The Cost of Living in Togo for Expats

Published on May 14, 2026 and written by Cyril Jarnias

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Settling in Togo is attracting more and more expats looking for an affordable, French-speaking country offering a relatively quiet lifestyle. But “affordable” doesn’t mean “cheap in every situation.” Between a very economical local lifestyle and a Western daily routine, the bill can vary by a factor of four.

How much should you budget per month?

The figures converge: Togo is generally an inexpensive country on a global scale. The cost of living for a single person, including rent, is around $779 per month, roughly one and a half times less than the global average. But behind this figure lie several realities.

For the main household configurations, the following orders of magnitude emerge for all Togolese cities.

Average monthly costs nationwide

Household type	Average cost with rent (USD)	Average cost without rent (USD)
Single person	956.0	706.0
Couple (2 adults)	1,369.4	1,119.4
Family of 4 (2 adults + 2 children)	1,927.9	1,602.9

These averages include both very modest lifestyles and more comfortable styles across different cities. They are therefore useful for getting a sense of your position, but not for building a budget down to the last penny.

Example of a “realistic expat” budget

Several summaries provide a “typical basket” view for a single person living in a Togolese city with a good level of local comfort:

– Comfortable monthly total for a single person: approximately €755

– Rent (1 bedroom in city center): €280

– Groceries (home cooking): €95

– Public transportation: €25

– Electricity/water (85 m²): €75

In other words, a foreign salary of €2,000 to €3,000 per month allows you to live very comfortably in Togo, save money, and easily cover unexpected expenses (health, travel, international schooling, etc.).

Living in Lomé: a bit more expensive, but still affordable

Lomé concentrates most of the economic activity and the majority of expats. The capital remains cheap by the standards of major African cities, but it is slightly above the Togolese national average.

For Lomé, several data sets exist with different methods. However, they converge on a few key figures.

Overall ranges in Lomé

– Single person, with housing:

– Usual estimates: between $700 and $1,200 per month depending on the neighborhood and lifestyle.

– Other more detailed sources: about $1,025/month (including $725 excluding rent).

– Couple:

– On average around $1,466/month, including $1,166 excluding rent.

We can see that in Lomé, moving from an “upgraded local” lifestyle to very Western comfort (large house, international schooling, frequent outings, imported products) makes the budget skyrocket.

Lifestyle scenarios in Lomé: tight budget, standard, comfortable

To better project yourself, we can distinguish three typical scenarios for Lomé.

Profile in Lomé	With rent (USD/month)	Without rent (USD/month)	Main characteristics
Tight budget – single person	~428	~308	Modest studio, home cooking, local transport, few outings
Standard – single person	~700–800	~450–500	Decent 1-bedroom, mix of home-cooked/eating out, reliable internet
“Expat” comfort – single person	1,000–1,500	650–1,000	Nice apartment/villa, many outings, imported products, private health subscription

Families of three or four see these amounts increase mainly due to rent, food, and possibly schooling.

Housing: the biggest expense for an expat

Housing is almost always the big budget item. The national range for monthly rent is between $100 and $500 (60,000 to 300,000 XOF), but the reality for an expat in Lomé often exceeds these amounts, especially if they are looking for an “international standard” environment.

Average rents nationwide

Type of property	City center (average)	Outside center (average)	Remarks
Studio/1 bedroom – medium city	100–200 USD	60–120 USD	Simple accommodation, local comfort
1 bedroom – overall average (from UK data)	~£145	~£76	Varies by city
3 bedrooms – overall average (from UK data)	~£548	~£260	Same, large spaces

For expats, especially in Lomé, useful benchmarks are higher.

Rents in Lomé for expats

Detailed data on the capital show the following orders of magnitude:

– Furnished studio (~45 m²)

– “Normal” neighborhood: ~91,000 XOF/month

– Expensive neighborhood: ~112,000 XOF/month

– 1-bedroom apartment

– In the capital, many sources indicate between 160,000 and 260,000 XOF (about $250 to $430) depending on the neighborhood and condition.

– Other surveys mention 173,000 XOF on average in the center, with extremes between 70,000 and 300,000 XOF.

– 2-bedroom apartment

– Between 240,000 and 520,000 XOF ($380 to $870).

Villas, neighborhoods, and choice strategy

Expats often settle in a few specific neighborhoods in Lomé (Adidogomé, Agoè, Djidjolé, Baguida, Avedji, areas near embassies and the coast). In these areas:

– a studio or small accommodation starts around 115,000 XOF;

– a furnished 2–3 room apartment costs between 230,000 and 450,000 XOF;

– a large family house with garden goes for between 500,000 and 1,000,000 XOF.

Moving a bit away from the center or giving up certain “Western” amenities (pool, private generator, 24/7 guarded parking) can significantly reduce rent.

Utilities and services: electricity more expensive than rent in some local budgets

Once you have found housing, you need to add several charges that are often not included in the rent: electricity, water, gas, waste collection, internet, mobile phone.

Electricity, water, gas: what an expat really pays

Figures vary greatly from household to household, but the following orders of magnitude are common:

Item (typical 85 m²)	Monthly range (XOF)	Range (approx. USD)
Electricity, water, garbage	70,000 – 125,000	~100 – 175
Electricity bill alone (entire country)	9,000 – 25,000	~15 – 40
Running water alone	3,000 – 6,000	~5 – 10
Gas/cooking	7,000 – 30,000	~7 – 30

In Lomé, a two-person household in an 85 m² apartment can easily pay around 98,000 XOF per month for all utilities (electricity, water, etc.), with a reported range between 71,000 and 100,000 XOF.

For an expat who works remotely with air conditioning, computers, and possibly an UPS or small generator, the electricity bill rises quickly. It is therefore prudent to plan for the higher end of the range.

Internet and telephony: a cost not to be underestimated for a nomad

Internet access and mobile telephony represent a significant expense, especially for online workers.

– Unlimited fixed internet (50–60 Mbps advertised):

– 15,000 to 30,000 XOF per month (about $45 to $65).

– Offers around 25,000 XOF (about $41–$45) are common.

– Actual speed observed:

– Often well below commercial promises, around 2 to 4 Mbps in practice, with possible outages.

– Mobile plan with calls and at least 10 GB of data:

– About 12,500 XOF per month ($20–$22).

– Other surveys show an average around $22 for more generous plans, with a range from $12 to over $90 depending on options.

For an expat or digital nomad, combining a fixed line with a good mobile plan (as a backup solution) is almost essential, bringing the “connectivity” bill to between $35 and $80 per month in practice.

Food: very affordable if you eat local

This is one of Togo’s big advantages: eating properly by favoring the market and local products costs much less than in Europe or North America. As soon as you switch to imported products and “international” restaurants, prices go up.

Grocery and food budget

Nationwide:

– A person cooking at home with local products:

– About €95 per month (reference figure for a simple basket).

– Other sources mention $100 to $250 in monthly food expenses per person.

– For an adult in Lomé, a realistic grocery budget is between $65 and $220 per month, with an average around $110.

For a family of four:

The minimum recommended cost to eat properly, calculated based on a caloric intake of 2,200 to 2,400 kcal per day, ranges between 3,700 and 4,800 XOF per person per day depending on the city, or about 115,000 to 148,000 XOF per month.

Prices of some basic products

Surveys in CFA francs provide a very concrete idea:

Product (about 1 kg, unless specified)	Average price (XOF)	Remarks
White rice	1,100 – 1,020	About $1.8/kg
White bread (500 g)	450 – 650	$0.75–$1.2
Milk (1 liter)	1,100 – 1,400	$1.8–$2.4
Eggs (12)	1,000 – 1,300	$1.7–$2.1
Chicken (1 kg)	3,600 – 4,800	$6–$8 depending on source
Beef (1 kg)	4,200 – 5,300	~$7–$9
Bananas (1 kg)	800 – 1,200	~$1.5–$2
Apples (1 kg)	1,500 – 1,800	~$2.5–$3
Bottled water (1.5 l)	500 – 540	$0.8–$0.9

The gaps between regions are significant. For example, according to statistical data:

For imported rice, we observe the same trend: 636 XOF/kg in Greater Lomé versus 415 XOF/kg in the Plateaux-Est region.

In other words, living outside the capital significantly reduces the grocery bill, with equivalent product quality.

Eating out: from local eateries to “expat” restaurants

Meals taken outside also reflect this contrast.

Some national benchmarks:

Type of meal or drink	Average price (XOF)	Approximate in USD
Simple meal in an inexpensive restaurant	1,400 – 1,800	~$2.2 – $3
Typical fast-food combo	3,000 – 3,500	~$4.5 – $5.5
Full 3-course meal for two (mid-range restaurant)	18,000 (10,600 to 25,000)	~$25–$30
Local draft beer (0.5 l)	500 – 1,000	< $2
Cappuccino at a “trendy” café	3,200 – 3,800	$4–$5
Bottle of mid-range wine	2,800 – 4,600 and up	$4–$7 (excluding fine wines)

An expat who very often eats in “Westernized” restaurants, regularly buys coffees at $4–$5 and consumes imported products will quickly see their food budget match European standards, or even exceed them.

On the other hand, someone who alternates between markets, small local eateries, and restaurants from time to time can eat properly for a truly moderate cost.

Transportation: cheap but sometimes slow and informal

Transportation is one of the pleasant budget surprises in Togo, even though the offering is far from being as structured as in Europe.

Daily transportation

The most common options are:

– shared taxi or “bush taxi”;

– motorcycle taxi;

– minibus on intercity routes;

– car rental for trips outside major cities.

For urban trips:

Mode of transport	Typical fare (XOF)	Comment
Bus/minibus ticket	300 – 1,000 per trip	$0.5–$1.5, depending on distance
Shared taxi in town	500 – 1,500	Price negotiable, depends on route
Motorcycle taxi	200 – 500	Very common, fast but riskier
Monthly local pass (global data)	~30,000	About $50 for some structured networks

Nationally, a single ticket on a local network is often around 200 XOF ($0.3). A monthly pass for a more formal system can reach 30,000 XOF (about $64 in some surveys).

Personal car and fuel

Fuel diesel or gasoline is around 600 to 700 XOF per liter, approximately $1 to $1.1. A gallon costs between $3.1 and $4.

– Compact car: 20,000 to 40,000 XOF per day ($30–$60);

– SUV or 4×4: 40,000 to 60,000 XOF per day, or more depending on season and agency.

For an expat who lives in the city and only uses a car occasionally (weekends, missions, vacations), budgeting around $25 to $70 per month for transportation (fuel, taxis, buses) is consistent. A regular driver will inevitably see this figure rise, but fuel prices remain reasonable.

Healthcare: cheap care, essential insurance

Seen from abroad, healthcare in Togo may seem inexpensive: a basic consultation can cost between $3 and $10, a visit to a private clinic between $15 and $40. The downside is the uneven quality and availability of equipment, especially outside Lomé.

Monthly healthcare cost for an expat

In terms of recurring expenses, data indicate:

Type of monthly expense	Range (USD)	Average observed
Private health insurance (local/regional level)	20 – 100	50–55
Medication and pharmacy	10 – 85	~35
Doctor, dentist, other consultations	15 – 120	~55–75

For a single expat who opts for decent local private coverage and consults occasionally, a monthly budget of $80 to $130 is common. For a family, this figure can easily double or triple, especially if adding international insurance covering evacuations and hospitalizations abroad.

Why international insurance is still recommended

Several factors lead expats to choose international coverage rather than relying solely on the public system or local insurance:

Indicative costs for certain treatments in private clinics in Lomé show the potential size of the bill:

– 48-hour hospitalization for infection: about 800,000 XOF (~$1,320);

– Tibia fracture (X-ray, cast, materials): 450,000 XOF (~$740);

– Appendectomy (consultation + surgery): 1,500,000 XOF (~$2,470);

– Medical evacuation abroad: around 12,000,000 XOF (~$19,700).

Faced with such amounts, a well-sized insurance contract including evacuation and repatriation is not a luxury but a key element of the expat budget.

Schooling: the real “game changer” for families

For expat families with children, schooling weighs extremely heavily on the cost of living. Togolese public school is free at the primary level, but most foreigners turn to private or international schools, especially in Lomé.

International and French schools

The major international schools in the capital (British School of Lomé, American International School of Lomé, French schools like Lycée français de Lomé or École Arc en Ciel) charge annual fees of several thousand euros or hundreds of thousands of CFA francs.

As an illustration:

– some international schools charge between 1,500,000 and 5,000,000 XOF per year per child (about $2,500 to $8,000), depending on the level and program (IB, British, French, etc.);

– these amounts are supplemented by registration fees, cafeteria costs (about 300,000 to 350,000 XOF per year, depending on the level and number of meal days), exam fees (brevet, baccalaureate, preliminary exams), and extracurricular activities.

In practice, for an expat couple with two children enrolled in a reputable international school, schooling alone can represent several thousand euros per year, i.e., a monthly extra cost of $400 to $800, sometimes more.

This is often the item – even more than rent – that makes the difference between a “comfortable and controlled” budget and a cost of living comparable to that of some European countries.

Local salary vs. expat budget: a wide gap

Another point to keep in mind is the gap between local salaries and the typical expat budget. Nationwide:

– the average net salary after tax is often cited around $138 per month,

– other surveys mention 150,000 XOF as the average monthly net salary, a little over $200, depending on sector and source.

For a foreigner paid at the local salary level, it is therefore illusory to hope to live with the same “international” standards as colleagues from NGOs or multinationals. Conversely, a remote worker paid €2,000–€3,000 per month can afford a level of comfort far superior to what they would have in their home country.

Living outside Lomé: 20 to 40% cheaper

Official data clearly show that prices decrease as you move away from the capital, especially for basic foodstuffs (rice, corn, tubers):

– the kilo of imported rice can cost more than 50% less in some inland regions than in Greater Lomé;

– white maize, tomatoes, or yams follow the same logic, often much cheaper in the north than in the capital.

For an expat on a tight budget or a retiree seeking a quiet life, settling in a medium-sized city or a more rural area can nevertheless halve the cost of living compared to a major Western capital, while ensuring decent comfort.

Lifestyle: what really makes the bill vary

Two expats living in Togo can have monthly budgets that are completely different, simply because they don’t make the same choices.

The “localized” profile

– Modest housing, outside the most sought-after neighborhoods;

– Grocery shopping mostly at markets and small shops;

– Limited outings, local eateries rather than Westernized restaurants;

– Transportation by bush taxis, motorcycle taxis, and buses;

– Local health insurance supplemented by a small precautionary savings;

– Little international schooling (children in the local system or no children).

With this lifestyle, a single person can actually live on $350–$500 per month, even in Lomé, and a family of four on $900–$1,200.

The “Western expat” profile

– Villa or large apartment in an upscale neighborhood of Lomé;

– Air conditioning, generator, high-speed internet, cleaning service;

– Regular purchases of imported products (cheeses, brand-name cereals, wines, Western beers, cosmetics, etc.);

– Frequent restaurants and cafés;

– Personal car (with fuel and maintenance);

– International health insurance covering evacuation;

– Children in international school.

The cost of living in Togo is therefore not “objectively” low or high: it depends mainly on the degree of integration into the local lifestyle and the demand for comfort and “imported” services.

Summary figures: how much to budget according to your profile?

By grouping the main data and adapting them to typical expat profiles, we can propose the following summary table.

Expat profile in Togo	Overall monthly budget (USD, including housing)	Lifestyle comment
Strong localization – single person	350 – 500	Very local lifestyle, simple housing, few outings
Strong localization – couple	550 – 800	Same logic for two, shared rent
Strong localization – family of 4	900 – 1,200	Local schooling, very few imported products
“Standard” expat – single person (Lomé)	700 – 900	Decent 1-bedroom, internet, some restaurants, local insurance
“Standard” expat – couple	1,000 – 1,400	2 rooms or small house, regular leisure activities
“Standard” expat – family of 4	1,600 – 2,000	Decent house, mix local/imported, enhanced insurance
“Western comfort” expat – single person	1,200 – 1,500+	Sought-after neighborhood, frequent restaurants, lots of imported goods
“Western comfort” expat – family of 4	2,000 – 3,500+	Large villa, international school, car, international insurance

These ranges remain orders of magnitude, but they reflect the detailed data available: on one side, the observed average costs, on the other, the minimums and maximums depending on lifestyle.

In conclusion: an affordable destination, but with nuances

The cost of living in Togo for expats is generally attractive: you can live well on a budget that would be hardly sufficient in Western Europe or North America. Reasonable rents (excluding luxury villas), cheap local food, and economical transportation all work in the country’s favor.

But several nuances must be noted:

For a student, a young professional working remotely, or a retiree with a stable foreign income, Togo offers a rare combination: a moderate cost of living, strong cultural immersion, and, for those who wish, the possibility of a comfort far superior to what they could afford in their home country.

The whole challenge, before settling, is therefore to clearly define the lifestyle sought and adjust your budget accordingly, integrating from the start the large items sometimes underestimated: housing, healthcare, schooling, and connectivity.