Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dakar and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Dakar: $1,429 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 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
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Dakar

🇸🇳 Senegal

$1,429

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dakar and in Istanbul

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,429 in Dakar versus $1,526 in Istanbul.

Dakar $1,429
Istanbul $1,526

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,206 in Dakar versus $2,399 in Istanbul.

Dakar $2,206
Istanbul $2,399

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,983 in Dakar versus $3,272 in Istanbul.

Dakar $2,983
Istanbul $3,272

Living in Dakar costs roughly 6% less than in Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dakar 7% above, Istanbul 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.25 F CFA 3,071

$11.88 ₺585

-55.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 F CFA 30.8K

$55.1 ₺2,714

-4.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 F CFA 6,444

$9.14 ₺450

20.46%

Cappuccino

$3.28 F CFA 1,921

$4.24 ₺209

-22.64%

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

$1.25 F CFA 729

$1.75 ₺86.0

-28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 F CFA 499

$0.54 ₺26.83

57.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 F CFA 1,535

$4.69 ₺231

-44.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 F CFA 2,521

$5.97 ₺294

-27.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.50 F CFA 1,465

$1.26 ₺62.1

98.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 F CFA 439

$0.95 ₺46.81

-21.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 F CFA 979

$2.31 ₺114

-27.71%

Eggs

$2.40 F CFA 1,403

$2.47 ₺122

-2.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.32 F CFA 10.1K

$10.55 ₺520

64.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 F CFA 5,336

$5.60 ₺276

62.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.17 F CFA 6,533

$21.21 ₺1,045

-47.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 F CFA 1,858

$1.93 ₺95.1

64.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 F CFA 1,126

$2.29 ₺113

-16.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 F CFA 1,681

$1.28 ₺63.1

124.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 F CFA 1,011

$1.84 ₺90.8

-5.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 F CFA 812

$0.67 ₺32.86

107.46%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 F CFA 535

$0.59 ₺29.31

54.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 F CFA 643

$1.33 ₺65.4

-17.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 F CFA 380

$0.59 ₺29.10

10.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.11 F CFA 1,236

$2.36 ₺116

-10.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.95 F CFA 9,919

$13.47 ₺664

25.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 F CFA 937

$2.42 ₺119

-33.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 F CFA 1,966

$3.54 ₺174

-5.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 F CFA 240

$0.83 ₺40.64

-50.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.5 F CFA 45.3K

$66.5 ₺3,273

16.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.12 F CFA 1,243

$1.35 ₺66.6

57.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 F CFA 1,282

$0.85 ₺42.05

157.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.08 F CFA 9,996

$10.86 ₺535

57.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 F CFA 992

$1.47 ₺72.3

15.65%

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

$50.4K F CFA 29.5M

$51.6K ₺2.5M

-2.29%

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

$47.7K F CFA 27.9M

$44.4K ₺2.2M

7.37%

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

$200 F CFA 117.1K

$89.2 ₺4,395

124.41%

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

$11.58 F CFA 6,774

$11.60 ₺572

-0.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.09 F CFA 27.0K

$16.10 ₺793

186.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.68 F CFA 26.1K

$77.3 ₺3,805

-42.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 F CFA 13.6K

$22.66 ₺1,116

2.56%

Cinema Ticket

$8.56 F CFA 5,010

$8.34 ₺411

2.64%

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

$325 F CFA 189.9K

$974 ₺48.0K

-66.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K F CFA 6.0M

$25.8K ₺1.3M

-60.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 F CFA 34.0K

$52.7 ₺2,597

10.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.29 F CFA 27.1K

$39.16 ₺1,929

18.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 F CFA 49.1K

$103 ₺5,083

-18.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.1 F CFA 55.6K

$96.6 ₺4,759

-1.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$824 F CFA 482.2K

$994 ₺49.0K

-17.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 F CFA 255.4K

$629 ₺31.0K

-30.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,757 F CFA 1.0M

$2,024 ₺99.7K

-13.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$915 F CFA 535.6K

$1,155 ₺56.9K

-20.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,961 F CFA 2.9M

$3,160 ₺155.7K

56.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,492 F CFA 872.9K

$1,838 ₺90.5K

-18.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$343 F CFA 200.9K

$1,203 ₺59.3K

-71.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.75

41.09

-78.71%

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

Last update for Dakar: October 3, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dakar

$436 30.9%

Istanbul

$629 41.2% 44.2% $193

Groceries & Markets

Dakar

$294 20.8%

Istanbul

$264 17.3% 10.3% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dakar

$258 18.2%

Istanbul

$117 7.7% 54.7% $141

Eating Out

Dakar

$145 10.2%

Istanbul

$218 14.3% 50.7% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Dakar

$128 9%

Istanbul

$131 8.6% 2.9% $3.8

Getting Around

Dakar

$92 6.5%

Istanbul

$75 4.9% 18.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Dakar

$62 4.4%

Istanbul

$94 6.1% 52% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $824 in Dakar and $994 in Istanbul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Istanbul pays 251% 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 $55.0 in Istanbul. Groceries flip the comparison at $294 vs $264, with Istanbul cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇳 Dakar

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

03:22 3:22 AM

06:22 6:22 AM

3 h ahead of Dakar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,396,800 Capital

15,701,602

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, 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).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.25 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dakar Istanbul 5,330 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Dakar
Istanbul

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 Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dakar and Istanbul differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,429 vs $1,526 including rent). Dakar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 251% lower in Istanbul. 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 $994 in Istanbul. 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 $1,526 in Istanbul – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dakar runs roughly 17% less than in Istanbul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,429 in Dakar versus $1,526 in Istanbul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dakar but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. 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.

Safety-wise, Dakar and Istanbul 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 Dakar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.