Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Benin and Jos

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.

Benin, Nigeria
Jos, Nigeria
Benin
🇳🇬 Nigeria
$445
/mo nomad
Jos
🇳🇬 Nigeria
$534
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Benin and in Jos

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

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

  • Benin $445
  • Jos $534

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

  • Benin $753
  • Jos $1,097

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

  • Benin $1,061
  • Jos $1,661

Benin is about 17% cheaper than Jos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Benin
Jos
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.29 ₦1,727
$2.04 ₦2,729
-36.76%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.53 ₦66.4K
$30.16 ₦40.4K
64.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.72 ₦7,661
$3.97 ₦5,325
44.08%
Cappuccino
$2.82 ₦3,786
$3.25 ₦4,357
-13.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.29 ₦390
$0.43 ₦571
-32.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.20 ₦264
$0.67 ₦896
-70.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.93 ₦1,249
$1.02 ₦1,366
-8.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.99 ₦1,333
$1.98 ₦2,658
-50.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Benin
Jos
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.05 ₦4,092
$3.70 ₦4,958
-17.57%
White Bread (500g)
$0.77 ₦1,026
$0.87 ₦1,171
-11.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.24 ₦1,665
$2.19 ₦2,931
-43.38%
Eggs
$2.19 ₦2,939
$1.79 ₦2,397
22.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.55 ₦4,764
$9.95 ₦13.3K
-64.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.93 ₦5,264
$5.02 ₦6,728
-21.71%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.41 ₦5,908
$4.02 ₦5,384
9.70%
Apples (1kg)
$1.65 ₦2,206
$2.00 ₦2,674
-17.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.26 ₦1,688
$1.45 ₦1,940
-13.10%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.08 ₦1,445
$1.51 ₦2,025
-28.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.47 ₦1,970
$2.27 ₦3,046
-35.24%
Potato (1kg)
$1.55 ₦2,074
$1.78 ₦2,390
-12.92%
Onion (1kg)
$1.58 ₦2,120
$2.41 ₦3,229
-34.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.89 ₦1,194
$0.59 ₦785
50.85%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.36 ₦487
$0.40 ₦534
-10.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$0.54 ₦730
$1.95 ₦2,619
-72.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$2.44 ₦3,267
$5.93 ₦7,949
-58.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ₦683
$1.20 ₦1,605
-57.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.46 ₦614
$1.77 ₦2,371
-74.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Benin
Jos
Difference
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.68 ₦914
$0.58 ₦780
17.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.89 ₦1,189
$0.87 ₦1,166
2.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.22 ₦2,982
$1.83 ₦2,453
21.31%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.73 ₦981
$0.54 ₦723
35.19%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$11.2K ₦14.9M
$25.7K ₦34.4M
-56.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.7K ₦38.4M
$36.3K ₦48.6M
-20.95%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Benin
Jos
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$111 ₦148.5K
$100 ₦134.5K
10.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.93 ₦20.0K
$6.50 ₦8,712
129.69%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.50 ₦43.6K
$28.97 ₦38.8K
12.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Benin
Jos
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$39.52 ₦53.0K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$12.03 ₦16.1K
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.22 ₦8,332
$6.22 ₦8,331
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Benin
Jos
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 ₦894.8K
$44.67 ₦59.9K
1394.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.6K ₦26.2M
$1,001 ₦1.3M
1854.50%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Benin
Jos
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$14.65 ₦19.6K
$10.09 ₦13.5K
45.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$17.85 ₦23.9K
$14.98 ₦20.1K
19.16%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$36.59 ₦49.0K
$51.0 ₦68.3K
-28.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$48.06 ₦64.4K
$50.1 ₦67.1K
-4.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Benin
Jos
Difference
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
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Benin
Jos
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$113 ₦151.1K
$102 ₦136.4K
10.80%
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: October 27, 2026

Last update for Jos: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Benin
$158
Jos
$136 14.2% $22
Groceries & Markets
Benin
$147
Jos
$203 38.4% $56
Eating Out
Benin
$70
Jos
$81 15.3% $11
Clothing & Footwear
Benin
$53
Jos
$57 7.7% $4.1
Sport & Entertainment
Benin
$12 *
Jos
$52 318% $40
Getting Around
Benin
$5.1 *
Jos
$4.9 * 3.7% $0.2
Accommodation & Living
Benin
- *
Jos
- *

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

Good to know
🇳🇬 Benin
🇳🇬 Jos
🕒 Local time
16:09 4:09 PM
16:09 4:09 PM
Same time as Benin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,147,188
900,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NGN – Nigerian Naira Converter

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,492 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Benin Jos 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Benin
  • Jos

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 Jos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Benin and in Jos compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $445 in Benin, $534 in Jos – roughly 20% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Benin compared to Jos?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $668 per month in Benin and $800 in Jos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Benin and $30 in Jos. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
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.
How far does $800 go in Benin compared to Jos?
$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $445 in Benin and $534 in Jos, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Benin and Jos?
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.

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