Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dakar and Austin, TX

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.

69

Cost of Living Index in Dakar
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Dakar Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

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Dakar

🇸🇳 Senegal

$1,429

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Dakar costs roughly 47% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.25 F CFA 3,071

$20.22 $20.22

-74.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 F CFA 30.8K

$85.0 $85.0

-38.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 F CFA 6,444

$12.35 $12.35

-10.85%

Cappuccino

$3.28 F CFA 1,921

$5.47 $5.47

-40.04%

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

$1.25 F CFA 729

$3.82 $3.82

-67.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 F CFA 499

$2.50 $2.50

-66.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 F CFA 1,535

$8.06 $8.06

-67.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 F CFA 2,521

$8.99 $8.99

-52.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.50 F CFA 1,465

$1.13 $1.13

121.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 F CFA 439

$3.78 $3.78

-80.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 F CFA 979

$3.25 $3.25

-48.62%

Eggs

$2.40 F CFA 1,403

$4.14 $4.14

-42.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.32 F CFA 10.1K

$13.08 $13.08

32.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 F CFA 5,336

$14.31 $14.31

-36.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.17 F CFA 6,533

$15.96 $15.96

-30.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 F CFA 1,858

$4.38 $4.38

-27.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 F CFA 1,126

$1.45 $1.45

32.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 F CFA 1,681

$4.54 $4.54

-36.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 F CFA 1,011

$4.19 $4.19

-58.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 F CFA 812

$2.63 $2.63

-47.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 F CFA 535

$2.36 $2.36

-61.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 F CFA 643

$1.76 $1.76

-37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 F CFA 380

$2.16 $2.16

-69.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.11 F CFA 1,236

$9.81 $9.81

-78.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.95 F CFA 9,919

$14.72 $14.72

15.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 F CFA 937

$2.78 $2.78

-42.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 F CFA 1,966

$3.48 $3.48

-3.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 F CFA 240

$1.49 $1.49

-72.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.5 F CFA 45.3K

$40.51 $40.51

91.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.12 F CFA 1,243

$2.67 $2.67

-20.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 F CFA 1,282

$1.58 $1.58

38.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.08 F CFA 9,996

$35.29 $35.29

-51.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 F CFA 992

$0.99 $0.99

71.72%

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

$50.4K F CFA 29.5M

$35.8K $35.8K

40.88%

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

$47.7K F CFA 27.9M

$27.2K $27.2K

75.60%

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

$200 F CFA 117.1K

$219 $219

-8.69%

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

$11.58 F CFA 6,774

$58.0 $58.0

-80.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.09 F CFA 27.0K

$68.4 $68.4

-32.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.68 F CFA 26.1K

$57.9 $57.9

-22.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 F CFA 13.6K

$14.82 $14.82

56.82%

Cinema Ticket

$8.56 F CFA 5,010

$14.13 $14.13

-39.42%

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

$325 F CFA 189.9K

$1,509 $1,509

-78.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K F CFA 6.0M

$21.5K $21.5K

-52.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 F CFA 34.0K

$51.7 $51.7

12.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.29 F CFA 27.1K

$44.05 $44.05

5.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 F CFA 49.1K

$85.1 $85.1

-1.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.1 F CFA 55.6K

$105 $105

-9.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$824 F CFA 482.2K

$1,932 $1,932

-57.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 F CFA 255.4K

$1,272 $1,272

-65.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,757 F CFA 1.0M

$3,670 $3,670

-52.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$915 F CFA 535.6K

$2,525 $2,525

-63.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,961 F CFA 2.9M

$7,617 $7,617

-34.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,492 F CFA 872.9K

$3,199 $3,199

-53.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$343 F CFA 200.9K

$5,105 $5,105

-93.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.75

6.79

28.87%

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

Last update for Dakar: October 3, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dakar

$436 30.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 192% $836

Groceries & Markets

Dakar

$294 20.8%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 36.9% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dakar

$258 18.2%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 34% $88

Eating Out

Dakar

$145 10.2%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 141% $203

Clothing & Footwear

Dakar

$128 9%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 1% $1.3

Getting Around

Dakar

$92 6.5%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 38.2% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Dakar

$62 4.4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 39.4% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $824 in Dakar and $1,932 in Austin, TX. 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: $53.0 in Dakar vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $403 per month, with Dakar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇳 Dakar

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

05:09 5:09 AM

00:09 12:09 AM

5 h behind Dakar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,396,800 Capital

974,447

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to XOF – West African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 West African CFA Franc (Fr)

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).

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

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Dakar
Austin, TX

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

Dakar vs Austin, TX: 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.

On paper, salaries run 1387% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $824 in Dakar versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,429 per month in Dakar versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – 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.