Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Benin and Italy

Name: Italy
Address: IT

For one person, living is cheaper in Benin: $814 a month against $1,843 in Italy, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Benin
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Benin Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Italy
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Italy Living Index

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🇧🇯 Benin

$814

/mo nomad

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,843

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Benin and in Italy

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

A single person spends $814 per month in Benin vs $1,843 in Italy, rent included.

Benin $814
Italy $1,843

A couple spends around $1,313 per month in Benin vs $2,816 in Italy, rent included.

Benin $1,313
Italy $2,816

A family of three spends $1,812 per month in Benin vs $3,788 in Italy, rent included.

Benin $1,812
Italy $3,788

The regional cost range is wider in Italy ($1,038–$2,555) than in Benin ($712–$897), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Benin is roughly 56% lower than in Italy on average.

Benin sits 40% below the global median, while Italy is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.09 F CFA 2,975

$20.46 €18.25

-75.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.52 F CFA 20.8K

$79.5 €70.9

-55.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 F CFA 5,465

$11.15 €9.95

-16.23%

Cappuccino

$5.26 F CFA 3,076

$2.04 €1.82

157.84%

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

$1.22 F CFA 712

$3.10 €2.77

-60.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 F CFA 780

$1.40 €1.25

-5.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.81 F CFA 474

$5.51 €4.92

-85.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 F CFA 2,278

$5.74 €5.12

-32.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 F CFA 1,321

$1.57 €1.40

43.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 F CFA 481

$2.38 €2.12

-65.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 F CFA 1,073

$2.90 €2.59

-36.55%

Eggs

$2.15 F CFA 1,257

$4.07 €3.63

-47.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 F CFA 4,401

$17.44 €15.56

-56.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.51 F CFA 2,639

$12.56 €11.20

-64.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.39 F CFA 3,151

$20.17 €17.99

-73.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 F CFA 1,721

$2.58 €2.30

13.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 F CFA 702

$2.19 €1.95

-45.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 F CFA 705

$2.68 €2.39

-54.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 F CFA 1,436

$3.27 €2.91

-24.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 F CFA 764

$1.90 €1.70

-31.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 F CFA 691

$1.82 €1.62

-35.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 F CFA 269

$1.57 €1.40

-70.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 F CFA 501

$0.55 €0.49

56.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 F CFA 1,141

$6.69 €5.97

-70.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.16 F CFA 2,433

$7.99 €7.13

-47.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 F CFA 705

$1.77 €1.58

-31.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 F CFA 1,023

$2.35 €2.10

-25.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 F CFA 742

$1.91 €1.70

-33.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.59 F CFA 4,440

$43.44 €38.75

-82.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.55 F CFA 908

$5.62 €5.01

-72.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 F CFA 901

$1.71 €1.53

-9.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.64 €30.01

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 F CFA 723

$2.03 €1.81

-38.92%

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

$35.3K €31.5K

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

$23.9K F CFA 14.0M

$36.7K €32.8K

-35.06%

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

$147 F CFA 86.2K

$227 €202

-34.98%

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

$31.46 F CFA 18.4K

$11.59 €10.34

171.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 F CFA 31.7K

$30.38 €27.11

78.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.80 F CFA 22.7K

$51.8 €46.19

-25.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.13 F CFA 2,418

$23.70 €21.14

-82.57%

Cinema Ticket

$8.57 F CFA 5,011

$10.60 €9.46

-19.15%

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

$131 F CFA 76.7K

$568 €506

-76.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,539 F CFA 3.2M

$11.5K €10.3K

-51.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.47 F CFA 12.6K

$90.5 €80.8

-76.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$8.30 F CFA 4,856

$38.55 €34.40

-78.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$29.84 F CFA 17.5K

$103 €91.6

-70.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.68 F CFA 27.9K

$131 €117

-63.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 F CFA 69.0K

$826 €737

-85.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$117 F CFA 68.7K

$646 €577

-81.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$406 F CFA 237.6K

$1,400 €1,249

-70.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 F CFA 216.7K

$1,054 €941

-64.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,662 €3,267

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,595 F CFA 1.5M

$2,301 €2,053

12.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$280 F CFA 164.0K

$1,886 €1,683

-85.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.56

12.36%

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

Last update for Benin: October 26, 2026

Last update for Italy: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Benin

$233 28.6%

Italy

$269 14.6% 15.3% $36

Groceries & Markets

Benin

$183 22.5%

Italy

$348 18.9% 89.8% $165

Eating Out

Benin

$154 18.9%

Italy

$279 15.1% 81.1% $125

Accommodation & Living

Benin

$117 14.4%

Italy

$646 35.1% 451% $529

Sport & Entertainment

Benin

$56 6.9%

Italy

$73 4% 30.5% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Benin

$48 5.9%

Italy

$163 8.9% 238% $115

Getting Around

Benin

$22 2.7%

Italy

$65 3.5% 198% $43

Cost Breakdown

Average salary: $168 in Benin vs $1,890 in Italy. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 436% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 135% more in Italy.

Public transport is 438% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are about 11 times higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.

Good to know

🇧🇯 Benin

🇮🇹 Italy

🕒 Local time

23:38 11:38 PM

Same time as Benin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,111,034

58,850,717

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Benin Italy 4,070 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Benin
Italy

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 Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Benin is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 56% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Italy: a central one-bedroom averages $729 versus $136 in Benin.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Benin – part of why living there is about 56% cheaper overall.

$1,200 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Benin, but in Italy it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

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