Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Benin

Name: Benin
Address: BJ

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.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Benin
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Benin Living Index

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🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

🇧🇯 Benin

$814

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Benin

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

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

China $791
Benin $814

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

China $1,251
Benin $1,313

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

China $1,711
Benin $1,812

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 China is roughly 3% lower than in Benin on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 ¥19.76

$5.09 F CFA 2,975

-41.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.09 ¥147

$35.52 F CFA 20.8K

-37.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥34.51

$9.34 F CFA 5,465

-44.33%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.68

$5.26 F CFA 3,076

-43.54%

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

$0.48 ¥3.18

$1.22 F CFA 712

-60.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.00

$1.33 F CFA 780

-77.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ¥7.16

$0.81 F CFA 474

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.11

$3.89 F CFA 2,278

-41.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥11.93

$2.26 F CFA 1,321

-20.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.12

$0.82 F CFA 481

104.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.12

$1.84 F CFA 1,073

-50.00%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.70

$2.15 F CFA 1,257

-25.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 ¥88.8

$7.52 F CFA 4,401

77.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.22

$4.51 F CFA 2,639

-25.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 ¥75.3

$5.39 F CFA 3,151

110.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.09

$2.94 F CFA 1,721

-38.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.67

$1.20 F CFA 702

9.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.86

$1.21 F CFA 705

23.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.45

$2.46 F CFA 1,436

-48.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.72

$1.31 F CFA 764

-45.80%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.20

$1.18 F CFA 691

-21.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.11

$0.46 F CFA 269

34.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.73

$0.86 F CFA 501

-34.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥25.08

$1.95 F CFA 1,141

93.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 ¥80.5

$4.16 F CFA 2,433

191.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.52

$1.21 F CFA 705

-31.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.18

$1.75 F CFA 1,023

-4.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$1.27 F CFA 742

-77.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.83 ¥118

$7.59 F CFA 4,440

134.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ¥9.87

$1.55 F CFA 908

-3.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.49

$1.54 F CFA 901

-75.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 ¥47.11

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.35

$1.24 F CFA 723

1.61%

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)

$17.5K ¥116.4K

$23.9K F CFA 14.0M

-26.51%

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

$54.6 ¥362

$147 F CFA 86.2K

-62.96%

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

$8.73 ¥58.0

$31.46 F CFA 18.4K

-72.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 ¥73.5

$54.1 F CFA 31.7K

-79.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 ¥271

$38.80 F CFA 22.7K

5.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 ¥96.1

$4.13 F CFA 2,418

250.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ¥45.00

$8.57 F CFA 5,011

-20.89%

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

$517 ¥3,429

$131 F CFA 76.7K

294.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ¥131.5K

$5,539 F CFA 3.2M

257.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.53 ¥309

$21.47 F CFA 12.6K

116.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.66 ¥237

$8.30 F CFA 4,856

329.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥511

$29.84 F CFA 17.5K

158.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 ¥533

$47.68 F CFA 27.9K

68.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 ¥2,560

$118 F CFA 69.0K

227.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 ¥1,557

$117 F CFA 68.7K

99.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,454

$406 F CFA 237.6K

102.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 ¥3,007

$370 F CFA 216.7K

22.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,697 ¥31.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,372 ¥15.7K

$2,595 F CFA 1.5M

-8.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,093 ¥7,255

$280 F CFA 164.0K

289.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

-13.50%

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

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Last update for Benin: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$235 29.6%

Benin

$117 14.4% 50% $117

Groceries & Markets

China

$210 26.5%

Benin

$183 22.5% 12.7% $27

Clothing & Footwear

China

$108 13.6%

Benin

$48 5.9% 55.2% $59

Eating Out

China

$88 11.1%

Benin

$154 18.9% 74.7% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$74 9.4%

Benin

$233 28.6% 213% $159

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.9%

Benin

$56 6.9% 2.9% $1.6

Getting Around

China

$22 2.8%

Benin

$22 2.7% 1.9% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

Average salary: $873 in China vs $168 in Benin. 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

🇨🇳 China

🇧🇯 Benin

🕒 Local time

06:51 6:51 AM

23:51 11:51 PM

7 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

14,111,034

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.151 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

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).

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).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

China Benin 11,540 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Benin

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

China vs Benin: 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.