Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dakar and Cebu

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.

69

Cost of Living Index in Dakar
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Dakar Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Dakar

🇸🇳 Senegal

$1,429

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dakar and in Cebu

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

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

Dakar $1,429
Cebu $934

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

Dakar $2,206
Cebu $1,415

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

Dakar $2,983
Cebu $1,896

Living in Dakar is roughly 53% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.25 F CFA 3,071

$3.03 ₱190

73.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 F CFA 30.8K

$23.48 ₱1,473

124.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 F CFA 6,444

$4.09 ₱256

169.19%

Cappuccino

$3.28 F CFA 1,921

$2.52 ₱158

30.16%

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

$1.25 F CFA 729

$1.54 ₱96.9

-18.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 F CFA 499

$0.49 ₱30.98

73.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 F CFA 1,535

$1.79 ₱112

46.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 F CFA 2,521

$2.26 ₱142

90.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.50 F CFA 1,465

$1.95 ₱122

28.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 F CFA 439

$1.43 ₱89.7

-47.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 F CFA 979

$1.02 ₱63.8

63.73%

Eggs

$2.40 F CFA 1,403

$2.06 ₱129

16.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.32 F CFA 10.1K

$9.81 ₱615

76.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 F CFA 5,336

$4.61 ₱289

97.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.17 F CFA 6,533

$7.70 ₱483

45.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 F CFA 1,858

$3.31 ₱207

-3.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 F CFA 1,126

$1.45 ₱90.9

32.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 F CFA 1,681

$2.36 ₱148

21.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 F CFA 1,011

$1.54 ₱96.4

12.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 F CFA 812

$2.36 ₱148

-41.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 F CFA 535

$1.99 ₱125

-54.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 F CFA 643

$1.15 ₱72.1

-4.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 F CFA 380

$0.67 ₱42.15

-2.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.11 F CFA 1,236

$3.00 ₱188

-29.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.95 F CFA 9,919

$6.35 ₱398

166.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 F CFA 937

$1.31 ₱81.9

22.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 F CFA 1,966

$1.73 ₱108

94.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 F CFA 240

$0.25 ₱15.78

64.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.5 F CFA 45.3K

$12.65 ₱793

512.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.12 F CFA 1,243

$0.74 ₱46.32

186.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 F CFA 1,282

$0.21 ₱13.11

942.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.08 F CFA 9,996

$4.33 ₱271

294.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 F CFA 992

$1.33 ₱83.5

27.82%

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

$50.4K F CFA 29.5M

$21.8K ₱1.4M

131.75%

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

$47.7K F CFA 27.9M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

146.02%

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

$200 F CFA 117.1K

$121 ₱7,563

66.05%

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

$11.58 F CFA 6,774

$14.45 ₱907

-19.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.09 F CFA 27.0K

$28.29 ₱1,774

62.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.68 F CFA 26.1K

$32.68 ₱2,050

36.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 F CFA 13.6K

$6.39 ₱401

263.69%

Cinema Ticket

$8.56 F CFA 5,010

$5.46 ₱342

56.78%

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

$325 F CFA 189.9K

$273 ₱17.1K

18.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K F CFA 6.0M

$8,156 ₱511.5K

26.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 F CFA 34.0K

$49.57 ₱3,109

17.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.29 F CFA 27.1K

$24.87 ₱1,560

86.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 F CFA 49.1K

$76.6 ₱4,804

9.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.1 F CFA 55.6K

$59.3 ₱3,717

60.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$824 F CFA 482.2K

$506 ₱31.7K

62.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 F CFA 255.4K

$309 ₱19.4K

41.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,757 F CFA 1.0M

$1,052 ₱66.0K

67.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$915 F CFA 535.6K

$619 ₱38.8K

47.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,961 F CFA 2.9M

$2,915 ₱182.9K

70.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,492 F CFA 872.9K

$1,867 ₱117.1K

-20.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$343 F CFA 200.9K

$341 ₱21.4K

0.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.75

7.2

21.53%

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

Last update for Dakar: October 3, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dakar

$436 30.9%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 29.1% $127

Groceries & Markets

Dakar

$294 20.8%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 28.5% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dakar

$258 18.2%

Cebu

$163 17.7% 36.7% $95

Eating Out

Dakar

$145 10.2%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 38.9% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Dakar

$128 9%

Cebu

$95 10.2% 25.8% $33

Getting Around

Dakar

$92 6.5%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 83.3% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Dakar

$62 4.4%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 29.4% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $824 in Dakar and $506 in Cebu. 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: $53.0 in Dakar vs $23.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $210 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇳 Dakar

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

07:08 7:08 AM

15:08 3:08 PM

8 h ahead of Dakar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,396,800 Capital

964,169

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, 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).

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).

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dakar Cebu 14,930 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Dakar
Cebu

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 Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 1% higher in Dakar, 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: $824 in Dakar versus $506 in Cebu. 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 $934 in Cebu – 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, Dakar and Cebu 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.