Benin
The birthplace of Vodun, with royal palaces and a stilt village on a lake.
Cheaper. The exchange rate moved +4.5%; local prices rose +0.8%.
- Lean
- $35
- Comfort
- $168
Indicative score, not ranked: the cost figures here are rough estimates.
The short answerIn US dollars, as of November 12, 2026
Benin: 7.2% cheaper for US-dollar travelers than a year ago, after adjusting for inflation. A mid-range day costs roughly $74 per person, excluding international flights; this is a rough estimate from limited price evidence. The US State Department advisory is Level 2 (increased caution). Its indicative score on the Trip Arbitrage Index is 64 out of 100; it is not ranked, because its cost figures are rough estimates.
What your money buys there
30 monthsThe dashed line is what a currency converter shows. The solid line is the same thing after prices in both countries are taken into account. When they part, the solid one is telling the truth.
How the score is built
- Dislocation ×0.36
- 65
- Price floor ×0.30
- 68
- Safety ×0.20
- 75
- Ease ×0.14
- 35
Real price drop vs last year and vs the five-year norm
How low the daily cost is in absolute terms
From the current travel advisory
How well set up the country is for visitors
The full reading
| Real change, 3 months | +4.7% | Is the move still going, or already reversing? |
|---|---|---|
| Real change, 12 months | +7.2% | The headline: what your money buys versus a year ago. |
| Exchange rate alone, 12 months | +4.5% | What a currency converter would tell you. |
| Local inflation, 12 months | +0.8% | How much of that the destination's own prices took back. |
| Versus five-year average | +7.4% | Cheap or dear against its own recent history. |
| Advisory | Level 2 | Increased caution |
| Ease of travel | 2.4 / 5 | Expedition-grade |
- The Ouidah slave route
- Ganvié stilt village
- The Abomey palaces
The far north near the Burkina Faso and Niger borders is unsafe. French is needed, and comfort outside Cotonou is basic.
The CFA franc is pegged to the euro, so it moves for you exactly as the euro does.
When to go
November is peak season- Janpeak season
- Febpeak season
- Marshoulder season
- Aproff season
- Mayoff season
- Junoff season
- Julshoulder season
- Augshoulder season
- Sepoff season
- Octoff season
- Novpeak season
- Decpeak season
Safety and ease
- US State Department
- Level 2: Increased caution · updated January 6, 2026
- Read the full advisory ↗
- Advisories are often regional. A country-wide level can hide both safe areas and no-go zones, and other governments may judge differently.
- Tourism infrastructure
- Expedition-grade · 2.4 / 5
Booking a trip: Benin
Partner links- FlightsKiwi.com ↗Compare fares across airlines, including the low-cost carriers that booking sites often leave out.
- Places to stayBooking.com ↗Hotels, guesthouses and apartments, most with free cancellation.
- Mobile dataAiralo ↗An eSIM you install before you land, usually far cheaper than roaming.
- Travel medical insuranceSafetyWing ↗Worth having here: serious care may mean evacuation to another country.
- Spending moneyWise ↗A multi-currency card that converts at the mid-market rate, the one this index uses.
- Tours and ticketsGetYourGuide ↗Day trips, guides and entry tickets, bookable ahead with free cancellation on most.
These go to outside companies we think are useful for this trip. Nothing here affects a score or a ranking. How we make money
Benin, in five questions
Answers are generated from the index reading of November 12, 2026, in US dollars. To cite: “Trip Arbitrage (triparbitrage.com), reading of November 12, 2026.”
- How much does it cost per day to travel in Benin?
- As of November 12, 2026, a day in Benin costs about $35 on a lean budget, $74 mid-range and $168 in comfort, per person, excluding international flights. These are modeled estimates, updated daily for local inflation and the exchange rate. Price evidence for this country is thin, so treat these figures as rough.
- Is Benin cheaper to visit than a year ago?
- Yes. Over the past 12 months the exchange rate moved +4.5% for US-dollar holders while prices in Benin rose +0.8%, a net real change of +7.2% in purchasing power. Against its own five-year average, Benin is 7.4% cheaper.
- Is Benin safe to travel to right now?
- The US State Department rates Benin at Level 2: Increased caution. The far north near the Burkina Faso and Niger borders is unsafe. French is needed, and comfort outside Cotonou is basic. Advisories are often regional and other governments may differ, so read the full advisory before booking.
- When is the cheapest time to visit Benin?
- The shoulder months, when the weather is workable and prices ease, are: March, July, August. The best conditions, and the highest prices, come in: November, December, January, February. Right now (November) is peak season.
- How easy is Benin to travel around?
- Benin scores 2.4 out of 5 for ease of travel (expedition-grade), a measure of transport, lodging, payments, wayfinding and access to healthcare. The birthplace of Vodun, with royal palaces and a stilt village on a lake.
Elsewhere in Africa
- Egypt
- Morocco
- Tunisia
- South Africa
- Namibia
- Kenya
- Tanzania
- Rwanda
- Zambia
- Ghana
- Nigeria
- Ethiopia
- Madagascar
- Senegal
- Botswana
- Mozambique
- Mauritius
- Uganda
- Algeria
- Angola
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cape Verde
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Comoros
- Republic of the Congo
- DR Congo
- Ivory Coast
- Djibouti
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Eswatini
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Malawi
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Niger
- São Tomé & Príncipe
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Togo
- Zimbabwe
- Réunion
Reading of November 12, 2026. In US dollars, Benin reads +7.2% over twelve months in real terms with a mid-range day near $74. Costs are modeled, not quoted: see the method.