Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Benin and Abuja

For one person, living is cheaper in Benin: $446 a month against $1,087 in Abuja, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Benin, Nigeria
Abuja, Nigeria
Benin
🇳🇬 Nigeria
$446
/mo nomad
Abuja
🇳🇬 Nigeria
$1,087
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Benin and in Abuja

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $446 in Benin versus $1,087 in Abuja.

  • Benin $446
  • Abuja $1,087

Estimated couple costs with rent: $756 in Benin versus $1,937 in Abuja.

  • Benin $756
  • Abuja $1,937

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,065 in Benin versus $2,786 in Abuja.

  • Benin $1,065
  • Abuja $2,786

Living in Benin costs roughly 59% less than in Abuja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Benin 67% lower, Abuja 20% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Benin
Abuja
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.27 ₦1,704
$2.07 ₦2,771
-38.65%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.1 ₦67.0K
$29.92 ₦40.0K
67.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.47 ₦7,320
$3.93 ₦5,255
39.19%
Cappuccino
$2.84 ₦3,801
$3.36 ₦4,497
-15.48%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.29 ₦391
$0.43 ₦575
-32.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.17 ₦226
$0.66 ₦887
-74.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.93 ₦1,249
$0.99 ₦1,330
-6.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 ₦1,207
$1.98 ₦2,643
-54.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Benin
Abuja
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.23 ₦4,318
$3.61 ₦4,821
-10.53%
White Bread (500g)
$0.74 ₦984
$1.27 ₦1,699
-41.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.20 ₦1,603
$2.17 ₦2,905
-44.70%
Eggs
$2.18 ₦2,917
$1.79 ₦2,399
21.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.59 ₦4,796
$11.19 ₦15.0K
-67.92%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.85 ₦5,150
$5.37 ₦7,180
-28.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.51 ₦6,031
$6.06 ₦8,100
-25.58%
Apples (1kg)
$1.62 ₦2,165
$2.00 ₦2,672
-19.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.26 ₦1,685
$1.48 ₦1,973
-14.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.09 ₦1,454
$1.47 ₦1,961
-25.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.54 ₦2,056
$2.32 ₦3,105
-33.62%
Potato (1kg)
$1.58 ₦2,118
$1.84 ₦2,465
-14.13%
Onion (1kg)
$1.51 ₦2,017
$2.48 ₦3,320
-39.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.84 ₦1,120
$0.60 ₦800
40.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.36 ₦487
$0.36 ₦484
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$0.54 ₦725
$1.95 ₦2,612
-72.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$2.46 ₦3,286
$5.69 ₦7,615
-56.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ₦662
$1.18 ₦1,583
-58.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.46 ₦612
$1.85 ₦2,468
-75.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Benin
Abuja
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.46 ₦622
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$32.00 ₦42.8K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.70 ₦938
$0.63 ₦838
11.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.91 ₦1,215
$0.79 ₦1,056
15.19%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.20 ₦2,947
$1.84 ₦2,454
19.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.77 ₦1,028
$0.53 ₦714
45.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$11.3K ₦15.1M
$26.1K ₦34.9M
-56.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.2K ₦39.0M
$36.4K ₦48.7M
-19.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Benin
Abuja
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$111 ₦149.1K
$111 ₦148.6K
0.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.40 ₦19.3K
$6.54 ₦8,743
120.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.30 ₦44.5K
$28.96 ₦38.7K
14.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Benin
Abuja
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$32.73 ₦43.8K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$9.31 ₦12.4K
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.00 ₦8,029
$6.27 ₦8,390
-4.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Benin
Abuja
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$657 ₦878.9K
$45.02 ₦60.2K
1360.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.8K ₦26.5M
$5,561 ₦7.4M
256.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Benin
Abuja
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$14.70 ₦19.7K
$25.67 ₦34.3K
-42.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$17.96 ₦24.0K
$59.4 ₦79.4K
-69.77%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$36.73 ₦49.1K
$77.3 ₦103.3K
-52.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$47.54 ₦63.6K
$106 ₦142.0K
-55.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Benin
Abuja
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,078 ₦1.4M
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$436 ₦583.3K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,673 ₦3.6M
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,365 ₦1.8M
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$695 ₦929.0K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$371 ₦496.0K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Benin
Abuja
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$110 ₦146.8K
$166 ₦222.4K
-34.00%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
18.39
22.5
-18.27%

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

Last update for Benin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Abuja: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Benin
$159
Abuja
$147 7.9% $13
Groceries & Markets
Benin
$148
Abuja
$218 46.9% $70
Eating Out
Benin
$69
Abuja
$82 18.8% $13
Clothing & Footwear
Benin
$53
Abuja
$121 130% $68
Sport & Entertainment
Benin
$12 *
Abuja
$45 277% $33
Getting Around
Benin
$5.3 *
Abuja
$38 632% $33
Accommodation & Living
Benin
- *
Abuja
$436

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

Cost Breakdown

Abuja pays 52% 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: $50 in Benin vs $30 in Abuja. Groceries flip the comparison at $148 vs $218, with Benin cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇳🇬 Benin
🇳🇬 Abuja
🕒 Local time
22:01 10:01 PM
22:01 10:01 PM
Same time as Benin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,147,188
776,298 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NGN – Nigerian Naira Converter

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 1,337 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.48 USD). 1 EUR = 1,505 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.64 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Benin Abuja 370 km
From you
  • Benin
  • Abuja

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
Benin vs Abuja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Benin and in Abuja?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $446 in Benin and $1,087 in Abuja, so Benin is about 59% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 34% lower in Benin. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Benin and Abuja?
Childcare runs $657 in Benin versus $45 in Abuja. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Abuja – a meal for two runs $30 versus $50 in Benin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $800 per month?
At $446 in Benin versus $1,087 in Abuja, a $800 budget is realistic in Benin but tight or insufficient in Abuja. The gap between the two cities makes Benin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How do I decide between Benin and Abuja?
It comes down to priorities – Benin wins on affordability, Abuja on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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