Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Selangor and Cotonou

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotonou: $902 a month against $1,020 in Selangor, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Selangor
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Selangor Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cotonou
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Cotonou Living Index

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Selangor

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,020

/mo nomad

Cotonou

🇧🇯 Benin

$902

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Selangor and in Cotonou

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,020 in Selangor versus $902 in Cotonou.

Selangor $1,020
Cotonou $902

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,469 in Selangor versus $1,425 in Cotonou.

Selangor $1,469
Cotonou $1,425

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,918 in Selangor versus $1,949 in Cotonou.

Selangor $1,918
Cotonou $1,949

Living in Selangor is roughly 13% more expensive than in Cotonou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Selangor 24% lower, Cotonou 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.33 MYR 17.67

$4.96 F CFA 2,895

-12.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.20 MYR 78.3

$35.49 F CFA 20.7K

-45.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.04 MYR 16.46

$9.52 F CFA 5,554

-57.56%

Cappuccino

$2.26 MYR 9.23

$4.98 F CFA 2,905

-54.62%

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

$0.78 MYR 3.18

$1.01 F CFA 587

-22.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 MYR 1.93

$0.93 F CFA 542

-49.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 MYR 18.08

$0.83 F CFA 484

433.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 MYR 20.24

$2.51 F CFA 1,466

97.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 MYR 7.87

$3.05 F CFA 1,776

-36.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.30

$1.18 F CFA 688

-11.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 MYR 6.25

$1.88 F CFA 1,096

-18.62%

Eggs

$1.92 MYR 7.82

$2.68 F CFA 1,564

-28.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.26 MYR 58.2

$9.17 F CFA 5,346

55.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 MYR 17.78

$5.38 F CFA 3,139

-18.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 MYR 39.16

$5.27 F CFA 3,075

82.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 MYR 14.04

$4.14 F CFA 2,417

-16.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 MYR 7.52

$1.82 F CFA 1,064

1.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 MYR 9.55

$1.33 F CFA 773

75.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 MYR 6.49

$2.57 F CFA 1,497

-38.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 MYR 5.45

$1.30 F CFA 756

3.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 MYR 4.21

$1.72 F CFA 1,001

-40.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 MYR 4.52

$0.47 F CFA 274

136.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.19

$1.10 F CFA 640

-50.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 MYR 18.35

$3.49 F CFA 2,035

28.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.53 MYR 79.7

$4.37 F CFA 2,546

346.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.59 MYR 14.64

$1.21 F CFA 704

196.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MYR 19.81

$1.92 F CFA 1,119

153.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 MYR 4.87

$1.30 F CFA 760

-8.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.26 MYR 50.0

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 MYR 5.06

$1.39 F CFA 809

-10.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 MYR 5.10

$1.39 F CFA 811

-10.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.34 MYR 17.72

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 MYR 2.99

$1.19 F CFA 693

-38.66%

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

$41.9K MYR 171.0K

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

$35.3K MYR 143.8K

$23.5K F CFA 13.7M

50.09%

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

$63.4 MYR 258

$148 F CFA 86.4K

-57.26%

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

$8.50 MYR 34.69

$33.44 F CFA 19.5K

-74.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.97 MYR 106

$47.94 F CFA 28.0K

-45.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.09 MYR 168

$49.08 F CFA 28.6K

-16.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.87 MYR 28.04

$3.38 F CFA 1,972

103.25%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MYR 20.59

$8.67 F CFA 5,058

-41.75%

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

$122 MYR 499

$133 F CFA 77.3K

-7.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,175 MYR 29.3K

$5,619 F CFA 3.3M

27.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 MYR 289

$25.33 F CFA 14.8K

179.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.40 MYR 169

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.1 MYR 315

$34.08 F CFA 19.9K

126.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 MYR 339

$67.4 F CFA 39.3K

23.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 MYR 2,083

$182 F CFA 106.1K

180.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 MYR 1,413

$169 F CFA 98.3K

105.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 MYR 3,589

$600 F CFA 350.0K

46.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$481 MYR 1,963

$409 F CFA 238.5K

17.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,578 MYR 6,438

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$705 MYR 2,875

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,019 MYR 4,157

$258 F CFA 150.5K

294.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

-1.00%

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

Last update for Selangor: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cotonou: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Selangor

$346 34%

Cotonou

$169 18.7% 51.3% $178

Groceries & Markets

Selangor

$266 26.1%

Cotonou

$222 24.6% 16.8% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Selangor

$123 12%

Cotonou

$57 * 6.3% 53.4% $65

Eating Out

Selangor

$111 10.9%

Cotonou

$145 16.1% 30.6% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Selangor

$98 9.6%

Cotonou

$230 25.5% 135% $132

Sport & Entertainment

Selangor

$51 5%

Cotonou

$66 7.4% 29.8% $15

Getting Around

Selangor

$25 2.4%

Cotonou

$14 * 1.5% 44.7% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $511 in Selangor and $182 in Cotonou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Selangor pays 295% 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: $19.00 in Selangor vs $35.00 in Cotonou. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $222, with Cotonou cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Selangor

🇧🇯 Cotonou

🕒 Local time

06:36 6:36 AM

23:36 11:36 PM

7 h behind Selangor

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

281,717

780,000

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 583 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Selangor Cotonou 10,940 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Selangor
Cotonou

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

Selangor vs Cotonou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cotonou is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 295% higher in Selangor, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $511 in Selangor versus $182 in Cotonou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Selangor. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,020 per month in Selangor versus $902 in Cotonou – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $902 in Cotonou versus $1,020 in Selangor, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cotonou but tight or insufficient in Selangor. The gap between the two cities makes Cotonou 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, Selangor and Cotonou 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 Cotonou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Selangor. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.