Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cotonou and Abomey-Calavi

For one person, living is cheaper in Abomey-Calavi: $712 a month against $897 in Cotonou, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Cotonou
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Cotonou Living Index
34

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

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Cotonou

🇧🇯 Benin

$897

/mo nomad

Abomey-Calavi

🇧🇯 Benin

$712

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cotonou 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 Cotonou and in Abomey-Calavi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $897 per month in Cotonou vs $712 in Abomey-Calavi, rent included.

Cotonou $897
Abomey-Calavi $712

A couple spends around $1,428 per month in Cotonou vs $1,119 in Abomey-Calavi, rent included.

Cotonou $1,428
Abomey-Calavi $1,119

A family of three spends $1,958 per month in Cotonou vs $1,526 in Abomey-Calavi, rent included.

Cotonou $1,958
Abomey-Calavi $1,526

Cotonou costs about 26% more than Abomey-Calavi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cotonou and Abomey-Calavi are more affordable than the global median – Cotonou 34% lower, Abomey-Calavi 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.18 F CFA 3,042

$5.67 F CFA 3,333

-8.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.68 F CFA 21.0K

$25.09 F CFA 14.7K

42.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 F CFA 5,512

$7.97 F CFA 4,681

17.82%

Cappuccino

$5.25 F CFA 3,085

$4.61 F CFA 2,705

13.88%

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

$1.00 F CFA 588

$1.14 F CFA 668

-12.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 F CFA 521

$1.75 F CFA 1,027

-49.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.87 F CFA 509

$1.71 F CFA 1,007

-49.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 F CFA 1,521

$5.03 F CFA 2,957

-48.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.10 F CFA 1,819

$2.18 F CFA 1,281

42.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 F CFA 723

$0.25 F CFA 146

392.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 F CFA 1,105

$1.97 F CFA 1,158

-4.57%

Eggs

$2.74 F CFA 1,610

$1.92 F CFA 1,125

42.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 F CFA 5,435

$3.40 F CFA 1,996

172.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.43 F CFA 3,188

$3.94 F CFA 2,313

37.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.04 F CFA 2,959

$6.06 F CFA 3,562

-16.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 F CFA 2,345

$2.10 F CFA 1,232

90.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 F CFA 1,043

$0.87 F CFA 513

104.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 F CFA 779

$0.70 F CFA 410

90.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 F CFA 1,591

$2.09 F CFA 1,226

29.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 F CFA 744

$0.93 F CFA 544

36.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 F CFA 987

$0.76 F CFA 443

121.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 F CFA 253

$0.71 F CFA 414

-39.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 F CFA 670

$0.88 F CFA 515

29.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 F CFA 1,977

$0.41 F CFA 243

721.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.30 F CFA 2,523

$10.84 F CFA 6,367

-60.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 F CFA 688

$0.92 F CFA 543

27.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 F CFA 1,092

$1.09 F CFA 642

70.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 F CFA 764

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.62 F CFA 4,478

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 F CFA 808

$1.74 F CFA 1,022

-20.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 F CFA 776

$1.74 F CFA 1,023

-24.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 F CFA 694

$1.20 F CFA 705

-1.67%

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

$23.5K F CFA 13.8M

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

$145 F CFA 85.1K

$118 F CFA 69.3K

22.85%

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

$33.52 F CFA 19.7K

$19.68 F CFA 11.6K

70.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.06 F CFA 28.8K

$86.4 F CFA 50.7K

-43.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.60 F CFA 28.0K

$33.76 F CFA 19.8K

41.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.36 F CFA 1,973

$5.18 F CFA 3,041

-35.14%

Cinema Ticket

$8.58 F CFA 5,042

$5.99 F CFA 3,519

43.24%

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

$131 F CFA 76.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,544 F CFA 3.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.39 F CFA 14.9K

$16.82 F CFA 9,878

50.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$8.48 F CFA 4,980

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$33.44 F CFA 19.6K

$25.81 F CFA 15.2K

29.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.9 F CFA 39.9K

$25.94 F CFA 15.2K

161.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$176 F CFA 103.3K

$96.9 F CFA 56.9K

81.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$163 F CFA 95.6K

$72.2 F CFA 42.4K

125.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 F CFA 352.4K

$209 F CFA 122.6K

187.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$412 F CFA 242.3K

$275 F CFA 161.7K

49.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$251 F CFA 147.1K

$85.1 F CFA 50.0K

194.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Cotonou: October 26, 2026

Last update for Abomey-Calavi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cotonou

$227 25.4%

Abomey-Calavi

$224 31.4% 1.5% $3.5

Groceries & Markets

Cotonou

$222 24.8%

Abomey-Calavi

$163 22.9% 26.6% $59

Accommodation & Living

Cotonou

$163 18.2%

Abomey-Calavi

$72 10.1% 55.6% $91

Eating Out

Cotonou

$150 16.7%

Abomey-Calavi

$155 21.7% 3.4% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Cotonou

$65 7.2%

Abomey-Calavi

$46 6.4% 29.4% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Cotonou

$57 * 6.4%

Abomey-Calavi

$35 4.9% 39.2% $22

Getting Around

Cotonou

$13 * 1.5%

Abomey-Calavi

$18 * 2.5% 37.1% $4.9

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $176 in Cotonou versus $97 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 in Cotonou are about 2.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Cotonou versus $25 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

🇧🇯 Cotonou

🇧🇯 Abomey-Calavi

🕒 Local time

19:40 7:40 PM

Same time as Cotonou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

780,000

650,000

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Cotonou Abomey-Calavi 12 km

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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

Cotonou vs Abomey-Calavi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cotonou is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,345 per month in Cotonou and $1,069 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $97 there versus $176 in Cotonou.

Groceries cost about 36% more in Cotonou, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Cotonou and $25 in Abomey-Calavi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $897 in Cotonou and $712 in Abomey-Calavi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Cotonou has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $712 in Abomey-Calavi to $897 in Cotonou. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Abomey-Calavi. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cotonou makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.