Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Doha and Dakar

For one person, living is cheaper in Dakar: $1,415 a month against $2,114 in Doha, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in Doha
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Doha Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Dakar
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Dakar Living Index

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Doha

🇶🇦 Qatar

$2,114

/mo nomad

Dakar

🇸🇳 Senegal

$1,415

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Doha and in Dakar

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Doha and in Dakar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,114 in Doha versus $1,415 in Dakar.

Doha $2,114
Dakar $1,415

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,335 in Doha versus $2,220 in Dakar.

Doha $3,335
Dakar $2,220

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,556 in Doha versus $3,026 in Dakar.

Doha $4,556
Dakar $3,026

Living in Doha is roughly 49% more expensive than in Dakar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Doha 56% above, Dakar 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.78 QAR 35.61

$5.23 F CFA 3,051

87.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 QAR 254

$52.0 F CFA 30.3K

34.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.72 QAR 28.11

$11.25 F CFA 6,561

-31.38%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.12 QAR 44.11

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.78 QAR 50.2

Cappuccino

$5.88 QAR 21.42

$3.43 F CFA 1,999

71.43%

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

$0.90 QAR 3.27

$1.25 F CFA 728

-28.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 QAR 1.48

$0.92 F CFA 538

-55.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 F CFA 1,469

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 F CFA 2,473

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 QAR 7.54

$2.60 F CFA 1,513

-20.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 QAR 5.20

$0.76 F CFA 445

88.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 QAR 6.91

$1.66 F CFA 967

14.46%

Eggs

$3.47 QAR 12.65

$2.52 F CFA 1,467

37.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.04 QAR 40.19

$17.67 F CFA 10.3K

-37.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 QAR 28.99

$9.03 F CFA 5,268

-11.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.08 QAR 40.32

$10.89 F CFA 6,349

1.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 QAR 8.38

$3.27 F CFA 1,906

-29.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 QAR 6.81

$1.86 F CFA 1,084

0.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 QAR 5.57

$2.99 F CFA 1,741

-48.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 QAR 4.38

$1.71 F CFA 999

-29.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 QAR 3.46

$1.33 F CFA 776

-28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 QAR 3.61

$0.97 F CFA 566

2.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 QAR 5.26

$1.13 F CFA 661

28.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 QAR 1.86

$0.69 F CFA 403

-26.09%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.43 QAR 34.34

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 QAR 6.75

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 QAR 8.30

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 QAR 23.86

$2.20 F CFA 1,282

197.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.00 F CFA 9,912

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 F CFA 923

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 F CFA 1,923

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 QAR 1.93

$0.41 F CFA 239

29.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.74 QAR 101

$77.0 F CFA 44.9K

-63.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 QAR 6.92

$2.13 F CFA 1,241

-10.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 QAR 7.30

$2.20 F CFA 1,284

-8.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.99 QAR 50.9

$17.16 F CFA 10.0K

-18.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 QAR 2.09

$1.64 F CFA 956

-65.24%

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

$24.8K QAR 90.3K

$49.7K F CFA 29.0M

-50.06%

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

$21.6K QAR 78.6K

$47.9K F CFA 27.9M

-54.95%

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

$86.0 QAR 313

$202 F CFA 117.7K

-57.39%

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

$34.74 QAR 126

$11.68 F CFA 6,811

197.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.5 QAR 318

$46.07 F CFA 26.9K

89.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$128 QAR 465

$44.29 F CFA 25.8K

188.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.64 QAR 67.8

$22.92 F CFA 13.4K

-18.67%

Cinema Ticket

$12.43 QAR 45.25

$8.32 F CFA 4,852

49.40%

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

$675 QAR 2,458

$327 F CFA 190.5K

106.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,718 QAR 35.4K

$10.4K F CFA 6.1M

-6.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.7 QAR 221

$58.6 F CFA 34.2K

3.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 QAR 196

$44.95 F CFA 26.2K

19.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 QAR 368

$87.1 F CFA 50.8K

16.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.4 QAR 307

$97.1 F CFA 56.6K

-13.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,920 QAR 6,988

$827 F CFA 482.1K

132.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 QAR 4,313

$430 F CFA 250.9K

175.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,540 QAR 12.9K

$1,724 F CFA 1.0M

105.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,367 QAR 8,617

$916 F CFA 534.2K

158.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,126 QAR 15.0K

$4,838 F CFA 2.8M

-14.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,456 QAR 8,939

$1,494 F CFA 871.1K

64.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,303 QAR 12.0K

$341 F CFA 198.7K

869.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

8.75

-32.34%

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

Last update for Doha: October 19, 2026

Last update for Dakar: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Doha

$1.2K 56.1%

Dakar

$430 30.4% 63.7% $755

Groceries & Markets

Doha

$214 10.1%

Dakar

$296 21% 38.3% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Doha

$208 9.9%

Dakar

$260 18.4% 24.7% $51

Eating Out

Doha

$177 8.4%

Dakar

$147 10.4% 17.3% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Doha

$153 7.2%

Dakar

$61 4.3% 60.1% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Doha

$135 6.4%

Dakar

$129 9.2% 4.1% $5.5

Getting Around

Doha

$42 2%

Dakar

$92 6.5% 120% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,920 in Doha and $827 in Dakar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Doha pays 869% 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: $70.0 in Doha vs $52.0 in Dakar. Groceries flip the comparison at $214 vs $296, with Doha cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇶🇦 Doha

🇸🇳 Dakar

🕒 Local time

19:59 7:59 PM

16:59 4:59 PM

3 h behind Doha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,312,947 Capital

2,396,800 Capital

💱 Currency

Qatari Riyal QAR ر.ق

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 QAR = 0.275 USD

1 QAR = 0.244 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to QAR – Qatari Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇶🇦 Qatari Riyal (ر.ق)

Qatari Riyal exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.64 QAR (1 QAR = 0.275 USD). 1 EUR = 4.09 QAR (1 QAR = 0.244 EUR).

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).

USD to QAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Doha Dakar 7,230 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Doha
Dakar

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

Doha vs Dakar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Doha and Dakar differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($2,114 vs $1,415 including rent). Dakar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 869% higher in Doha, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,920 in Doha versus $827 in Dakar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,114 per month in Doha versus $1,415 in Dakar – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dakar runs roughly 177% less than in Doha. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,415 in Dakar versus $2,114 in Doha, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dakar but tight or insufficient in Doha. 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.

Safety-wise, Doha and Dakar 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 Dakar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Doha. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.