What budget for activities and outings Benin?

In Benin, there are no free passes of any kind. In any case, prices rarely go up... However, traveling with an incoming agency, and therefore a guide and a driver, will always avoid you some "extras" at the time of checkout...

To spend some time in Cotonou, go to the beach in the Fidjrossè district at the beginning of the Fishing Road. Since the road has been paved, the beach is only a few minutes from downtown. A major transformation that allows you to go and spend some time in one of the many beaches equipped for restaurants and bars that have grown like mushrooms in recent years. Beach volleyball, beach soccer, jogging, swimming (without losing your footing, because it is dangerous)... You can sweat without spending much. The same goes for Grand-Popo where you will find the biggest and most beautiful beach in the country. At Lake Ahémé, there are also a few possibilities to work out: kayaking or canoeing on the lake or mountain biking or running shoes around. Finally, the hotel swimming pools (often open to outsiders for a fee) allow you to take a dip.

Except in the chic stores of Cotonou, leave your credit card in your suitcase and bring cash.

There are not only nightclubs! On weekends, the country's bars offer long evenings, sometimes with DJs or live bands. Evenings where you can also dance and finish at sunrise.

What budget to eat Benin?

There is something for every taste and budget. You can eat in the street or in a maquis (between 1,000 and 2,000 CFA francs) as well as treat yourself to a gourmet meal in a good restaurant. The maquis offer very simple dishes: braised chicken or peanut sauce, spaghetti, brochettes, etc. These cheap eateries are often a good opportunity to meet the local population and make friends. Small restaurants offer African and European cuisine, in addition to these cheap eateries. In Cotonou, a few restaurants with more elaborate menus prepare excellent European, African, Italian and even Asian cuisine. Lovers of fish and shellfish will also be delighted, with beautiful proposals of fish and seafood, especially on the beaches of Fidjrossè in Cotonou or in the seaside resort of Grand Popo in the southwest.

Bars and cafés are generally open all day from 8 or 9 am until 11 pm, or even 1 am for some. Some bars organize concerts by local bands, especially in Cotonou

You should expect to pay 400 FCFA for a small Beninoise, the local beer, in 25 cl bottles. For a cocktail, you should count between 2,500 and 3,000 FCFA. For a soda, which in Benin is called a "sucrerie", count 300 FCFA.

What is the budget for accommodation Benin?

As soon as you leave the big cities of Benin, tourism is not very developed, and neither is the hotel infrastructure. To discover a region, it is therefore preferable to secure a lodging in a city from which you can travel. As for the price of rooms, it varies according to the region. In the south and especially in Cotonou, prices are higher than in the north.

In hotels offering rudimentary comfort, the rates charged for rooms generally ventilated range from 6,500 to 15,000 FCFA (except in Cotonou). Room furnishings are generally reduced to the bare minimum: a bed, a chair, a small table and a bathroom. In the most spartan establishments, a bucket of water is used as a shower, but this is rare.

In the higher category of hotels, prices start at 12,000 CFA francs for ventilated rooms and range overall from 16,000 to 70,000 CFA francs for air-conditioned rooms. In this category, we are beginning to see quality establishments in some cities. High-end hotels are becoming less and less rare but are mainly found in Cotonou.

Note that a tax of 1,000 FCFA is added to the price of the room. We have included it in the prices indicated in this guide.

As for means of payment, very few accommodations outside of Cotonou offer a credit card payment service. You should therefore always bring cash, knowing that all banks in the country are equipped with ATMs and that they work with Visa and Mastercard

Travel budget Benin and cost of living

Foreigners, especially if they are white, are considered rich. In fact, the price of a plane ticket alone to Benin represents a fortune for the vast majority of the population. To get an idea of the gap between income and living standards, you should remember that the minimum wage in Benin is 40,000 FCFA, which is the equivalent of barely 60 €.
Many things will seem very cheap compared to what you are used to. However, in order to travel, you may have to use expensive services such as car rentals, tours organized by travel agencies, luxury hotels or high-end restaurants. Then, the bill can become expensive. On the other hand, travelers can get by just fine if they travel by bush cab or bus, eat in maquis and sleep in small hotels.

Small budget:

between 15,000 FCFA and 25,000 FCFA, including accommodation in a ventilated room, travel by bus and meals in small maquis.

Medium budget:

between 20,000 FCFA and 60,000 FCFA, including accommodation in small hotels with air-conditioned rooms, travel by bus and meals in quality restaurants.

Big budget:

from 60 000 FCFA and the price becomes very high when traveling by rental car, count about 75 000 FCFA per day for a 4x4 with driver outside Cotonou.

In Benin, haggling is the order of the day when buying souvenirs or staying in small hotels. A little tip: divide the advertised price (at least) by two, then increase it little by little until you reach an agreement with your interlocutor.