Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Benin

Name: Benin
Address: BJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Benin: $814 a month against $1,203 in South Africa, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in South Africa
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South Africa Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Benin
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Benin Living Index

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🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,203

/mo nomad

🇧🇯 Benin

$814

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in South Africa and in Benin

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

A single person spends $1,203 per month in South Africa vs $814 in Benin, rent included.

South Africa $1,203
Benin $814

A couple spends around $1,893 per month in South Africa vs $1,313 in Benin, rent included.

South Africa $1,893
Benin $1,313

A family of three spends $2,583 per month in South Africa vs $1,812 in Benin, rent included.

South Africa $2,583
Benin $1,812

The regional cost range is wider in South Africa ($618–$1,556) than in Benin ($712–$897), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in South Africa is about 48% higher than in Benin on average.

Both South Africa and Benin are more affordable than the global median – South Africa 12% lower, Benin 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 R 177

$5.09 F CFA 2,979

109.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.66 R 692

$35.52 F CFA 20.8K

17.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 R 96.3

$9.34 F CFA 5,471

-37.90%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R 39.15

$5.26 F CFA 3,080

-55.13%

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

$1.12 R 18.53

$1.22 F CFA 713

-8.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R 14.97

$1.33 F CFA 781

-32.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 R 40.12

$0.81 F CFA 474

198.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 R 50.8

$3.89 F CFA 2,281

-21.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 R 19.55

$2.26 F CFA 1,323

-47.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.79

$0.82 F CFA 482

37.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.85

$1.84 F CFA 1,075

-5.43%

Eggs

$2.57 R 42.72

$2.15 F CFA 1,258

19.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.43 R 140

$7.52 F CFA 4,406

12.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.12 R 85.0

$4.51 F CFA 2,642

13.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.59 R 126

$5.39 F CFA 3,154

40.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.46

$2.94 F CFA 1,723

-39.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.84

$1.20 F CFA 703

45.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.37

$1.21 F CFA 706

46.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 R 29.21

$2.46 F CFA 1,438

-28.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.76

$1.31 F CFA 765

13.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.33

$1.18 F CFA 691

24.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 R 20.48

$0.46 F CFA 269

167.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 R 18.22

$0.86 F CFA 502

27.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 R 53.9

$1.95 F CFA 1,143

66.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.00 R 83.0

$4.16 F CFA 2,436

20.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 R 24.85

$1.21 F CFA 706

23.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 R 32.20

$1.75 F CFA 1,025

10.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 R 24.54

$1.27 F CFA 742

16.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.3 R 984

$7.59 F CFA 4,446

681.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 R 18.18

$1.55 F CFA 909

-29.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R 16.43

$1.54 F CFA 902

-35.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.46 R 124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 R 23.72

$1.24 F CFA 723

15.32%

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

$35.3K R 586.2K

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

$32.4K R 538.6K

$23.9K F CFA 14.0M

35.92%

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

$133 R 2,204

$147 F CFA 86.3K

-9.89%

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

$34.83 R 578

$31.46 F CFA 18.4K

10.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.76 R 660

$54.1 F CFA 31.7K

-26.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.09 R 549

$38.80 F CFA 22.7K

-14.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.65 R 193

$4.13 F CFA 2,421

182.08%

Cinema Ticket

$7.18 R 119

$8.57 F CFA 5,017

-16.22%

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

$224 R 3,721

$131 F CFA 76.8K

70.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,462 R 90.7K

$5,539 F CFA 3.2M

-1.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 R 900

$21.47 F CFA 12.6K

152.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.13 R 567

$8.30 F CFA 4,862

311.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R 1,695

$29.84 F CFA 17.5K

242.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 R 1,469

$47.68 F CFA 27.9K

85.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 R 8,173

$118 F CFA 69.0K

317.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$398 R 6,605

$117 F CFA 68.7K

238.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$946 R 15.7K

$406 F CFA 237.9K

132.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$827 R 13.7K

$370 F CFA 217.0K

123.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,099 R 18.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$769 R 12.8K

$2,595 F CFA 1.5M

-70.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,502 R 24.9K

$280 F CFA 164.2K

435.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.23

180.75%

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

Last update for South Africa: October 26, 2026

Last update for Benin: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

South Africa

$398 33.1%

Benin

$117 14.4% 70.5% $280

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Africa

$207 17.2%

Benin

$233 28.6% 12.3% $26

Groceries & Markets

South Africa

$196 16.3%

Benin

$183 22.5% 6.5% $13

Eating Out

South Africa

$157 13.1%

Benin

$154 18.9% 2.2% $3.4

Clothing & Footwear

South Africa

$126 10.4%

Benin

$48 5.9% 61.5% $77

Getting Around

South Africa

$71 5.9%

Benin

$22 2.7% 69.2% $49

Sport & Entertainment

South Africa

$47 4%

Benin

$56 6.9% 17.9% $8.5

Cost Breakdown

Average salary: $1,488 in South Africa vs $168 in Benin. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 210% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 26% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 663% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are about 8.9 times higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

Good to know

🇿🇦 South Africa

🇧🇯 Benin

🕒 Local time

02:48 2:48 AM

01:48 1:48 AM

1 h behind South Africa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,027,503

14,111,034

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.02 USD

100 ZAR = 5.37 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 16.61 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.02 USD). 1 EUR = 18.61 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.37 EUR).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 586 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

South Africa Benin 4,700 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

South Africa
Benin

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

South Africa vs Benin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Benin is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 32% lower on average.

Housing costs more in South Africa: a central one-bedroom averages $422 versus $136 in Benin.

$1,200 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Benin, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Benin is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.