Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Dakar

For one person, living is cheaper in Dakar: $1,429 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Dakar
Learn more

Dakar Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Dakar

🇸🇳 Senegal

$1,429

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul 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 Istanbul and in Dakar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,526 in Istanbul versus $1,429 in Dakar.

Istanbul $1,526
Dakar $1,429

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,399 in Istanbul versus $2,206 in Dakar.

Istanbul $2,399
Dakar $2,206

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,272 in Istanbul versus $2,983 in Dakar.

Istanbul $3,272
Dakar $2,983

Living in Istanbul is roughly 7% more expensive than in Dakar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Istanbul 14% above, Dakar 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$5.25 F CFA 3,071

126.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$52.7 F CFA 30.8K

4.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$11.01 F CFA 6,444

-16.98%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$3.28 F CFA 1,921

29.27%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$1.25 F CFA 729

40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$0.85 F CFA 499

-36.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$2.62 F CFA 1,535

79.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$4.31 F CFA 2,521

38.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$2.50 F CFA 1,465

-49.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$0.75 F CFA 439

26.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.67 F CFA 979

38.32%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$2.40 F CFA 1,403

2.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$17.32 F CFA 10.1K

-39.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$9.12 F CFA 5,336

-38.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$11.17 F CFA 6,533

89.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$3.18 F CFA 1,858

-39.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.92 F CFA 1,126

19.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.87 F CFA 1,681

-55.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$1.73 F CFA 1,011

6.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$1.39 F CFA 812

-51.80%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$0.91 F CFA 535

-35.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$1.10 F CFA 643

20.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.65 F CFA 380

-9.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$2.11 F CFA 1,236

11.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$16.95 F CFA 9,919

-20.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.60 F CFA 937

51.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$3.36 F CFA 1,966

5.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$0.41 F CFA 240

102.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$77.5 F CFA 45.3K

-14.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$2.12 F CFA 1,243

-36.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$2.19 F CFA 1,282

-61.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$17.08 F CFA 9,996

-36.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.70 F CFA 992

-13.53%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$50.4K F CFA 29.5M

2.35%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$47.7K F CFA 27.9M

-6.86%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$200 F CFA 117.1K

-55.44%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$11.58 F CFA 6,774

0.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$46.09 F CFA 27.0K

-65.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$44.68 F CFA 26.1K

72.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$23.24 F CFA 13.6K

-2.50%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$8.56 F CFA 5,010

-2.57%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$325 F CFA 189.9K

200.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$10.3K F CFA 6.0M

150.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$58.1 F CFA 34.0K

-9.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$46.29 F CFA 27.1K

-15.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$83.9 F CFA 49.1K

22.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$95.1 F CFA 55.6K

1.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$824 F CFA 482.2K

20.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$436 F CFA 255.4K

44.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$1,757 F CFA 1.0M

15.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$915 F CFA 535.6K

26.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$4,961 F CFA 2.9M

-36.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$1,492 F CFA 872.9K

23.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$343 F CFA 200.9K

250.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

8.75

369.60%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Dakar: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Dakar

$436 30.9% 30.6% $193

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Dakar

$294 20.8% 11.5% $30

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Dakar

$145 10.2% 33.7% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Dakar

$128 9% 2.9% $3.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Dakar

$258 18.2% 121% $141

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Dakar

$62 4.4% 34.2% $32

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Dakar

$92 6.5% 22.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Istanbul and $824 in Dakar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Istanbul pays 251% 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: $55.0 in Istanbul vs $53.0 in Dakar. Groceries flip the comparison at $264 vs $294, with Istanbul cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇸🇳 Dakar

🕒 Local time

08:09 8:09 AM

05:09 5:09 AM

3 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

2,396,800 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.25 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Dakar 5,330 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
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

Istanbul vs Dakar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul and Dakar differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,526 vs $1,429 including rent). Dakar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 251% higher in Istanbul, 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: $994 in Istanbul versus $824 in Dakar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,526 per month in Istanbul versus $1,429 in Dakar – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dakar runs roughly 17% less than in Istanbul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,429 in Dakar versus $1,526 in Istanbul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dakar but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. 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, Istanbul 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 7% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.