Cost of Living inPorto-Novo, Benin
Image credit: Rachad sanoussi
Purchasing Power vs. United States
Based on GDP per capita (PPP). Benin: $3,901/capita.
How Far Your Money Goes
Prices are 22% higher than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Using the country-level NYC comparison for now. We do not have a defensible city-level aggregate cost index for this city yet.
Income Category
Happiness
4.4 / 10
#114 globally
GDP per Capita
City Population
Monthly Costs
Rent
Food
Transport
Utilities
Education
Child Education
International and private school tuition + curriculum mix for relocating families.
International & private schools
Childcare & Domestic Help
Nanny, housekeeper, and driver pricing is not yet sourced for Porto-Novo. We publish this section only when we can tie it to local job-board, agency, or country fallback evidence.
Getting Around
Neighborhood mobility profiles are rolling out city by city.Porto-Novo is still missing a verified walkability, transit, airport, and rideshare profile.
Healthcare
System strength, outcome signals, facility coverage, and self-pay visibility in Benin.
Method: country metrics come from public system indicators, facility coverage reflects mapped providers we can inventory, direct pricing only reflects observed self-pay pages, and relative care cost can fall back to broad cost-of-living healthcare indices. Sparse pricing does not imply sparse healthcare availability.
Healthcare system
LimitedCoverage looks thinner, doctor staffing is lighter, and hospital capacity looks tighter weigh on this rating.
Public care
LimitedPublic coverage looks thinner, public funding looks lighter, and patients still shoulder a meaningful share of costs weigh on this rating.
Private care
LimitedSelf-pay pricing transparency is still sparse weigh on this rating.
UHC coverage
38/100
2023
Physicians
0.22/1k
2023
Hospital beds
0.43/1k
2021
Out of pocket
42%
2023
Outcome signals
Life expectancy
61.0 yrs
2024
Maternal mortality
518/100k
2023
Neonatal mortality
27.2/1k
2024
International patient readiness
LimitedPrice transparency is still sparse and headline outcomes are less reassuring weigh on this rating.
Pricing transparency
LimitedPublished self-pay prices are scarce and few facilities expose web pages we can verify weigh on this rating.
Facility coverage
Self-pay pricing visibility
No verified self-pay prices are published for the tracked facilities in Benin yet.
This usually reflects low online price transparency rather than a lack of healthcare providers.
Notable facilities
System metrics: World Bank WDI · Updated 2026-06-01
Safety & Governance
Street Safety
Source: Numbeo where a city row is matched; otherwise World Bank WGI and country-level safety context.
Political Stability
World Bank WGI scale: -2.5 to +2.5.
Wages by Sector
| Sector | Median |
|---|---|
| Administrative & Support Services | — |
| Agriculture & Farming | — |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | — |
| Construction | — |
| Education | — |
| Finance & Insurance | — |
| Healthcare & Social Work | — |
| Hospitality & Food Service | — |
| Information & Technology | — |
| Manufacturing | — |
| Mining & Quarrying | — |
| Other Services | — |
| Professional & Scientific Services | — |
| Public Administration & Defence | — |
| Retail & Wholesale Trade | — |
| Transport & Logistics | — |
| Utilities | — |
2022 annual wages in Porto-Novo, Benin · Source: ILO ILOSTAT (national)
Price Comparison vs. US
Visa Information (US passport)
Short-stay entry
US passport holders need advance travel authorization or a visa before entry.
Quick comparison FAQ
Structured from the deltas already shown on this page — no invented facts, no extra data sources.
How far does your money go in Porto-Novo compared with the US?
Your money goes about 2.8x further in Porto-Novo than in the US, based on the current PPP estimate. We are using the country-level cost index for Benin here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
Is Porto-Novo cheaper or more expensive overall than New York City?
Porto-Novo is more expensive overall than New York City — overall living costs are about 22% more expensive than the global benchmark (New York City) for Porto-Novo. We are using the country-level cost index for Benin here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
How does rent in Porto-Novo compare with New York City?
Rent in Porto-Novo is about 72% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City). We are using the country-level cost index for Benin here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
How expensive are groceries and restaurants in Porto-Novo?
Groceries in Porto-Novo are about 53% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City), and restaurant prices are about 52% cheaper than the same benchmark. We are using the country-level cost index for Benin here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
About Porto-Novo
Porto-Novo is the official capital of Benin, though Cotonou about 30 kilometers west remains the seat of government and the dominant economic center. The city sits on a lagoon connected to the Atlantic by the Lake Nokoue outlet and grew historically as a Yoruba-influenced settlement under Portuguese and later French colonial trade, with the architectural and cultural legacy of all three still visible. The local economy is modest, anchored by the National Assembly, the university campus, and small-scale services for the surrounding agricultural districts, with most major commerce and the international airport sitting in Cotonou. French is the official language with Yoruba, Fon, and Goun all in daily use. The tropical climate brings two rainy seasons typical of the West African coast and consistently warm humid weather.
See the full breakdown — free
No password needed. Takes ~30 seconds.