Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dakar and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Dakar: $1,429 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 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
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Dakar

🇸🇳 Senegal

$1,429

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dakar and in Budapest

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 Budapest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,429 per month in Dakar vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Dakar $1,429
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $2,206 per month in Dakar vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Dakar $2,206
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $2,983 per month in Dakar vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Dakar $2,983
Budapest $3,489

Dakar is about 12% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Dakar and Budapest sit above the global median – Dakar by 7%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.25 F CFA 3,071

$13.99 Ft 4,551

-62.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 F CFA 30.8K

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-12.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 F CFA 6,444

$9.96 Ft 3,241

10.54%

Cappuccino

$3.28 F CFA 1,921

$3.38 Ft 1,100

-2.96%

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

$1.25 F CFA 729

$2.13 Ft 692

-41.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 F CFA 499

$1.87 Ft 608

-54.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 F CFA 1,535

$3.75 Ft 1,221

-30.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 F CFA 2,521

$3.57 Ft 1,162

20.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.50 F CFA 1,465

$1.13 Ft 368

121.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 F CFA 439

$1.84 Ft 599

-59.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 F CFA 979

$2.39 Ft 777

-30.13%

Eggs

$2.40 F CFA 1,403

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-37.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.32 F CFA 10.1K

$11.33 Ft 3,686

52.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 F CFA 5,336

$6.74 Ft 2,192

35.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.17 F CFA 6,533

$14.69 Ft 4,780

-23.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 F CFA 1,858

$1.84 Ft 597

72.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 F CFA 1,126

$2.01 Ft 653

-4.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 F CFA 1,681

$2.36 Ft 767

21.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 F CFA 1,011

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-54.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 F CFA 812

$0.96 Ft 313

44.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 F CFA 535

$1.03 Ft 334

-11.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 F CFA 643

$1.56 Ft 509

-29.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 F CFA 380

$0.66 Ft 216

-1.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.11 F CFA 1,236

$7.96 Ft 2,591

-73.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.95 F CFA 9,919

$6.01 Ft 1,954

182.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 F CFA 937

$1.30 Ft 421

23.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 F CFA 1,966

$2.08 Ft 676

61.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 F CFA 240

$1.50 Ft 489

-72.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.5 F CFA 45.3K

$27.61 Ft 8,982

180.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.12 F CFA 1,243

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-35.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 F CFA 1,282

$1.30 Ft 424

68.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.08 F CFA 9,996

$19.78 Ft 6,436

-13.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 F CFA 992

$1.81 Ft 591

-6.08%

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

$50.4K F CFA 29.5M

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

71.99%

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

$47.7K F CFA 27.9M

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

39.91%

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

$200 F CFA 117.1K

$170 Ft 55.3K

17.82%

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

$11.58 F CFA 6,774

$23.98 Ft 7,802

-51.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.09 F CFA 27.0K

$23.42 Ft 7,621

96.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.68 F CFA 26.1K

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-32.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 F CFA 13.6K

$19.18 Ft 6,239

21.17%

Cinema Ticket

$8.56 F CFA 5,010

$9.52 Ft 3,098

-10.08%

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

$325 F CFA 189.9K

$537 Ft 174.6K

-39.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K F CFA 6.0M

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-38.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 F CFA 34.0K

$101 Ft 33.0K

-42.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.29 F CFA 27.1K

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

7.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 F CFA 49.1K

$113 Ft 36.7K

-25.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.1 F CFA 55.6K

$119 Ft 38.6K

-19.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$824 F CFA 482.2K

$805 Ft 262.0K

2.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 F CFA 255.4K

$629 Ft 204.7K

-30.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,757 F CFA 1.0M

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

13.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$915 F CFA 535.6K

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

-21.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,961 F CFA 2.9M

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-11.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,492 F CFA 872.9K

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-62.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$343 F CFA 200.9K

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

-78.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.75

6.43

36.08%

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

Last update for Dakar: October 3, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dakar

$436 30.9%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 44.2% $193

Groceries & Markets

Dakar

$294 20.8%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 12.5% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dakar

$258 18.2%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 15.7% $41

Eating Out

Dakar

$145 10.2%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 55.1% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Dakar

$128 9%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 32.6% $42

Getting Around

Dakar

$92 6.5%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 52.9% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Dakar

$62 4.4%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 38% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $824 in Dakar versus $805 in Budapest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 374% higher in Budapest, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Dakar versus $60.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $294 in Dakar vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇳 Dakar

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

06:14 6:14 AM

08:14 8:14 AM

2 h ahead of Dakar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,396,800 Capital

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, 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).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dakar Budapest 4,960 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Dakar
Budapest

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 Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,144 per month in Dakar and $2,432 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dakar, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 181% less in Dakar. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $325 per month in Dakar and $537 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Dakar, where all-in costs run around $1,429, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Dakar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dakar – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Dakar. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.