Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dakar and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Dakar: $1,415 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Dakar
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Dakar Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index

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Dakar

🇸🇳 Senegal

$1,415

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dakar and in Mexico City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,415 in Dakar versus $1,548 in Mexico City.

Dakar $1,415
Mexico City $1,548

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,220 in Dakar versus $2,436 in Mexico City.

Dakar $2,220
Mexico City $2,436

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,026 in Dakar versus $3,323 in Mexico City.

Dakar $3,026
Mexico City $3,323

Living in Dakar costs roughly 9% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dakar 4% above, Mexico City 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.23 F CFA 3,051

$11.02 MX$204

-52.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 F CFA 30.3K

$48.68 MX$900

6.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.25 F CFA 6,561

$10.90 MX$201

3.21%

Cappuccino

$3.43 F CFA 1,999

$3.68 MX$68.1

-6.79%

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

$1.25 F CFA 728

$1.63 MX$30.18

-23.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 F CFA 538

$1.25 MX$23.07

-26.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 F CFA 1,469

$3.25 MX$60.1

-22.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 F CFA 2,473

$5.53 MX$102

-23.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.60 F CFA 1,513

$1.70 MX$31.50

52.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 F CFA 445

$3.02 MX$55.8

-74.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 F CFA 967

$1.92 MX$35.53

-13.54%

Eggs

$2.52 F CFA 1,467

$2.73 MX$50.5

-7.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.67 F CFA 10.3K

$11.77 MX$218

50.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.03 F CFA 5,268

$9.53 MX$176

-5.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.89 F CFA 6,349

$14.41 MX$266

-24.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 F CFA 1,906

$3.02 MX$55.8

8.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 F CFA 1,084

$1.89 MX$35.01

-1.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 F CFA 1,741

$1.99 MX$36.70

50.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 F CFA 999

$2.19 MX$40.38

-21.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 F CFA 776

$1.92 MX$35.43

-30.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 F CFA 566

$1.87 MX$34.49

-48.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 F CFA 661

$1.44 MX$26.62

-21.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 F CFA 403

$1.27 MX$23.39

-45.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.20 F CFA 1,282

$5.22 MX$96.4

-57.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.00 F CFA 9,912

$16.17 MX$299

5.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 F CFA 923

$1.90 MX$35.03

-16.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 F CFA 1,923

$4.22 MX$78.0

-21.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 F CFA 239

$0.34 MX$6.30

20.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.0 F CFA 44.9K

$19.65 MX$363

291.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 F CFA 1,241

$2.00 MX$36.90

6.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 F CFA 1,284

$0.52 MX$9.67

323.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.16 F CFA 10.0K

$5.34 MX$98.7

221.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 F CFA 956

$1.52 MX$28.13

7.89%

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

$49.7K F CFA 29.0M

$22.1K MX$408.0K

124.91%

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

$47.9K F CFA 27.9M

$24.5K MX$452.9K

95.56%

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

$202 F CFA 117.7K

$61.1 MX$1,129

230.64%

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

$11.68 F CFA 6,811

$28.58 MX$528

-59.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.07 F CFA 26.9K

$34.47 MX$637

33.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.29 F CFA 25.8K

$56.4 MX$1,042

-21.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.92 F CFA 13.4K

$24.88 MX$460

-7.88%

Cinema Ticket

$8.32 F CFA 4,852

$6.66 MX$123

24.92%

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

$327 F CFA 190.5K

$427 MX$7,891

-23.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K F CFA 6.1M

$11.6K MX$215.0K

-10.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 F CFA 34.2K

$67.8 MX$1,253

-13.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.95 F CFA 26.2K

$52.0 MX$960

-13.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 F CFA 50.8K

$106 MX$1,959

-17.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.1 F CFA 56.6K

$113 MX$2,080

-13.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 F CFA 482.1K

$1,025 MX$18.9K

-19.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$430 F CFA 250.9K

$654 MX$12.1K

-34.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,724 F CFA 1.0M

$2,308 MX$42.7K

-25.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$916 F CFA 534.2K

$1,242 MX$22.9K

-26.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,838 F CFA 2.8M

$3,613 MX$66.8K

33.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,494 F CFA 871.1K

$1,936 MX$35.8K

-22.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 F CFA 198.7K

$964 MX$17.8K

-64.66%

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: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dakar

$430 30.4%

Mexico City

$654 42.3% 52.1% $224

Groceries & Markets

Dakar

$296 21%

Mexico City

$318 20.6% 7.3% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dakar

$260 18.4%

Mexico City

$124 8% 52.2% $136

Eating Out

Dakar

$147 10.4%

Mexico City

$204 13.2% 39.1% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Dakar

$129 9.2%

Mexico City

$152 9.8% 17.6% $23

Getting Around

Dakar

$92 6.5%

Mexico City

$26 1.7% 72.1% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Dakar

$61 4.3%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 14.4% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $827 in Dakar and $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 183% 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: $52.0 in Dakar vs $49.00 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $296 vs $318, with Dakar cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇳 Dakar

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

12:31 12:31 PM

06:31 6:31 AM

6 h behind Dakar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,396,800 Capital

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, 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).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dakar Mexico City 8,620 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Dakar
Mexico City

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dakar and Mexico City differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,415 vs $1,548 including rent). Dakar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 183% 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: $827 in Dakar versus $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,415 per month in Dakar versus $1,548 in Mexico City – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dakar runs roughly 292% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,415 in Dakar versus $1,548 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 9% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.