Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cotonou and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotonou: $897 a month against $1,362 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Cotonou
Learn more

Cotonou Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
Learn more

Almaty Living Index

Jump to prices

Cotonou

🇧🇯 Benin

$897

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,362

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cotonou and in Almaty

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

A single person spends $897 per month in Cotonou vs $1,362 in Almaty, rent included.

Cotonou $897
Almaty $1,362

A couple spends around $1,428 per month in Cotonou vs $2,151 in Almaty, rent included.

Cotonou $1,428
Almaty $2,151

A family of three spends $1,958 per month in Cotonou vs $2,940 in Almaty, rent included.

Cotonou $1,958
Almaty $2,940

Cotonou is about 34% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.18 F CFA 3,042

$13.32 ₸6,040

-61.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.68 F CFA 21.0K

$44.80 ₸20.3K

-20.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 F CFA 5,514

$8.94 ₸4,054

5.03%

Cappuccino

$5.25 F CFA 3,085

$3.37 ₸1,530

55.79%

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

$1.00 F CFA 589

$1.32 ₸599

-24.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 F CFA 521

$0.87 ₸397

2.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.87 F CFA 510

$3.15 ₸1,428

-72.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 F CFA 1,522

$3.95 ₸1,794

-34.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.10 F CFA 1,820

$1.66 ₸752

86.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 F CFA 724

$0.86 ₸392

43.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 F CFA 1,105

$2.01 ₸910

-6.47%

Eggs

$2.74 F CFA 1,610

$2.47 ₸1,122

10.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 F CFA 5,436

$12.58 ₸5,704

-26.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.43 F CFA 3,189

$6.57 ₸2,980

-17.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.04 F CFA 2,959

$10.61 ₸4,812

-52.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 F CFA 2,345

$1.79 ₸812

122.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 F CFA 1,043

$2.30 ₸1,041

-22.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 F CFA 779

$2.96 ₸1,344

-55.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 F CFA 1,591

$2.86 ₸1,295

-5.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 F CFA 745

$0.81 ₸365

56.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 F CFA 987

$0.59 ₸267

184.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 F CFA 253

$1.58 ₸718

-72.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 F CFA 670

$0.99 ₸451

15.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 F CFA 1,977

$2.74 ₸1,243

22.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.30 F CFA 2,524

$11.30 ₸5,125

-61.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 F CFA 688

$1.22 ₸555

-4.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 F CFA 1,092

$2.46 ₸1,117

-24.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 F CFA 764

$0.26 ₸117

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.98 ₸9,971

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 F CFA 808

$1.35 ₸613

2.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 F CFA 776

$0.70 ₸318

88.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.12 ₸5,044

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 F CFA 695

$0.72 ₸328

63.89%

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

$28.4K ₸12.9M

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

$23.5K F CFA 13.8M

$31.8K ₸14.4M

-26.06%

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

$145 F CFA 85.1K

$91.3 ₸41.4K

58.67%

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

$33.52 F CFA 19.7K

$10.60 ₸4,807

216.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.06 F CFA 28.8K

$17.89 ₸8,113

174.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.60 F CFA 28.0K

$65.3 ₸29.6K

-27.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.36 F CFA 1,973

$27.76 ₸12.6K

-87.90%

Cinema Ticket

$8.58 F CFA 5,043

$6.47 ₸2,933

32.61%

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

$131 F CFA 76.9K

$473 ₸214.4K

-72.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,544 F CFA 3.3M

$12.3K ₸5.6M

-54.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.39 F CFA 14.9K

$93.1 ₸42.2K

-72.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.67 ₸21.6K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$33.44 F CFA 19.6K

$143 ₸64.7K

-76.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.9 F CFA 39.9K

$134 ₸61.0K

-49.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$176 F CFA 103.4K

$780 ₸354.0K

-77.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$163 F CFA 95.7K

$492 ₸223.2K

-66.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 F CFA 352.5K

$1,419 ₸643.8K

-57.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$412 F CFA 242.3K

$934 ₸423.7K

-55.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,462 ₸1.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,591 ₸721.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$251 F CFA 147.2K

$873 ₸395.8K

-71.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

-80.63%

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

Last update for Cotonou: October 26, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cotonou

$227 25.4%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 47.3% $108

Groceries & Markets

Cotonou

$222 24.8%

Almaty

$250 18.4% 12.6% $28

Accommodation & Living

Cotonou

$163 18.2%

Almaty

$492 36.1% 202% $329

Eating Out

Cotonou

$150 16.7%

Almaty

$206 15.1% 37.8% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Cotonou

$65 7.2%

Almaty

$78 5.7% 20.8% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Cotonou

$57 * 6.4%

Almaty

$188 13.8% 230% $131

Getting Around

Cotonou

$13 * 1.5%

Almaty

$28 2.1% 112% $15

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 $780 in Almaty. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Almaty are about 3.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Cotonou versus $45 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $250 – making Cotonou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇯 Cotonou

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

08:31 8:31 AM

12:31 12:31 PM

4 h ahead of Cotonou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

780,000

1,475,400

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 587 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 454 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cotonou Almaty 8,270 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cotonou
Almaty

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 Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 52%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,345 per month in Cotonou and $2,043 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cotonou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $176 there versus $780 in Almaty.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $897 in Cotonou and $1,362 in Almaty. That makes Cotonou about 34% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $131 per month in Cotonou and $473 in Almaty. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cotonou, where all-in costs run around $897, than in Almaty at $1,362. In Cotonou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cotonou – 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 Cotonou. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Almaty makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.