Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dakar and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,415 in Dakar, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Dakar
Learn more

Dakar Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Dakar

🇸🇳 Senegal

$1,415

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dakar and in Chiang Mai

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

A single person spends $1,415 per month in Dakar vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Dakar $1,415
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $2,220 per month in Dakar vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Dakar $2,220
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $3,026 per month in Dakar vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Dakar $3,026
Chiang Mai $1,903

Dakar costs about 53% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Dakar sits 4% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.23 F CFA 3,051

$2.29 ฿76.5

128.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 F CFA 30.3K

$19.64 ฿656

164.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.25 F CFA 6,561

$5.61 ฿188

100.53%

Cappuccino

$3.43 F CFA 1,999

$1.66 ฿55.6

106.63%

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

$1.25 F CFA 728

$0.70 ฿23.40

78.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 F CFA 538

$0.31 ฿10.24

196.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 F CFA 1,469

$2.41 ฿80.4

4.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 F CFA 2,473

$3.71 ฿124

14.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.60 F CFA 1,513

$1.95 ฿65.3

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 F CFA 445

$1.41 ฿47.03

-46.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 F CFA 967

$1.31 ฿43.62

26.72%

Eggs

$2.52 F CFA 1,467

$2.18 ฿72.9

15.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.67 F CFA 10.3K

$16.65 ฿556

6.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.03 F CFA 5,268

$2.76 ฿92.2

227.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.89 F CFA 6,349

$9.11 ฿304

19.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 F CFA 1,906

$2.39 ฿80.0

36.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 F CFA 1,084

$1.03 ฿34.26

80.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 F CFA 1,741

$1.63 ฿54.4

83.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 F CFA 999

$1.50 ฿50.0

14.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 F CFA 776

$1.29 ฿43.13

3.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 F CFA 566

$1.11 ฿37.03

-12.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 F CFA 661

$0.72 ฿24.08

56.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 F CFA 403

$0.53 ฿17.59

30.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.20 F CFA 1,282

$4.31 ฿144

-48.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.00 F CFA 9,912

$17.95 ฿600

-5.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 F CFA 923

$1.58 ฿52.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 F CFA 1,923

$2.84 ฿95.0

16.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 F CFA 239

$0.86 ฿28.86

-52.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.0 F CFA 44.9K

$53.3 ฿1,780

44.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 F CFA 1,241

$1.21 ฿40.29

76.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 F CFA 1,284

$0.57 ฿18.99

285.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.16 F CFA 10.0K

$2.35 ฿78.6

630.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 F CFA 956

$1.44 ฿47.96

13.89%

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

$49.7K F CFA 29.0M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

139.51%

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

$47.9K F CFA 27.9M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

78.84%

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

$202 F CFA 117.7K

$62.3 ฿2,083

223.95%

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

$11.68 F CFA 6,811

$12.11 ฿405

-3.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.07 F CFA 26.9K

$19.94 ฿666

131.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.29 F CFA 25.8K

$37.07 ฿1,239

19.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.92 F CFA 13.4K

$3.78 ฿126

506.35%

Cinema Ticket

$8.32 F CFA 4,852

$6.50 ฿217

28.00%

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

$327 F CFA 190.5K

$793 ฿26.5K

-58.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K F CFA 6.1M

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-29.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 F CFA 34.2K

$53.7 ฿1,796

9.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.95 F CFA 26.2K

$24.62 ฿823

82.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 F CFA 50.8K

$90.9 ฿3,036

-4.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.1 F CFA 56.6K

$71.1 ฿2,378

36.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 F CFA 482.1K

$455 ฿15.2K

81.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$430 F CFA 250.9K

$298 ฿9,954

44.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,724 F CFA 1.0M

$908 ฿30.4K

89.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$916 F CFA 534.2K

$554 ฿18.5K

65.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,838 F CFA 2.8M

$1,931 ฿64.5K

150.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,494 F CFA 871.1K

$1,445 ฿48.3K

3.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 F CFA 198.7K

$591 ฿19.7K

-42.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.75

5.57

57.09%

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

Last update for Dakar: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dakar

$430 30.4%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 30.8% $132

Groceries & Markets

Dakar

$296 21%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 20.6% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dakar

$260 18.4%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 63.7% $165

Eating Out

Dakar

$147 10.4%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 46.4% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Dakar

$129 9.2%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 16.4% $21

Getting Around

Dakar

$92 6.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 33.7% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Dakar

$61 4.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 17.8% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $827 in Dakar versus $455 in Chiang Mai. 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 73% higher in Chiang Mai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Dakar versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $296 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇳 Dakar

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

12:32 12:32 PM

19:32 7:32 PM

7 h ahead of Dakar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,396,800 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 583 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dakar Chiang Mai 12,120 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Dakar
Chiang Mai

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 Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dakar costs about 53% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,122 per month in Dakar and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $327 per month in Dakar and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Dakar, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Dakar at $1,415. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dakar it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,415 in Dakar. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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