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: $1,470 in Dakar versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,312 in Dakar versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Dakar versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Dakar costs roughly 11% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dakar 7% above, Mexico City 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.22 F CFA 2,943

$12.11 MX$205

-56.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.8 F CFA 31.5K

$52.2 MX$883

6.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.44 F CFA 6,446

$10.90 MX$184

4.95%

Cappuccino

$3.56 F CFA 2,006

$4.05 MX$68.5

-12.10%

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

$1.25 F CFA 707

$1.72 MX$29.00

-27.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 F CFA 501

$1.38 MX$23.29

-35.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.61 F CFA 1,470

$3.47 MX$58.6

-24.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 F CFA 2,467

$5.81 MX$98.2

-24.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.85 F CFA 1,604

$1.85 MX$31.33

54.05%

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 F CFA 434

$3.22 MX$54.5

-76.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 F CFA 996

$2.09 MX$35.25

-15.31%

Eggs

$2.54 F CFA 1,431

$2.91 MX$49.18

-12.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.81 F CFA 10.0K

$12.49 MX$211

42.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 F CFA 5,220

$10.11 MX$171

-8.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 F CFA 6,395

$15.89 MX$269

-28.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 F CFA 1,886

$3.31 MX$56.0

1.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 F CFA 1,136

$2.13 MX$35.95

-5.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 F CFA 1,674

$2.19 MX$37.03

35.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 F CFA 1,054

$2.45 MX$41.37

-23.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 F CFA 784

$2.19 MX$37.00

-36.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 F CFA 556

$1.90 MX$32.20

-47.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 F CFA 642

$1.62 MX$27.31

-29.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 F CFA 378

$1.35 MX$22.82

-50.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.17 F CFA 1,225

$5.43 MX$91.7

-60.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.05 F CFA 10.2K

$17.59 MX$297

2.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 F CFA 911

$2.07 MX$34.96

-21.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 F CFA 1,897

$4.75 MX$80.2

-29.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 F CFA 215

$0.34 MX$5.75

11.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.3 F CFA 45.8K

$21.58 MX$365

276.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 F CFA 1,270

$2.04 MX$34.49

10.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 F CFA 1,267

$0.58 MX$9.77

287.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.99 F CFA 10.1K

$5.97 MX$101

201.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 F CFA 946

$1.62 MX$27.31

3.70%

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

$52.4K F CFA 29.5M

$22.8K MX$385.6K

129.61%

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

$49.8K F CFA 28.1M

$26.7K MX$450.7K

86.95%

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

$213 F CFA 119.9K

$65.2 MX$1,103

226.01%

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

$11.99 F CFA 6,756

$29.87 MX$505

-59.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.19 F CFA 26.6K

$36.55 MX$618

29.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.17 F CFA 26.0K

$61.0 MX$1,031

-24.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.08 F CFA 13.6K

$26.70 MX$451

-9.81%

Cinema Ticket

$8.72 F CFA 4,916

$6.85 MX$116

27.30%

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

$330 F CFA 186.1K

$453 MX$7,664

-27.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K F CFA 6.1M

$13.4K MX$226.0K

-19.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 F CFA 33.6K

$75.0 MX$1,267

-20.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.50 F CFA 26.8K

$55.3 MX$935

-14.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 F CFA 50.5K

$114 MX$1,920

-21.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 F CFA 56.4K

$123 MX$2,073

-18.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$841 F CFA 474.1K

$1,134 MX$19.2K

-25.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 F CFA 250.8K

$712 MX$12.0K

-37.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,781 F CFA 1.0M

$2,571 MX$43.5K

-30.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$957 F CFA 539.4K

$1,311 MX$22.2K

-27.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,987 F CFA 2.8M

$3,993 MX$67.5K

24.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,582 F CFA 891.6K

$2,095 MX$35.4K

-24.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$352 F CFA 198.4K

$1,047 MX$17.7K

-66.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.75

11.3

-22.57%

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

Last update for Dakar: August 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $841 in Dakar and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 197% 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: $56.0 in Dakar vs $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $307 vs $345, with Dakar cheaper for home cooking.

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 12% in total monthly costs ($1,470 vs $1,646 including rent). Dakar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 197% lower in Mexico City. 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: $841 in Dakar versus $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,470 per month in Dakar versus $1,646 in Mexico City – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dakar runs roughly 277% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,470 in Dakar versus $1,646 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 12% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.