Cost of Living Comparison Between Dakar and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Dakar and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,327 in Dakar versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,194 in Dakar versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,061 in Dakar versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Dakar costs roughly 10% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dakar is 1% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.42 F CFA 3,058

$13.18 MX$228

-58.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.3 F CFA 30.1K

$53.9 MX$932

-1.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 F CFA 5,755

$9.42 MX$163

8.39%

Cappuccino

$4.43 F CFA 2,498

$3.55 MX$61.4

24.79%

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

$0.86 F CFA 484

$1.62 MX$27.98

-46.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 F CFA 615

$1.11 MX$19.27

-1.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 F CFA 1,450

$3.12 MX$54.0

-17.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 F CFA 2,457

$4.63 MX$80.1

-5.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.52 F CFA 1,423

$1.70 MX$29.43

48.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.64 F CFA 360

$2.72 MX$47.02

-76.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 F CFA 906

$1.91 MX$33.07

-15.71%

Eggs

$2.88 F CFA 1,625

$2.54 MX$43.86

13.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.78 F CFA 7,209

$10.03 MX$174

27.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 F CFA 5,357

$8.09 MX$140

17.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 F CFA 6,069

$11.62 MX$201

-7.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 F CFA 1,536

$2.97 MX$51.3

-8.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 F CFA 1,121

$1.81 MX$31.24

9.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 F CFA 1,473

$2.01 MX$34.82

29.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 F CFA 1,174

$2.03 MX$35.20

2.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 F CFA 844

$2.12 MX$36.75

-29.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 F CFA 758

$2.27 MX$39.25

-40.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 F CFA 600

$1.40 MX$24.22

-24.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 F CFA 460

$1.13 MX$19.55

-27.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.61 F CFA 908

$4.27 MX$73.9

-62.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.38 F CFA 8,674

$15.56 MX$269

-1.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 F CFA 667

$1.76 MX$30.39

-32.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 F CFA 1,254

$3.60 MX$62.2

-38.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 F CFA 204

$0.38 MX$6.62

-5.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 F CFA 45.4K

$19.18 MX$332

319.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 F CFA 1,514

$1.38 MX$23.79

94.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.83 F CFA 1,598

$0.28 MX$4.78

910.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.99 F CFA 10.1K

$5.45 MX$94.2

230.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 F CFA 963

$1.30 MX$22.55

31.54%

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

$36.1K F CFA 20.4M

$18.7K MX$323.2K

93.10%

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

$49.2K F CFA 27.8M

$23.1K MX$400.1K

112.89%

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

$138 F CFA 78.0K

$40.86 MX$707

238.64%

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

$9.92 F CFA 5,597

$26.81 MX$464

-63.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.4 F CFA 28.4K

$29.96 MX$518

68.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 F CFA 31.8K

$52.0 MX$900

8.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.41 F CFA 12.1K

$26.84 MX$464

-20.23%

Cinema Ticket

$9.02 F CFA 5,086

$6.30 MX$109

43.17%

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

$272 F CFA 153.4K

$436 MX$7,544

-37.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,169 F CFA 4.0M

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-31.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.6 F CFA 38.7K

$56.7 MX$980

21.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.93 F CFA 24.8K

$44.38 MX$768

-1.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 F CFA 58.2K

$103 MX$1,780

0.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 F CFA 74.1K

$106 MX$1,825

24.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$914 F CFA 515.2K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-10.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 F CFA 208.2K

$631 MX$10.9K

-41.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,863 F CFA 1.1M

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-12.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$938 F CFA 528.9K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-24.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,996 F CFA 2.8M

$3,903 MX$67.5K

28.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,491 F CFA 841.1K

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-27.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$431 F CFA 243.2K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-61.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.25

11.34

-27.25%

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

Last update for Dakar: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $914 in Dakar and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 159% 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 $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $288 per month, with Dakar cheaper across the board.

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dakar and Mexico City differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,327 vs $1,467 including rent). Dakar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 159% less. 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: $914 in Dakar versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,327 per month in Dakar versus $1,467 in Mexico City – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dakar runs roughly 320% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,327 in Dakar versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dakar but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. 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 11% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.