Cost of Living Comparison Between Dakar and Saint-Louis Cost of Living Comparison Between Dakar and Saint-Louis

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,470 in Dakar versus $876 in Saint-Louis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,312 in Dakar versus $1,385 in Saint-Louis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Dakar versus $1,895 in Saint-Louis.

Living in Dakar is roughly 68% more expensive than in Saint-Louis, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dakar is 7% above, Saint-Louis is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.22 F CFA 2,943

$3.48 F CFA 1,962

50.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.8 F CFA 31.5K

$55.7 F CFA 31.4K

0.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.44 F CFA 6,446

$11.74 F CFA 6,615

-2.56%

Cappuccino

$3.56 F CFA 2,006

$3.44 F CFA 1,940

3.49%

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

$1.25 F CFA 707

$1.25 F CFA 704

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 F CFA 501

$0.87 F CFA 493

2.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.61 F CFA 1,470

$1.83 F CFA 1,033

42.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 F CFA 2,467

$4.40 F CFA 2,478

-0.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.85 F CFA 1,604

$2.78 F CFA 1,568

2.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 F CFA 434

$0.28 F CFA 158

175.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 F CFA 996

$1.74 F CFA 978

1.72%

Eggs

$2.54 F CFA 1,431

$2.60 F CFA 1,465

-2.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.81 F CFA 10.0K

$17.34 F CFA 9,775

2.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 F CFA 5,220

$9.58 F CFA 5,397

-3.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 F CFA 6,395

$11.41 F CFA 6,432

-0.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 F CFA 1,886

$3.26 F CFA 1,835

2.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 F CFA 1,136

$1.91 F CFA 1,078

5.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 F CFA 1,674

$2.99 F CFA 1,684

-0.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 F CFA 1,054

$1.80 F CFA 1,017

3.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 F CFA 784

$1.38 F CFA 778

0.72%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 F CFA 556

$1.05 F CFA 592

-5.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 F CFA 642

$1.19 F CFA 670

-4.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 F CFA 378

$0.73 F CFA 413

-8.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.17 F CFA 1,225

$2.28 F CFA 1,284

-4.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.05 F CFA 10.2K

$17.65 F CFA 9,947

2.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 F CFA 911

$1.61 F CFA 905

0.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 F CFA 1,897

$3.40 F CFA 1,918

-0.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 F CFA 215

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.3 F CFA 45.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 F CFA 1,270

$0.93 F CFA 526

141.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 F CFA 1,267

$2.18 F CFA 1,226

3.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.99 F CFA 10.1K

$17.55 F CFA 9,891

2.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 F CFA 946

$1.68 F CFA 945

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

$52.4K F CFA 29.5M

$52.0K F CFA 29.3M

0.82%

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

$49.8K F CFA 28.1M

$50.4K F CFA 28.4M

-1.20%

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

$213 F CFA 119.9K

$209 F CFA 117.6K

1.90%

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

$11.99 F CFA 6,756

$11.91 F CFA 6,712

0.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.19 F CFA 26.6K

$48.07 F CFA 27.1K

-1.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.17 F CFA 26.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.08 F CFA 13.6K

Cinema Ticket

$8.72 F CFA 4,916

$8.99 F CFA 5,066

-3.00%

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

$330 F CFA 186.1K

$316 F CFA 178.2K

4.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K F CFA 6.1M

-0.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 F CFA 33.6K

$60.4 F CFA 34.0K

-1.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.50 F CFA 26.8K

$48.08 F CFA 27.1K

-1.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 F CFA 50.5K

$88.9 F CFA 50.1K

0.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 F CFA 56.4K

$101 F CFA 56.7K

-0.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$841 F CFA 474.1K

$450 F CFA 253.5K

87.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 F CFA 250.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,781 F CFA 1.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$957 F CFA 539.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,987 F CFA 2.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,582 F CFA 891.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$352 F CFA 198.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.75

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

Last update for Dakar: August 31, 2026

Last update for Saint-Louis: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $841 in Dakar and $450 in Saint-Louis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $56.0 in Dakar vs $56.0 in Saint-Louis. Groceries flip the comparison at $307 vs $301, with Saint-Louis 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 Saint-Louis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dakar and Saint-Louis differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($1,470 vs $876 including rent). Saint-Louis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,205 in Dakar and $1,313 in Saint-Louis to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $841 in Dakar versus $450 in Saint-Louis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $330 in Dakar versus $316 in Saint-Louis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Saint-Louis – a meal for two runs $56.0 versus $56.0 in Dakar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $876 in Saint-Louis versus $1,470 in Dakar, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Saint-Louis but tight or insufficient in Dakar. The gap between the two cities makes Saint-Louis 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 Saint-Louis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Dakar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.