Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Dakar Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Dakar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,470 in Dakar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $2,312 in Dakar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $3,154 in Dakar.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 58% more expensive than in Dakar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 69% above, Dakar 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$5.22 F CFA 2,943

231.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$55.8 F CFA 31.5K

13.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$11.44 F CFA 6,446

-0.44%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$3.56 F CFA 2,006

-10.39%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.25 F CFA 707

96.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.89 F CFA 501

97.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$2.61 F CFA 1,470

37.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$4.38 F CFA 2,467

-22.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$2.85 F CFA 1,604

-56.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$0.77 F CFA 434

157.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.77 F CFA 996

-14.12%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$2.54 F CFA 1,431

59.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$17.81 F CFA 10.0K

-23.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$9.26 F CFA 5,220

-9.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$11.35 F CFA 6,395

60.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$3.35 F CFA 1,886

-31.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$2.01 F CFA 1,136

-13.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.97 F CFA 1,674

-37.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.87 F CFA 1,054

40.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.39 F CFA 784

38.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$0.99 F CFA 556

111.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.14 F CFA 642

26.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.67 F CFA 378

25.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$2.17 F CFA 1,225

212.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$18.05 F CFA 10.2K

-68.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.62 F CFA 911

-14.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$3.37 F CFA 1,897

-34.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.38 F CFA 215

531.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$81.3 F CFA 45.8K

-42.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$2.25 F CFA 1,270

85.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.25 F CFA 1,267

-49.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$17.99 F CFA 10.1K

-1.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.68 F CFA 946

38.10%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$52.4K F CFA 29.5M

-32.53%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$49.8K F CFA 28.1M

-16.85%

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

$170 €146

$213 F CFA 119.9K

-19.92%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$11.99 F CFA 6,756

61.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$47.19 F CFA 26.6K

-28.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$46.17 F CFA 26.0K

4.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$24.08 F CFA 13.6K

-17.36%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$8.72 F CFA 4,916

13.76%

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

$717 €617

$330 F CFA 186.1K

117.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$10.8K F CFA 6.1M

62.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$59.7 F CFA 33.6K

75.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$47.50 F CFA 26.8K

-1.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$89.6 F CFA 50.5K

15.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$100 F CFA 56.4K

23.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$841 F CFA 474.1K

99.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$445 F CFA 250.8K

185.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$1,781 F CFA 1.0M

67.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$957 F CFA 539.4K

108.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$4,987 F CFA 2.8M

56.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$1,582 F CFA 891.6K

194.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$352 F CFA 198.4K

349.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

8.75

-56.69%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Dakar: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $841 in Dakar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 350% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $56.0 in Dakar. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $307, with Lisbon 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

Lisbon vs Dakar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Dakar differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,470 including rent). Dakar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 350% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $841 in Dakar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,316 per month in Lisbon versus $1,470 in Dakar – a 58% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dakar runs roughly 74% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,470 in Dakar versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dakar but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. 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, Lisbon 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 58% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.