Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Dakar

For one person, living is cheaper in Dakar: $1,429 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
Learn more

Buenos Aires Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Dakar
Learn more

Dakar Living Index

Jump to prices

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Dakar

🇸🇳 Senegal

$1,429

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires 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 Buenos Aires and in Dakar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $1,429 in Dakar.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Dakar $1,429

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $2,206 in Dakar.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Dakar $2,206

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $2,983 in Dakar.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Dakar $2,983

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 18% more expensive than in Dakar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 26% above, Dakar 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$5.25 F CFA 3,071

256.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$52.7 F CFA 30.8K

22.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$11.01 F CFA 6,444

16.98%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$3.28 F CFA 1,921

21.34%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$1.25 F CFA 729

64.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$0.85 F CFA 499

82.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$2.62 F CFA 1,535

46.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$4.31 F CFA 2,521

6.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$2.50 F CFA 1,465

-42.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$0.75 F CFA 439

228.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$1.67 F CFA 979

-2.40%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$2.40 F CFA 1,403

20.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$17.32 F CFA 10.1K

-38.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$9.12 F CFA 5,336

9.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$11.17 F CFA 6,533

23.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$3.18 F CFA 1,858

-13.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$1.92 F CFA 1,126

13.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$2.87 F CFA 1,681

-49.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$1.73 F CFA 1,011

15.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$1.39 F CFA 812

-10.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$0.91 F CFA 535

39.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$1.10 F CFA 643

54.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$0.65 F CFA 380

166.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$2.11 F CFA 1,236

98.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$16.95 F CFA 9,919

-65.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$1.60 F CFA 937

30.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$3.36 F CFA 1,966

-17.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$0.41 F CFA 240

82.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

$77.5 F CFA 45.3K

-64.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$2.12 F CFA 1,243

-23.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

$2.19 F CFA 1,282

-55.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$17.08 F CFA 9,996

-54.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$1.70 F CFA 992

-20.00%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$50.4K F CFA 29.5M

-44.47%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

$47.7K F CFA 27.9M

-27.64%

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$200 F CFA 117.1K

7.67%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$11.58 F CFA 6,774

121.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$46.09 F CFA 27.0K

-31.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$44.68 F CFA 26.1K

11.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$23.24 F CFA 13.6K

-26.59%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$8.56 F CFA 5,010

21.85%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

$325 F CFA 189.9K

43.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$10.3K F CFA 6.0M

-11.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$58.1 F CFA 34.0K

110.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

$46.29 F CFA 27.1K

110.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$83.9 F CFA 49.1K

39.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$95.1 F CFA 55.6K

46.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$824 F CFA 482.2K

-7.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$436 F CFA 255.4K

15.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$1,757 F CFA 1.0M

-9.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$915 F CFA 535.6K

29.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$4,961 F CFA 2.9M

-46.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$1,492 F CFA 872.9K

24.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$343 F CFA 200.9K

177.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

8.75

554.29%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Dakar: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Dakar

$436 30.9% 13.6% $69

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Dakar

$294 20.8% 3.6% $10

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Dakar

$145 10.2% 48.2% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Dakar

$258 18.2% 5.4% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Dakar

$128 9% 40.5% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Dakar

$62 4.4% 12.6% $8.9

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Dakar

$92 6.5% 152% $56

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $824 in Dakar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 178% 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: $64.0 in Buenos Aires vs $53.0 in Dakar. Groceries flip the comparison at $284 vs $294, with Buenos Aires cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇸🇳 Dakar

🕒 Local time

05:22 5:22 AM

08:22 8:22 AM

3 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

2,396,800 Capital

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 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 = 1.52 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires Dakar 6,980 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
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

Buenos Aires vs Dakar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Dakar differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $1,429 including rent). Dakar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 178% higher in Buenos Aires, 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: $763 in Buenos Aires versus $824 in Dakar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $325 in Dakar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Buenos Aires pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,429 in Dakar versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dakar but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. 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.

Safety-wise, Buenos Aires and Dakar are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Dakar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.