Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cotonou and Selangor

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotonou: $902 a month against $1,020 in Selangor, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Selangor
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Selangor Living Index

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Cotonou

🇧🇯 Benin

$902

/mo nomad

Selangor

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,020

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cotonou and in Selangor

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $902 in Cotonou versus $1,020 in Selangor.

Cotonou $902
Selangor $1,020

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,425 in Cotonou versus $1,469 in Selangor.

Cotonou $1,425
Selangor $1,469

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,949 in Cotonou versus $1,918 in Selangor.

Cotonou $1,949
Selangor $1,918

Living in Cotonou costs roughly 12% less than in Selangor, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cotonou 33% lower, Selangor 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.96 F CFA 2,895

$4.33 MYR 17.67

14.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.49 F CFA 20.7K

$19.20 MYR 78.3

84.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.52 F CFA 5,554

$4.04 MYR 16.46

135.64%

Cappuccino

$4.98 F CFA 2,905

$2.26 MYR 9.23

120.35%

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

$1.01 F CFA 587

$0.78 MYR 3.18

29.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 F CFA 542

$0.47 MYR 1.93

97.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.83 F CFA 484

$4.43 MYR 18.08

-81.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 F CFA 1,466

$4.96 MYR 20.24

-49.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.05 F CFA 1,776

$1.93 MYR 7.87

58.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 F CFA 688

$1.05 MYR 4.30

12.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 F CFA 1,096

$1.53 MYR 6.25

22.88%

Eggs

$2.68 F CFA 1,564

$1.92 MYR 7.82

39.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.17 F CFA 5,346

$14.26 MYR 58.2

-35.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.38 F CFA 3,139

$4.36 MYR 17.78

23.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.27 F CFA 3,075

$9.60 MYR 39.16

-45.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 F CFA 2,417

$3.44 MYR 14.04

20.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 F CFA 1,064

$1.84 MYR 7.52

-1.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 F CFA 773

$2.34 MYR 9.55

-43.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 F CFA 1,497

$1.59 MYR 6.49

61.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 F CFA 756

$1.34 MYR 5.45

-2.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 F CFA 1,001

$1.03 MYR 4.21

66.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 F CFA 274

$1.11 MYR 4.52

-57.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 F CFA 640

$0.54 MYR 2.19

103.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.49 F CFA 2,035

$4.50 MYR 18.35

-22.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.37 F CFA 2,546

$19.53 MYR 79.7

-77.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 F CFA 704

$3.59 MYR 14.64

-66.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 F CFA 1,119

$4.86 MYR 19.81

-60.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 F CFA 760

$1.19 MYR 4.87

9.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.26 MYR 50.0

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 F CFA 809

$1.24 MYR 5.06

12.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 F CFA 811

$1.25 MYR 5.10

11.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.34 MYR 17.72

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 F CFA 693

$0.73 MYR 2.99

63.01%

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

$41.9K MYR 171.0K

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

$23.5K F CFA 13.7M

$35.3K MYR 143.8K

-33.37%

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

$148 F CFA 86.4K

$63.4 MYR 258

133.96%

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

$33.44 F CFA 19.5K

$8.50 MYR 34.69

293.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.94 F CFA 28.0K

$25.97 MYR 106

84.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.08 F CFA 28.6K

$41.09 MYR 168

19.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.38 F CFA 1,972

$6.87 MYR 28.04

-50.80%

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 F CFA 5,058

$5.05 MYR 20.59

71.68%

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

$133 F CFA 77.3K

$122 MYR 499

8.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,619 F CFA 3.3M

$7,175 MYR 29.3K

-21.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.33 F CFA 14.8K

$70.8 MYR 289

-64.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.40 MYR 169

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$34.08 F CFA 19.9K

$77.1 MYR 315

-55.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.4 F CFA 39.3K

$83.0 MYR 339

-18.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$182 F CFA 106.1K

$511 MYR 2,083

-64.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 F CFA 98.3K

$346 MYR 1,413

-51.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 F CFA 350.0K

$880 MYR 3,589

-31.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 F CFA 238.5K

$481 MYR 1,963

-15.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,578 MYR 6,438

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$705 MYR 2,875

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$258 F CFA 150.5K

$1,019 MYR 4,157

-74.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

1.01%

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

Last update for Cotonou: October 12, 2026

Last update for Selangor: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cotonou

$230 25.5%

Selangor

$98 9.6% 57.4% $132

Groceries & Markets

Cotonou

$222 24.6%

Selangor

$266 26.1% 20.2% $45

Accommodation & Living

Cotonou

$169 18.7%

Selangor

$346 34% 105% $178

Eating Out

Cotonou

$145 16.1%

Selangor

$111 10.9% 23.4% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Cotonou

$66 7.4%

Selangor

$51 5% 23% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Cotonou

$57 * 6.3%

Selangor

$123 12% 115% $65

Getting Around

Cotonou

$14 * 1.5%

Selangor

$25 2.4% 81% $11

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 $182 in Cotonou and $511 in Selangor. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Selangor pays 295% 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 $19.00 in Selangor. Groceries flip the comparison at $222 vs $266, with Cotonou cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇯 Cotonou

🇲🇾 Selangor

🕒 Local time

00:24 12:24 AM

07:24 7:24 AM

7 h ahead of Cotonou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

780,000

281,717

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 583 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cotonou Selangor 10,940 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cotonou
Selangor

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 Selangor: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cotonou is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 295% lower in Selangor. 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: $182 in Cotonou versus $511 in Selangor. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Selangor. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $902 per month in Cotonou versus $1,020 in Selangor – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $902 in Cotonou versus $1,020 in Selangor, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cotonou but tight or insufficient in Selangor. 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.

Safety-wise, Cotonou and Selangor are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cotonou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Selangor. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.