Cotonou at a glance
- Essentials in Cotonou run $710 a month.
- The average net salary of $266 covers that 0.4×.
- 102.5 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at commune level.
- PM2.5 averages 22 µg/m³ a year, 4× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $710 |
|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $173 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $186 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $144 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $136 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $204 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $53 |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $266 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $425 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $620 |
Single person, USD. Data updated September 8, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Cotonou, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $5.32 |
|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $37.21 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $9.75 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $5.32 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $0.89 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $2.66 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $1.06 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.95 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $3.13 |
|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.26 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.93 |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.84 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $9.75 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $5.58 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $4.26 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.89 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $2.75 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.33 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.77 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $1.15 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $1.33 |
|---|---|
| Taxi start | $1.42 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.42 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.25 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $153.57 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $50.21 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $35.44 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $50.21 |
|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $8.86 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Cotonou has 102.5 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (commune level). That is the 3rd-highest of 4 Benin cities we track. Benin's national figure is 101.9, so Cotonou runs 1 above the country as a whole.
Every Benin region by male-to-female ratio →
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Cotonou ranks against every city we track
Cotonou sits ahead of 93% of the 1009 cities we track on city-centre rent. On cost of living it is ahead of 62% of 981. Its weakest measure is salary against local costs, ahead of only 8% of 974.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Cotonou sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Cotonou on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Cotonou beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Cotonou in the research deskOr unlock the Benin deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Adoscam, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Data updated