Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cotonou and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotonou: $901 a month against $1,351 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cotonou
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Cotonou Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Cotonou

🇧🇯 Benin

$901

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cotonou and in Bucharest

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $901 in Cotonou versus $1,351 in Bucharest.

Cotonou $901
Bucharest $1,351

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,417 in Cotonou versus $2,033 in Bucharest.

Cotonou $1,417
Bucharest $2,033

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,933 in Cotonou versus $2,715 in Bucharest.

Cotonou $1,933
Bucharest $2,715

Living in Cotonou costs roughly 33% less than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cotonou is 33% below, Bucharest is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.05 F CFA 2,954

$14.46 RON 68.4

-65.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.47 F CFA 20.8K

$57.7 RON 273

-38.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.56 F CFA 5,592

$7.50 RON 35.46

27.47%

Cappuccino

$5.21 F CFA 3,051

$3.43 RON 16.20

51.90%

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

$1.06 F CFA 619

$2.46 RON 11.63

-56.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 F CFA 521

$2.33 RON 11.01

-61.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.84 F CFA 490

$3.80 RON 17.97

-77.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 F CFA 1,497

$4.10 RON 19.41

-37.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.07 F CFA 1,793

$1.65 RON 7.79

86.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 F CFA 695

$1.35 RON 6.39

-11.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 F CFA 1,070

$1.78 RON 8.42

2.81%

Eggs

$2.69 F CFA 1,576

$3.66 RON 17.33

-26.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.19 F CFA 5,375

$8.57 RON 40.54

7.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 F CFA 3,180

$6.80 RON 32.17

-20.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.04 F CFA 2,946

$11.72 RON 55.4

-57.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 F CFA 2,372

$1.29 RON 6.11

213.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 F CFA 1,074

$1.56 RON 7.37

17.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 F CFA 750

$1.54 RON 7.28

-16.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 F CFA 1,595

$2.48 RON 11.75

10.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 F CFA 736

$0.83 RON 3.92

51.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 F CFA 1,021

$0.80 RON 3.77

117.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 F CFA 256

$0.84 RON 3.98

-47.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 F CFA 641

$0.93 RON 4.39

18.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.48 F CFA 2,037

$6.44 RON 30.45

-45.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.18 F CFA 2,444

$6.32 RON 29.91

-33.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 F CFA 718

$1.26 RON 5.94

-2.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 F CFA 1,116

$1.60 RON 7.59

19.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 F CFA 757

$0.81 RON 3.85

59.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.13 RON 99.9

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 F CFA 782

$0.60 RON 2.86

123.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 F CFA 809

$0.61 RON 2.91

126.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 RON 29.19

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 F CFA 727

$1.96 RON 9.27

-36.73%

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

$28.1K RON 133.1K

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

$24.0K F CFA 14.1M

$26.3K RON 124.3K

-8.53%

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

$146 F CFA 85.4K

$197 RON 931

-25.84%

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

$33.86 F CFA 19.8K

$8.34 RON 39.44

306.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.15 F CFA 28.8K

$9.19 RON 43.47

434.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.30 F CFA 28.8K

$49.87 RON 236

-1.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.44 F CFA 2,015

$24.99 RON 118

-86.23%

Cinema Ticket

$8.68 F CFA 5,079

$8.46 RON 40.01

2.60%

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

$131 F CFA 76.5K

$639 RON 3,023

-79.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,460 F CFA 3.2M

$14.4K RON 68.1K

-62.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.96 F CFA 15.2K

$90.6 RON 429

-71.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 RON 180

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$33.73 F CFA 19.7K

$79.7 RON 377

-57.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.9 F CFA 39.7K

$93.2 RON 441

-27.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$180 F CFA 105.6K

$673 RON 3,184

-73.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$165 F CFA 96.6K

$449 RON 2,123

-63.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$599 F CFA 350.7K

$1,098 RON 5,195

-45.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$411 F CFA 240.7K

$729 RON 3,448

-43.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 RON 17.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,189 RON 10.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$258 F CFA 151.0K

$1,323 RON 6,259

-80.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

-40.65%

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

Last update for Cotonou: October 3, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cotonou

$229 25.4%

Bucharest

$214 16% 6.4% $15

Groceries & Markets

Cotonou

$221 24.5%

Bucharest

$222 16.5% 0.3% $0.8

Accommodation & Living

Cotonou

$165 18.3%

Bucharest

$449 33.5% 172% $284

Eating Out

Cotonou

$149 16.5%

Bucharest

$226 16.8% 51.7% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Cotonou

$67 7.4%

Bucharest

$67 5% 0.2% $0.1

Clothing & Footwear

Cotonou

$57 * 6.4%

Bucharest

$136 10.1% 136% $78

Getting Around

Cotonou

$13 * 1.5%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 109% $15

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $180 in Cotonou and $673 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 413% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $35.00 in Cotonou vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $221 vs $222 per month, with Cotonou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇯 Cotonou

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

08:28 8:28 AM

10:28 10:28 AM

2 h ahead of Cotonou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

780,000

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, 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 October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cotonou Bucharest 4,820 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Cotonou
Bucharest

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 Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cotonou and Bucharest differ by about 50% in total monthly costs ($901 vs $1,351 including rent). Cotonou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 413% lower in Bucharest. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $180 in Cotonou versus $673 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Bucharest. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $901 per month in Cotonou versus $1,351 in Bucharest – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $901 in Cotonou versus $1,351 in Bucharest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cotonou but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Cotonou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Cotonou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.