Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Benin and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

For one person, living is cheaper in Benin: $814 a month against $1,203 in South Africa, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 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
58

Cost of Living Index in South Africa
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South Africa Living Index

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🇧🇯 Benin

$814

/mo nomad

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,203

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Benin and in South Africa

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

A single person spends $814 per month in Benin vs $1,203 in South Africa, rent included.

Benin $814
South Africa $1,203

A couple spends around $1,313 per month in Benin vs $1,893 in South Africa, rent included.

Benin $1,313
South Africa $1,893

A family of three spends $1,812 per month in Benin vs $2,583 in South Africa, rent included.

Benin $1,812
South Africa $2,583

The regional cost range is wider in South Africa ($618–$1,556) than in Benin ($712–$897), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Benin is roughly 32% lower than in South Africa on average.

Both Benin and South Africa are more affordable than the global median – Benin 40% lower, South Africa 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.09 F CFA 2,979

$10.67 R 177

-52.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.52 F CFA 20.8K

$41.66 R 692

-14.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 F CFA 5,471

$5.80 R 96.3

61.03%

Cappuccino

$5.26 F CFA 3,080

$2.36 R 39.15

122.88%

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

$1.22 F CFA 713

$1.12 R 18.53

8.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 F CFA 781

$0.90 R 14.97

47.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.81 F CFA 474

$2.42 R 40.12

-66.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 F CFA 2,281

$3.06 R 50.8

27.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 F CFA 1,323

$1.18 R 19.55

91.53%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 F CFA 482

$1.13 R 18.79

-27.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 F CFA 1,075

$1.74 R 28.85

5.75%

Eggs

$2.15 F CFA 1,258

$2.57 R 42.72

-16.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 F CFA 4,406

$8.43 R 140

-10.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.51 F CFA 2,642

$5.12 R 85.0

-11.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.39 F CFA 3,154

$7.59 R 126

-28.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 F CFA 1,723

$1.77 R 29.46

66.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 F CFA 703

$1.74 R 28.84

-31.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 F CFA 706

$1.77 R 29.37

-31.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 F CFA 1,438

$1.76 R 29.21

39.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 F CFA 765

$1.49 R 24.76

-12.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 F CFA 691

$1.47 R 24.33

-19.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 F CFA 269

$1.23 R 20.48

-62.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 F CFA 502

$1.10 R 18.22

-21.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 F CFA 1,143

$3.24 R 53.9

-39.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.16 F CFA 2,436

$5.00 R 83.0

-16.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 F CFA 706

$1.50 R 24.85

-19.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 F CFA 1,025

$1.94 R 32.20

-9.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 F CFA 742

$1.48 R 24.54

-14.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.59 F CFA 4,446

$59.3 R 984

-87.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.55 F CFA 909

$1.09 R 18.18

42.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 F CFA 902

$0.99 R 16.43

55.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.46 R 124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 F CFA 723

$1.43 R 23.72

-13.29%

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

$35.3K R 586.2K

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

$23.9K F CFA 14.0M

$32.4K R 538.6K

-26.43%

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

$147 F CFA 86.3K

$133 R 2,204

10.98%

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

$31.46 F CFA 18.4K

$34.83 R 578

-9.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 F CFA 31.7K

$39.76 R 660

36.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.80 F CFA 22.7K

$33.09 R 549

17.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.13 F CFA 2,421

$11.65 R 193

-64.55%

Cinema Ticket

$8.57 F CFA 5,017

$7.18 R 119

19.36%

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

$131 F CFA 76.8K

$224 R 3,721

-41.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,539 F CFA 3.2M

$5,462 R 90.7K

1.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.47 F CFA 12.6K

$54.2 R 900

-60.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$8.30 F CFA 4,862

$34.13 R 567

-75.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$29.84 F CFA 17.5K

$102 R 1,695

-70.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.68 F CFA 27.9K

$88.5 R 1,469

-46.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 F CFA 69.0K

$492 R 8,173

-76.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$117 F CFA 68.7K

$398 R 6,605

-70.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$406 F CFA 237.9K

$946 R 15.7K

-57.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 F CFA 217.0K

$827 R 13.7K

-55.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,099 R 18.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,595 F CFA 1.5M

$769 R 12.8K

237.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$280 F CFA 164.2K

$1,502 R 24.9K

-81.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.23

-64.38%

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

Last update for Benin: October 26, 2026

Last update for South Africa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Benin

$233 28.6%

South Africa

$207 17.2% 11% $26

Groceries & Markets

Benin

$183 22.5%

South Africa

$196 16.3% 6.9% $13

Eating Out

Benin

$154 18.9%

South Africa

$157 13.1% 2.2% $3.4

Accommodation & Living

Benin

$117 14.4%

South Africa

$398 33.1% 239% $280

Sport & Entertainment

Benin

$56 6.9%

South Africa

$47 4% 15.2% $8.5

Clothing & Footwear

Benin

$48 5.9%

South Africa

$126 10.4% 160% $77

Getting Around

Benin

$22 2.7%

South Africa

$71 5.9% 225% $49

Cost Breakdown

Average salary: $168 in Benin vs $1,488 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 210% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 26% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 663% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are about 8.9 times higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

Good to know

🇧🇯 Benin

🇿🇦 South Africa

🕒 Local time

01:35 1:35 AM

02:35 2:35 AM

1 h ahead of Benin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,111,034

62,027,503

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.02 USD

100 ZAR = 5.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, 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 3, 2026: 1 USD = 586 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 16.61 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.02 USD). 1 EUR = 18.61 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.37 EUR).

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Benin South Africa 4,700 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Benin
South Africa

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 South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Benin is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 32% lower on average.

Housing costs more in South Africa: a central one-bedroom averages $422 versus $136 in Benin.

$1,200 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Benin, but in South Africa 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.