Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Dakar

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,429 in Dakar, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Dakar
Learn more

Dakar Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Dakar

🇸🇳 Senegal

$1,429

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $1,429 in Dakar.

Cebu $934
Dakar $1,429

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $2,206 in Dakar.

Cebu $1,415
Dakar $2,206

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $2,983 in Dakar.

Cebu $1,896
Dakar $2,983

Living in Cebu costs roughly 35% less than in Dakar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 30% below, Dakar is 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$5.25 F CFA 3,071

-42.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$52.7 F CFA 30.8K

-55.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$11.01 F CFA 6,444

-62.85%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$3.28 F CFA 1,921

-23.17%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$1.25 F CFA 729

23.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$0.85 F CFA 499

-42.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$2.62 F CFA 1,535

-31.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$4.31 F CFA 2,521

-47.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$2.50 F CFA 1,465

-22.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$0.75 F CFA 439

90.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$1.67 F CFA 979

-38.92%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$2.40 F CFA 1,403

-14.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$17.32 F CFA 10.1K

-43.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$9.12 F CFA 5,336

-49.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$11.17 F CFA 6,533

-31.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$3.18 F CFA 1,858

4.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$1.92 F CFA 1,126

-24.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$2.87 F CFA 1,681

-17.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$1.73 F CFA 1,011

-10.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.39 F CFA 812

69.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$0.91 F CFA 535

118.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$1.10 F CFA 643

4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$0.65 F CFA 380

3.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$2.11 F CFA 1,236

42.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$16.95 F CFA 9,919

-62.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$1.60 F CFA 937

-18.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$3.36 F CFA 1,966

-48.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$0.41 F CFA 240

-39.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

$77.5 F CFA 45.3K

-83.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

$2.12 F CFA 1,243

-65.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$2.19 F CFA 1,282

-90.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

$17.08 F CFA 9,996

-74.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.70 F CFA 992

-21.76%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$50.4K F CFA 29.5M

-56.85%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$47.7K F CFA 27.9M

-59.35%

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

$121 ₱7,563

$200 F CFA 117.1K

-39.78%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$11.58 F CFA 6,774

24.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$46.09 F CFA 27.0K

-38.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$44.68 F CFA 26.1K

-26.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

$23.24 F CFA 13.6K

-72.50%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$8.56 F CFA 5,010

-36.21%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

$325 F CFA 189.9K

-15.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

$10.3K F CFA 6.0M

-20.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$58.1 F CFA 34.0K

-14.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$46.29 F CFA 27.1K

-46.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$83.9 F CFA 49.1K

-8.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$95.1 F CFA 55.6K

-37.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$824 F CFA 482.2K

-38.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$436 F CFA 255.4K

-29.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$1,757 F CFA 1.0M

-40.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$915 F CFA 535.6K

-32.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

$4,961 F CFA 2.9M

-41.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

$1,492 F CFA 872.9K

25.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

$343 F CFA 200.9K

-0.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

8.75

-17.71%

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

Last update for Cebu: 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

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Dakar

$436 30.9% 41.1% $127

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Dakar

$294 20.8% 39.9% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Dakar

$258 18.2% 57.9% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Dakar

$128 9% 34.7% $33

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Dakar

$145 10.2% 63.6% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Dakar

$62 4.4% 41.7% $18

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Dakar

$92 6.5% 497% $77

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $824 in Dakar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dakar pays 1% 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: $23.00 in Cebu vs $53.0 in Dakar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $294 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇸🇳 Dakar

🕒 Local time

12:02 12:02 PM

04:02 4:02 AM

8 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

2,396,800 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 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 PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Dakar 14,930 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
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

Cebu vs Dakar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 53% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Dakar. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $506 in Cebu versus $824 in Dakar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $1,429 in Dakar – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 513% less than in Dakar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $1,429 in Dakar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Dakar. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dakar, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Dakar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.