Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cotonou and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotonou: $897 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 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
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Cotonou

🇧🇯 Benin

$897

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cotonou and in Mexico City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $897 in Cotonou versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

Cotonou $897
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,428 in Cotonou versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

Cotonou $1,428
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,958 in Cotonou versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

Cotonou $1,958
Mexico City $3,490

Living in Cotonou costs roughly 44% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cotonou is 34% below, Mexico City is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.18 F CFA 3,042

$10.62 MX$200

-51.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.68 F CFA 21.0K

$48.35 MX$909

-26.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 F CFA 5,514

$10.35 MX$194

-9.28%

Cappuccino

$5.25 F CFA 3,085

$3.69 MX$69.4

42.28%

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

$1.00 F CFA 589

$1.67 MX$31.32

-40.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 F CFA 521

$1.27 MX$23.78

-29.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.87 F CFA 510

$3.19 MX$60.0

-72.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 F CFA 1,522

$5.31 MX$99.7

-51.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.10 F CFA 1,820

$1.72 MX$32.41

80.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 F CFA 724

$3.04 MX$57.1

-59.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 F CFA 1,105

$1.94 MX$36.48

-3.09%

Eggs

$2.74 F CFA 1,610

$2.89 MX$54.3

-5.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 F CFA 5,436

$10.97 MX$206

-15.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.43 F CFA 3,189

$9.25 MX$174

-41.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.04 F CFA 2,959

$15.13 MX$284

-66.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 F CFA 2,345

$3.05 MX$57.3

30.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 F CFA 1,043

$1.94 MX$36.48

-8.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 F CFA 779

$2.03 MX$38.06

-34.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 F CFA 1,591

$2.31 MX$43.50

17.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 F CFA 745

$2.04 MX$38.25

-37.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 F CFA 987

$1.80 MX$33.83

-6.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 F CFA 253

$1.48 MX$27.80

-70.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 F CFA 670

$1.27 MX$23.82

-10.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 F CFA 1,977

$5.30 MX$99.7

-36.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.30 F CFA 2,524

$16.10 MX$303

-73.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 F CFA 688

$1.98 MX$37.27

-40.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 F CFA 1,092

$4.25 MX$79.9

-56.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 F CFA 764

$0.31 MX$5.73

319.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 F CFA 808

$1.84 MX$34.53

-25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 F CFA 776

$0.53 MX$10.03

149.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 F CFA 695

$1.51 MX$28.39

-21.85%

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

$21.8K MX$408.8K

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

$23.5K F CFA 13.8M

$24.0K MX$450.8K

-1.99%

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

$145 F CFA 85.1K

$63.0 MX$1,184

129.99%

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

$33.52 F CFA 19.7K

$27.39 MX$515

22.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.06 F CFA 28.8K

$35.67 MX$670

37.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.60 F CFA 28.0K

$58.9 MX$1,108

-19.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.36 F CFA 1,973

$23.64 MX$444

-85.79%

Cinema Ticket

$8.58 F CFA 5,043

$6.40 MX$120

34.06%

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

$131 F CFA 76.9K

$432 MX$8,111

-69.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,544 F CFA 3.3M

$11.4K MX$214.7K

-51.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.39 F CFA 14.9K

$68.2 MX$1,282

-62.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$999

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$33.44 F CFA 19.6K

$108 MX$2,026

-68.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.9 F CFA 39.9K

$117 MX$2,204

-42.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$176 F CFA 103.4K

$1,113 MX$20.9K

-84.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$163 F CFA 95.7K

$710 MX$13.4K

-77.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 F CFA 352.5K

$2,588 MX$48.6K

-76.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$412 F CFA 242.3K

$1,406 MX$26.4K

-70.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$251 F CFA 147.2K

$946 MX$17.8K

-73.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

-64.76%

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

Last update for Cotonou: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cotonou

$227 25.4%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 44.6% $101

Groceries & Markets

Cotonou

$222 24.8%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 43.9% $98

Accommodation & Living

Cotonou

$163 18.2%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 336% $548

Eating Out

Cotonou

$150 16.7%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 32.7% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Cotonou

$65 7.2%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 10.8% $7

Clothing & Footwear

Cotonou

$57 * 6.4%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 173% $99

Getting Around

Cotonou

$13 * 1.5%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 93.2% $12

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 $176 in Cotonou and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 3.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $36 in Cotonou vs $48 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $320 per month, with Cotonou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇯 Cotonou

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

06:43 6:43 AM

23:43 11:43 PM

7 h behind Cotonou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

780,000

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, 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 = 1.52 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cotonou Mexico City 10,970 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cotonou
Mexico City

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cotonou is about 44% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, groceries, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 74% lower in Cotonou. 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: $176 in Cotonou versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $897 per month in Cotonou versus $1,608 in Mexico City – Cotonou is about 44% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $897 in Cotonou versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cotonou but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. 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.

It comes down to priorities – Cotonou wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.