Africa · 1 city
Benin for digital nomads: Cotonou and the numbers behind it (2026)
Cotonou is the only city in Benin in the dataset and scores 33/100 under balanced weights. Benin has no digital-nomad visa.
Dataset 2026.10.7. How scoring works.
Cities in Benin, ranked
Balanced weights, every factor equal. Open a city for the full breakdown with sources, or rank them with your own weights.
| # | City | Score | Cost/mo | Internet | Comfortable months | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cotonou Benin's economic capital and motorbike city, between a lagoon, the ocean and Ganvié's stilt village | 33 | — | 4.6 Mbps | 5/12 | Dantokpa market · Zemidjan moto-taxis |
* national estimate
National figures shared by every city
These come from country-level sources and apply to every city in Benin; city pages add the local numbers.
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide rate | 5.8 per 100,000 people | Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population, 2021 |
| Political stability | 59 (percentile, World Bank WGI) | Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100), 2025 |
| Health coverage index | 38 (WHO UHC index, 0–100) | UHC service coverage index, 2023 |
| Life expectancy | 64 years | Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes, 2021 |
| Human Development Index | 0.515 | Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023), 2023 |
| English proficiency | very low | EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band), 2024 |
| Starlink | available | Starlink availability map, 2026-10 |
Visas and entry
What three common passports get at the border, from the passport index. Pick your own passport on the ranker for the full picture.
| Passport | Entry rule |
|---|---|
| US passport | e-visa required |
| EU passport | e-visa required |
| UK passport | e-visa required |
Rank Benin's cities for your passport →
No long-stay guide for Benin yet. Entry rules above are for short visits.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Benin good for digital nomads?
- Cotonou scores 33/100 under balanced weights, which ranks it 996 of 1,000 cities in the dataset. Strongest factors: safety and climate; weakest: quality of life.
- What is the cheapest city in Benin for a remote worker?
- There is no open cost-of-living figure for Benin yet, so its cities are scored on the other factors.
- Does Benin have a digital nomad visa?
- Not according to the sources the dataset uses. Short visits follow the entry rules for your passport.
- How long can a US, EU or UK citizen stay in Benin without a visa?
- US passport: e-visa required. EU passport (Germany as reference): e-visa required. UK passport: e-visa required. Source: Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations), 2026-02.
- Which city in Benin has the fastest internet?
- Cotonou, with a measured median download of 4.6 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024). Measured speeds run below advertised plans everywhere; 40 Mbps measured is already good.
- How safe is Benin?
- Benin records 5.8 homicides per 100,000 people (Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population, 2021) and sits at the 59th percentile for political stability (World Bank WGI, 2025). These are national figures; city pages note local caveats.
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