Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dakar and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,415 in Dakar, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Dakar
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Dakar Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Dakar

🇸🇳 Senegal

$1,415

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dakar and in Phuket

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,415 in Dakar versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Dakar $1,415
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,220 in Dakar versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Dakar $2,220
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,026 in Dakar versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Dakar $3,026
Phuket $2,845

Living in Dakar is roughly 17% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dakar is 4% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.23 F CFA 3,051

$4.40 ฿147

18.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 F CFA 30.3K

$32.26 ฿1,078

61.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.25 F CFA 6,561

$8.76 ฿293

28.42%

Cappuccino

$3.43 F CFA 1,999

$2.83 ฿94.5

21.20%

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

$1.25 F CFA 728

$0.90 ฿30.14

38.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 F CFA 538

$0.47 ฿15.56

95.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 F CFA 1,469

$2.55 ฿85.2

-1.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 F CFA 2,473

$3.83 ฿128

10.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.60 F CFA 1,513

$1.73 ฿57.7

50.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 F CFA 445

$1.47 ฿49.11

-48.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 F CFA 967

$1.51 ฿50.6

9.93%

Eggs

$2.52 F CFA 1,467

$2.17 ฿72.7

16.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.67 F CFA 10.3K

$19.70 ฿658

-10.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.03 F CFA 5,268

$3.34 ฿112

170.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.89 F CFA 6,349

$11.16 ฿373

-2.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 F CFA 1,906

$2.85 ฿95.1

14.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 F CFA 1,084

$1.70 ฿56.9

9.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 F CFA 1,741

$2.19 ฿73.3

36.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 F CFA 999

$2.05 ฿68.4

-16.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 F CFA 776

$1.45 ฿48.57

-8.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 F CFA 566

$1.38 ฿46.16

-29.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 F CFA 661

$1.07 ฿35.69

5.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 F CFA 403

$0.51 ฿16.91

35.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.20 F CFA 1,282

$4.26 ฿142

-48.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.00 F CFA 9,912

$18.58 ฿621

-8.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 F CFA 923

$1.78 ฿59.7

-11.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 F CFA 1,923

$2.85 ฿95.2

15.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 F CFA 239

$2.26 ฿75.6

-81.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.0 F CFA 44.9K

$22.10 ฿738

248.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 F CFA 1,241

$3.01 ฿101

-29.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 F CFA 1,284

$1.06 ฿35.34

107.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.16 F CFA 10.0K

$3.86 ฿129

344.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 F CFA 956

$1.45 ฿48.45

13.10%

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

$49.7K F CFA 29.0M

$26.3K ฿879.9K

88.59%

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

$47.9K F CFA 27.9M

$26.9K ฿900.4K

77.89%

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

$202 F CFA 117.7K

$96.4 ฿3,221

109.50%

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

$11.68 F CFA 6,811

$11.04 ฿369

5.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.07 F CFA 26.9K

$17.14 ฿573

168.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.29 F CFA 25.8K

$52.2 ฿1,744

-15.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.92 F CFA 13.4K

$11.16 ฿373

105.38%

Cinema Ticket

$8.32 F CFA 4,852

$7.81 ฿261

6.53%

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

$327 F CFA 190.5K

$556 ฿18.6K

-41.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K F CFA 6.1M

$11.6K ฿387.0K

-9.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 F CFA 34.2K

$64.2 ฿2,146

-8.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.95 F CFA 26.2K

$28.69 ฿959

56.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 F CFA 50.8K

$95.4 ฿3,187

-8.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.1 F CFA 56.6K

$88.0 ฿2,940

10.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 F CFA 482.1K

$737 ฿24.6K

12.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$430 F CFA 250.9K

$462 ฿15.5K

-6.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,724 F CFA 1.0M

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-17.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$916 F CFA 534.2K

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-23.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,838 F CFA 2.8M

$3,488 ฿116.6K

38.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,494 F CFA 871.1K

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-40.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 F CFA 198.7K

$501 ฿16.7K

-31.95%

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 Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dakar

$430 30.4%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 7.5% $32

Groceries & Markets

Dakar

$296 21%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 9.4% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dakar

$260 18.4%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 52% $135

Eating Out

Dakar

$147 10.4%

Phuket

$121 10% 17.2% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Dakar

$129 9.2%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 4% $5.1

Getting Around

Dakar

$92 6.5%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 57% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Dakar

$61 4.3%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 11.3% $6.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $827 in Dakar and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 47% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Dakar vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $296 vs $269 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇳 Dakar

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

11:17 11:17 AM

18:17 6:17 PM

7 h ahead of Dakar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,396,800 Capital

79,308

💱 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 Phuket 12,510 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Dakar
Phuket

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dakar and Phuket differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($1,415 vs $1,208 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 47% lower in Phuket. 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 $737 in Phuket. 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 $1,208 in Phuket – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 248% less than in Dakar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,415 in Dakar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Dakar. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket 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 Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Dakar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.