Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Benin and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Benin: $445 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Benin, Nigeria
Mexico City, Mexico
Benin
🇳🇬 Nigeria
$445
/mo nomad
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Benin and in Mexico City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $445 in Benin versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

  • Benin $445
  • Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $753 in Benin versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

  • Benin $753
  • Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,061 in Benin versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

  • Benin $1,061
  • Mexico City $3,490

Living in Benin costs roughly 72% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Benin is 67% below, Mexico City is 18% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Benin
Mexico City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.29 ₦1,727
$10.62 MX$198
-87.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.53 ₦66.4K
$48.35 MX$901
2.44%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.72 ₦7,661
$10.35 MX$193
-44.73%
Cappuccino
$2.82 ₦3,786
$3.69 MX$68.8
-23.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.29 ₦390
$1.67 MX$31.07
-82.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.20 ₦264
$1.27 MX$23.59
-84.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.93 ₦1,249
$3.19 MX$59.5
-70.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.99 ₦1,333
$5.31 MX$98.9
-81.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Benin
Mexico City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.05 ₦4,092
$1.72 MX$32.15
77.33%
White Bread (500g)
$0.77 ₦1,026
$3.04 MX$56.7
-74.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.24 ₦1,665
$1.94 MX$36.19
-36.08%
Eggs
$2.19 ₦2,939
$2.89 MX$53.8
-24.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.55 ₦4,764
$10.97 MX$205
-67.64%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.93 ₦5,264
$9.25 MX$172
-57.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.41 ₦5,908
$15.13 MX$282
-70.85%
Apples (1kg)
$1.65 ₦2,206
$3.05 MX$56.8
-45.90%
Banana (1kg)
$1.26 ₦1,688
$1.94 MX$36.19
-35.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.08 ₦1,445
$2.03 MX$37.75
-46.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.47 ₦1,970
$2.31 MX$43.15
-36.36%
Potato (1kg)
$1.55 ₦2,074
$2.04 MX$37.94
-24.02%
Onion (1kg)
$1.58 ₦2,120
$1.80 MX$33.55
-12.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.89 ₦1,194
$1.48 MX$27.58
-39.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.36 ₦487
$1.27 MX$23.63
-71.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$0.54 ₦730
$5.30 MX$98.9
-89.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$2.44 ₦3,267
$16.10 MX$300
-84.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ₦683
$1.98 MX$36.97
-74.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.46 ₦614
$4.25 MX$79.3
-89.18%
🚌 Getting Around
Benin
Mexico City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.31 MX$5.69
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$19.73 MX$368
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.68 ₦914
$1.84 MX$34.25
-63.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.89 ₦1,189
$0.53 MX$9.94
67.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.22 ₦2,982
$5.30 MX$98.7
-58.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.73 ₦981
$1.51 MX$28.16
-51.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$11.2K ₦14.9M
$21.8K MX$405.5K
-48.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.7K ₦38.4M
$24.0K MX$447.1K
19.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Benin
Mexico City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$111 ₦148.5K
$63.0 MX$1,174
75.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.93 ₦20.0K
$27.39 MX$511
-45.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.50 ₦43.6K
$35.67 MX$665
-8.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Benin
Mexico City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$58.9 MX$1,099
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$23.64 MX$441
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.22 ₦8,332
$6.40 MX$119
-2.81%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Benin
Mexico City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 ₦894.8K
$432 MX$8,045
54.69%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.6K ₦26.2M
$11.4K MX$212.9K
71.32%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Benin
Mexico City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$14.65 ₦19.6K
$68.2 MX$1,272
-78.53%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$17.85 ₦23.9K
$53.1 MX$990
-66.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$36.59 ₦49.0K
$108 MX$2,009
-66.05%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$48.06 ₦64.4K
$117 MX$2,186
-59.02%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Benin
Mexico City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,113 MX$20.8K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$710 MX$13.2K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,588 MX$48.2K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,406 MX$26.2K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,631 MX$67.7K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,135 MX$39.8K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Benin
Mexico City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$113 ₦151.1K
$946 MX$17.6K
-88.08%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
18.39
11.35
62.03%

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

Last update for Benin: October 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Benin
$158
Mexico City
$126 20.4% $32
Groceries & Markets
Benin
$147
Mexico City
$320 117% $173
Eating Out
Benin
$70
Mexico City
$199 184% $129
Clothing & Footwear
Benin
$53
Mexico City
$156 196% $103
Sport & Entertainment
Benin
$12 *
Mexico City
$72 477% $59
Getting Around
Benin
$5.1 *
Mexico City
$25 397% $20
Accommodation & Living
Benin
- *
Mexico City
$710

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

Cost Breakdown

Mexico City pays about 8.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $50 in Benin vs $48 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $147 vs $320, with Benin cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇳🇬 Benin
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🕒 Local time
23:30 11:30 PM
16:30 4:30 PM
7 h behind Benin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,147,188
9,209,944 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, 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).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Benin Mexico City 11,300 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Benin
  • Mexico City

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Benin and in Mexico City?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $445 in Benin and $1,608 in Mexico City, so Benin is about 72% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 88% 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 Mexico City?
Childcare runs $668 in Benin versus $432 in Mexico City. 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 Mexico City – a meal for two runs $48 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 $445 in Benin versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $800 budget is realistic in Benin but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Benin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Benin and Mexico City?
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.
How do I decide between Benin and Mexico City?
It comes down to priorities – Benin wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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