Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Dakar

For one person, living is cheaper in Dakar: $1,429 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Dakar
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Dakar Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Dakar

🇸🇳 Senegal

$1,429

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Dakar

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Dakar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,429 in Dakar.

Austin, TX $2,704
Dakar $1,429

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,206 in Dakar.

Austin, TX $4,133
Dakar $2,206

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,983 in Dakar.

Austin, TX $5,562
Dakar $2,983

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 89% more expensive than in Dakar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Dakar 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$5.25 F CFA 3,068

285.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$52.7 F CFA 30.8K

61.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$11.01 F CFA 6,438

12.17%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.28 F CFA 1,919

66.77%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

$1.25 F CFA 728

205.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.85 F CFA 499

194.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$2.62 F CFA 1,533

207.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$4.31 F CFA 2,519

108.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.50 F CFA 1,463

-54.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$0.75 F CFA 439

404.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.67 F CFA 979

94.61%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.40 F CFA 1,401

72.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$17.32 F CFA 10.1K

-24.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$9.12 F CFA 5,331

56.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$11.17 F CFA 6,527

42.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.18 F CFA 1,857

37.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.92 F CFA 1,125

-24.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.87 F CFA 1,679

58.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.73 F CFA 1,010

142.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.39 F CFA 811

89.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.91 F CFA 534

159.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.10 F CFA 642

60.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.65 F CFA 379

232.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$2.11 F CFA 1,235

364.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$16.95 F CFA 9,909

-13.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.60 F CFA 936

73.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.36 F CFA 1,964

3.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.41 F CFA 239

263.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$77.5 F CFA 45.3K

-47.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.12 F CFA 1,242

25.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.19 F CFA 1,280

-27.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$17.08 F CFA 9,986

106.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.70 F CFA 991

-41.76%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.8K $35.8K

$50.4K F CFA 29.5M

-29.02%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.2K $27.2K

$47.7K F CFA 27.9M

-43.05%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$219 $219

$200 F CFA 117.0K

9.51%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$58.0 $58.0

$11.58 F CFA 6,767

400.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$46.09 F CFA 26.9K

48.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$44.68 F CFA 26.1K

29.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$23.24 F CFA 13.6K

-36.23%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$8.56 F CFA 5,006

65.07%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,509 $1,509

$325 F CFA 189.7K

364.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$10.3K F CFA 6.0M

108.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$58.1 F CFA 33.9K

-11.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$46.29 F CFA 27.1K

-4.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$83.9 F CFA 49.0K

1.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$95.1 F CFA 55.6K

10.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$824 F CFA 481.7K

134.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$436 F CFA 255.1K

191.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,757 F CFA 1.0M

108.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$915 F CFA 535.1K

175.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$4,961 F CFA 2.9M

53.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,492 F CFA 872.0K

114.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$343 F CFA 200.7K

1386.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

8.75

-22.40%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Dakar: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Dakar

$436 30.9% 65.7% $836

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Dakar

$294 20.8% 27% $109

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Dakar

$145 10.2% 58.5% $203

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Dakar

$258 18.2% 25.4% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Dakar

$128 9% 1% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Dakar

$62 4.4% 28.3% $24

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Dakar

$92 6.5% 61.8% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $824 in Dakar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1387% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $53.0 in Dakar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $294 per month, with Dakar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇸🇳 Dakar

🕒 Local time

01:07 1:07 AM

06:07 6:07 AM

5 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

2,396,800 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🌐 West African CFA Franc (Fr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

XOF to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Dakar 8,270 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Dakar

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Austin, TX vs Dakar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dakar wins on cost – living expenses run 89% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dakar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1387% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $824 in Dakar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,429 in Dakar – a 89% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dakar runs roughly 91% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,429 in Dakar versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dakar but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Dakar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Dakar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.