Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Benin and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Benin: $447 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Benin
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Benin Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

Jump to prices

Benin

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$447

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Benin 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 Benin and in Bucharest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $447 in Benin versus $1,340 in Bucharest.

Benin $447
Bucharest $1,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $756 in Benin versus $2,037 in Bucharest.

Benin $756
Bucharest $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,065 in Benin versus $2,734 in Bucharest.

Benin $1,065
Bucharest $2,734

Living in Benin costs roughly 67% less than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Benin 67% lower, Bucharest 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.28 ₦1,702

$14.49 RON 68.6

-91.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 ₦66.9K

$58.1 RON 275

-13.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.51 ₦7,326

$7.48 RON 35.40

-26.34%

Cappuccino

$2.77 ₦3,684

$3.44 RON 16.29

-19.48%

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

$0.27 ₦355

$2.37 RON 11.22

-88.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ₦218

$2.30 RON 10.88

-93.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.85 ₦1,136

$3.70 RON 17.51

-77.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₦1,320

$4.16 RON 19.69

-76.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.16 ₦4,204

$1.67 RON 7.90

89.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 ₦1,026

$1.37 RON 6.50

-43.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 ₦1,610

$1.72 RON 8.14

-29.65%

Eggs

$2.24 ₦2,984

$3.64 RON 17.22

-38.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.63 ₦4,832

$9.08 RON 42.98

-60.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.84 ₦5,114

$6.84 RON 32.35

-43.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.43 ₦5,893

$12.00 RON 56.8

-63.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 ₦2,263

$1.23 RON 5.80

38.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ₦1,728

$1.63 RON 7.73

-20.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.11 ₦1,475

$1.57 RON 7.45

-29.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 ₦1,772

$2.54 RON 12.01

-47.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 ₦1,779

$0.79 RON 3.75

69.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 ₦1,756

$0.77 RON 3.66

71.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 ₦1,105

$0.87 RON 4.13

-4.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 ₦523

$0.99 RON 4.70

-60.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.59 ₦779

$6.31 RON 29.86

-90.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.41 ₦3,205

$6.20 RON 29.34

-61.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₦724

$1.19 RON 5.63

-54.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₦607

$1.57 RON 7.45

-70.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 ₦921

$0.64 RON 3.05

7.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 ₦1,202

$0.60 RON 2.86

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 ₦2,943

$6.43 RON 30.43

-65.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 ₦967

$1.96 RON 9.25

-62.76%

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

$11.1K ₦14.7M

$29.0K RON 137.2K

-61.79%

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

$13.9K ₦18.4M

$26.6K RON 126.0K

-47.96%

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

$114 ₦151.4K

$196 RON 927

-41.90%

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

$14.69 ₦19.5K

$8.04 RON 38.04

82.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.21 ₦44.2K

$9.35 RON 44.21

255.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

Cinema Ticket

$6.21 ₦8,258

$8.15 RON 38.55

-23.80%

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

$655 ₦871.3K

$628 RON 2,971

4.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K ₦26.2M

$14.1K RON 66.6K

40.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.98 ₦19.9K

$89.6 RON 424

-83.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.39 ₦24.5K

$38.32 RON 181

-52.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$35.97 ₦47.8K

$79.3 RON 375

-54.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.15 ₦64.0K

$90.4 RON 428

-46.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$112 ₦148.6K

$1,329 RON 6,290

-91.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.39

6.75

172.44%

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

Last update for Benin: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Benin

$162 36.1%

Bucharest

$213 15.9% 31.9% $52

Groceries & Markets

Benin

$147 32.9%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 53% $78

Eating Out

Benin

$68 15.2%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 231% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Benin

$53 11.8%

Bucharest

$134 10% 153% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Benin

$12 * 2.8%

Bucharest

$67 5% 436% $54

Getting Around

Benin

$5.2 * 1.2%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 442% $23

Accommodation & Living

Benin

- * 0%

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

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

Cost Breakdown

Bucharest pays 1090% 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: $50.0 in Benin vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $147 vs $225 per month, with Benin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇬 Benin

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

20:55 8:55 PM

22:55 10:55 PM

2 h ahead of Benin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,147,188

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to NGN – Nigerian Naira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇬 Nigerian Naira (₦)

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,496 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to NGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Benin Bucharest 4,680 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Benin
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

Benin vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Benin and Bucharest differ by about 200% in total monthly costs ($447 vs $1,340 including rent). Benin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1090% 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Bucharest. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $447 per month in Benin versus $1,340 in Bucharest – a 200% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $447 in Benin versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Benin but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Benin 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, Benin and Bucharest 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 Benin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 200% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.