

70.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 F CFA 1,321

$1.80 ¥11.93

25.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 F CFA 481

$1.68 ¥11.12

-51.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 F CFA 1,073

$0.92 ¥6.12

100.00%

Eggs

$2.15 F CFA 1,257

$1.61 ¥10.70

33.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 F CFA 4,401

$13.38 ¥88.8

-43.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.51 F CFA 2,639

$3.35 ¥22.22

34.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.39 F CFA 3,151

$11.35 ¥75.3

-52.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 F CFA 1,721

$1.82 ¥12.09

61.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 F CFA 702

$1.31 ¥8.67

-8.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 F CFA 705

$1.49 ¥9.86

-18.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 F CFA 1,436

$1.27 ¥8.45

93.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 F CFA 764

$0.71 ¥4.72

84.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 F CFA 691

$0.93 ¥6.20

26.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 F CFA 269

$0.62 ¥4.11

-25.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 F CFA 501

$0.56 ¥3.73

53.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 F CFA 1,141

$3.78 ¥25.08

-48.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.16 F CFA 2,433

$12.13 ¥80.5

-65.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 F CFA 705

$0.83 ¥5.52

45.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 F CFA 1,023

$1.68 ¥11.18

4.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 F CFA 742

$0.29 ¥1.91

337.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.59 F CFA 4,440

$17.83 ¥118

-57.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.55 F CFA 908

$1.49 ¥9.87

4.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 F CFA 901

$0.37 ¥2.49

316.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 ¥47.11

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 F CFA 723

$1.26 ¥8.35

-1.59%

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

$19.4K ¥129.1K

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

$23.9K F CFA 14.0M

$17.5K ¥116.4K

36.08%

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

$147 F CFA 86.2K

$54.6 ¥362

170.00%

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

$31.46 F CFA 18.4K

$8.73 ¥58.0

260.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 F CFA 31.7K

$11.07 ¥73.5

388.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.80 F CFA 22.7K

$40.77 ¥271

-4.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.13 F CFA 2,418

$14.48 ¥96.1

-71.48%

Cinema Ticket

$8.57 F CFA 5,011

$6.78 ¥45.00

26.40%

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

$131 F CFA 76.7K

$517 ¥3,429

-74.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,539 F CFA 3.2M

$19.8K ¥131.5K

-72.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.47 F CFA 12.6K

$46.53 ¥309

-53.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$8.30 F CFA 4,856

$35.66 ¥237

-76.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$29.84 F CFA 17.5K

$77.0 ¥511

-61.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.68 F CFA 27.9K

$80.3 ¥533

-40.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 F CFA 69.0K

$386 ¥2,560

-69.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$117 F CFA 68.7K

$235 ¥1,557

-49.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$406 F CFA 237.6K

$822 ¥5,454

-50.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 F CFA 216.7K

$453 ¥3,007

-18.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,697 ¥31.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,595 F CFA 1.5M

$2,372 ¥15.7K

9.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$280 F CFA 164.0K

$1,093 ¥7,255

-74.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

15.61%

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

Last update for Benin: October 26, 2026

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Benin

$233 28.6%

China

$74 9.4% 68.1% $159

Groceries & Markets

Benin

$183 22.5%

China

$210 26.5% 14.6% $27

Eating Out

Benin

$154 18.9%

China

$88 11.1% 42.8% $66

Accommodation & Living

Benin

$117 14.4%

China

$235 29.6% 99.8% $117

Sport & Entertainment

Benin

$56 6.9%

China

$54 6.9% 2.9% $1.6

Clothing & Footwear

Benin

$48 5.9%

China

$108 13.6% 123% $59

Getting Around

Benin

$22 2.7%

China

$22 2.8% 1.9% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

Average salary: $168 in Benin vs $873 in China. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 119% higher in China.

Dining out costs 41% more in Benin.

Public transport is 125% more expensive in China.

Salaries are about 5.2 times higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇧🇯 Benin

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

23:38 11:38 PM

06:38 6:38 AM

7 h ahead of Benin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,111,034

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

1 CNY = 0.151 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.151 USD). 1 EUR = 7.44 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Benin China 11,540 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Benin
China

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

Benin vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

China is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 3% lower on average.

Not necessarily. Overall, Benin costs about 3% more, but the gap varies by category, and some expenses can be lower in Benin. Compare the categories that matter most for your budget.

China is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.