Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Abomey-Calavi

For one person, living is cheaper in Abomey-Calavi: $714 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Abomey-Calavi
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Abomey-Calavi Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Abomey-Calavi

🇧🇯 Benin

$714

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town and in Abomey-Calavi

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

A single person spends $1,568 per month in Cape Town vs $714 in Abomey-Calavi, rent included.

Cape Town $1,568
Abomey-Calavi $714

A couple spends around $2,438 per month in Cape Town vs $1,133 in Abomey-Calavi, rent included.

Cape Town $2,438
Abomey-Calavi $1,133

A family of three spends $3,307 per month in Cape Town vs $1,553 in Abomey-Calavi, rent included.

Cape Town $3,307
Abomey-Calavi $1,553

Cape Town costs about 119% more than Abomey-Calavi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Abomey-Calavi is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 R 194

$5.77 F CFA 3,375

104.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 R 768

$25.69 F CFA 15.0K

81.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 R 98.4

$8.11 F CFA 4,745

-26.51%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R 40.80

$4.71 F CFA 2,753

-47.56%

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

$1.33 R 21.91

$1.11 F CFA 647

19.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 16.99

$1.76 F CFA 1,032

-41.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 R 49.72

$1.76 F CFA 1,031

71.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R 60.4

$5.07 F CFA 2,967

-27.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 22.96

$2.19 F CFA 1,282

-36.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.60

$0.25 F CFA 145

376.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 R 34.84

$1.96 F CFA 1,148

7.65%

Eggs

$3.01 R 49.58

$2.03 F CFA 1,190

48.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 148

$3.42 F CFA 1,999

161.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 R 110

$3.79 F CFA 2,220

75.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 R 153

$5.90 F CFA 3,453

57.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.13

$2.21 F CFA 1,296

-17.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.31

$0.90 F CFA 526

111.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.83

$0.67 F CFA 389

161.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 R 34.41

$2.03 F CFA 1,188

2.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.64

$0.97 F CFA 570

59.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.53

$0.81 F CFA 475

83.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$0.68 F CFA 397

91.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 19.19

$0.89 F CFA 519

30.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 R 61.2

$0.44 F CFA 260

743.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 100

$10.66 F CFA 6,237

-43.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.85

$0.97 F CFA 566

43.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.32

$1.12 F CFA 654

96.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 24.98

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,006

$7.65 F CFA 4,474

696.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.33

$1.71 F CFA 1,003

-63.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 R 25.29

$1.75 F CFA 1,025

-12.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 26.08

$1.21 F CFA 710

30.58%

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

$35.5K R 585.7K

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

$31.7K R 523.8K

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

$116 R 1,920

$119 F CFA 69.8K

-2.45%

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

$28.37 R 468

$19.96 F CFA 11.7K

42.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 R 671

$87.0 F CFA 50.9K

-53.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.85 R 806

$34.49 F CFA 20.2K

41.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 184

$5.19 F CFA 3,035

114.45%

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 R 146

$6.09 F CFA 3,564

44.99%

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

$261 R 4,314

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 110.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R 914

$17.19 F CFA 10.1K

222.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 532

$8.54 F CFA 4,998

277.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,939

$26.30 F CFA 15.4K

346.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 R 1,766

$25.80 F CFA 15.1K

314.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 R 16.7K

$101 F CFA 58.8K

909.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 R 11.8K

$73.8 F CFA 43.2K

868.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 R 29.7K

$221 F CFA 129.2K

715.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 R 22.0K

$278 F CFA 162.5K

379.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,636 R 27.0K

$85.1 F CFA 49.8K

1823.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Last update for Abomey-Calavi: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

Abomey-Calavi

$74 10.3% 89.7% $642

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

Abomey-Calavi

$163 22.6% 26.8% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

Abomey-Calavi

$226 31.4% 22% $41

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11%

Abomey-Calavi

$157 21.9% 9.4% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Abomey-Calavi

$35 4.9% 75.1% $105

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Abomey-Calavi

$18 * 2.5% 75.9% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Abomey-Calavi

$47 6.5% 29.8% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,015 in Cape Town versus $101 in Abomey-Calavi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1823% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Cape Town versus $26.00 in Abomey-Calavi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $163 – making Abomey-Calavi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇧🇯 Abomey-Calavi

🕒 Local time

08:41 8:41 AM

07:41 7:41 AM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

650,000

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 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).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Abomey-Calavi 4,800 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Abomey-Calavi

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

Cape Town vs Abomey-Calavi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cape Town is pricier by about 119%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,352 per month in Cape Town and $1,071 in Abomey-Calavi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Abomey-Calavi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,568 in Cape Town and $714 in Abomey-Calavi. That's a gap of about 119%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Cape Town and $26.00 in Abomey-Calavi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Abomey-Calavi, where all-in costs run around $714, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Abomey-Calavi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Abomey-Calavi – 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 Abomey-Calavi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.