Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jos and Benin

For one person, living is cheaper in Benin: $445 a month against $534 in Jos, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in Jos despite lower rent and utilities.

26

Cost of Living Index in Jos
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Jos Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Benin
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Benin Living Index

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Jos

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$534

/mo nomad

Benin

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$445

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jos and in Benin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Jos and in Benin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $534 per month in Jos vs $445 in Benin, rent included.

Jos $534
Benin $445

A couple spends around $1,097 per month in Jos vs $753 in Benin, rent included.

Jos $1,097
Benin $753

A family of three spends $1,661 per month in Jos vs $1,061 in Benin, rent included.

Jos $1,661
Benin $1,061

Jos costs about 20% more than Benin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Jos and Benin are more affordable than the global median – Jos 61% lower, Benin 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ₦2,729

$1.29 ₦1,727

58.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ₦40.4K

$49.53 ₦66.4K

-39.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.97 ₦5,325

$5.72 ₦7,661

-30.59%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₦4,357

$2.82 ₦3,786

15.25%

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

$0.43 ₦571

$0.29 ₦390

48.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₦896

$0.20 ₦264

235.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 ₦1,366

$0.93 ₦1,249

9.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₦2,658

$0.99 ₦1,333

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.70 ₦4,958

$3.05 ₦4,092

21.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 ₦1,171

$0.77 ₦1,026

12.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₦2,931

$1.24 ₦1,665

76.61%

Eggs

$1.79 ₦2,397

$2.19 ₦2,939

-18.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.95 ₦13.3K

$3.55 ₦4,764

180.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.02 ₦6,728

$3.93 ₦5,264

27.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.02 ₦5,384

$4.41 ₦5,908

-8.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 ₦2,674

$1.65 ₦2,206

21.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₦1,940

$1.26 ₦1,688

15.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 ₦2,025

$1.08 ₦1,445

39.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 ₦3,046

$1.47 ₦1,970

54.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 ₦2,390

$1.55 ₦2,074

14.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 ₦3,229

$1.58 ₦2,120

52.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ₦785

$0.89 ₦1,194

-33.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 ₦534

$0.36 ₦487

11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 ₦2,619

$0.54 ₦730

261.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.93 ₦7,949

$2.44 ₦3,267

143.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₦1,605

$0.51 ₦683

135.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 ₦2,371

$0.46 ₦614

284.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.58 ₦780

$0.68 ₦914

-14.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 ₦1,166

$0.89 ₦1,189

-2.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 ₦2,453

$2.22 ₦2,982

-17.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 ₦723

$0.73 ₦981

-26.03%

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

$25.7K ₦34.4M

$11.2K ₦14.9M

130.06%

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

$36.3K ₦48.6M

$28.7K ₦38.4M

26.51%

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

$100 ₦134.5K

$111 ₦148.5K

-9.46%

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

$6.50 ₦8,712

$14.93 ₦20.0K

-56.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.97 ₦38.8K

$32.50 ₦43.6K

-10.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.52 ₦53.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.03 ₦16.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.22 ₦8,331

$6.22 ₦8,332

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

$44.67 ₦59.9K

$668 ₦894.8K

-93.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,001 ₦1.3M

$19.6K ₦26.2M

-94.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.09 ₦13.5K

$14.65 ₦19.6K

-31.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.98 ₦20.1K

$17.85 ₦23.9K

-16.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.0 ₦68.3K

$36.59 ₦49.0K

39.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.1 ₦67.1K

$48.06 ₦64.4K

4.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$554 ₦743.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$483 ₦646.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,030 ₦2.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,485 ₦2.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$102 ₦136.4K

$113 ₦151.1K

-9.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.5

18.39

22.35%

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

Last update for Jos: October 26, 2026

Last update for Benin: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Jos

$203 38.1%

Benin

$147 33% 27.7% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jos

$136 25.5%

Benin

$158 35.5% 16.5% $22

Eating Out

Jos

$81 15.1%

Benin

$70 15.7% 13.3% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Jos

$57 10.6%

Benin

$53 11.8% 7.1% $4.1

Sport & Entertainment

Jos

$52 9.7%

Benin

$12 * 2.8% 76.1% $40

Getting Around

Jos

$4.9 * 0.9%

Benin

$5.1 * 1.2% 3.9% $0.2

Accommodation & Living

Jos

- * 0%

Benin

- * 0%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 11% higher in Benin, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Jos versus $50 in Benin. Groceries tell a different story – $203 in Jos vs $147 in Benin – so Benin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇬 Jos

🇳🇬 Benin

🕒 Local time

16:11 4:11 PM

Same time as Jos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

900,000

1,147,188

💱 Currency

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR

10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Jos Benin 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Jos
Benin

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

Jos vs Benin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $534 in Jos, $445 in Benin – roughly 20% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $800 per month in Jos and $668 in Benin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Jos and $50 in Benin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Jos, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $534 in Jos and $445 in Benin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Benin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $445 in Benin to $534 in Jos. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.