Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Dakar

For one person, living is cheaper in Dakar: $1,415 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Dakar
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Dakar Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Dakar

🇸🇳 Senegal

$1,415

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $1,415 in Dakar.

Mexico City $1,548
Dakar $1,415

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $2,220 in Dakar.

Mexico City $2,436
Dakar $2,220

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $3,026 in Dakar.

Mexico City $3,323
Dakar $3,026

Living in Mexico City is roughly 9% more expensive than in Dakar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 14% above, Dakar 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$5.23 F CFA 3,051

110.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$52.0 F CFA 30.3K

-6.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$11.25 F CFA 6,561

-3.11%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$3.43 F CFA 1,999

7.29%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$1.25 F CFA 728

30.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$0.92 F CFA 538

35.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$2.52 F CFA 1,469

28.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$4.24 F CFA 2,473

30.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$2.60 F CFA 1,513

-34.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$0.76 F CFA 445

297.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$1.66 F CFA 967

15.66%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$2.52 F CFA 1,467

8.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$17.67 F CFA 10.3K

-33.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$9.03 F CFA 5,268

5.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$10.89 F CFA 6,349

32.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$3.27 F CFA 1,906

-7.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$1.86 F CFA 1,084

1.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$2.99 F CFA 1,741

-33.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$1.71 F CFA 999

28.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$1.33 F CFA 776

44.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$0.97 F CFA 566

92.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$1.13 F CFA 661

27.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$0.69 F CFA 403

84.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$2.20 F CFA 1,282

137.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$17.00 F CFA 9,912

-4.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$1.58 F CFA 923

20.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$3.30 F CFA 1,923

27.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$0.41 F CFA 239

-17.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

$77.0 F CFA 44.9K

-74.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$2.13 F CFA 1,241

-6.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$2.20 F CFA 1,284

-76.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$17.16 F CFA 10.0K

-68.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.64 F CFA 956

-7.32%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$49.7K F CFA 29.0M

-55.54%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$47.9K F CFA 27.9M

-48.86%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$202 F CFA 117.7K

-69.76%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$11.68 F CFA 6,811

144.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$46.07 F CFA 26.9K

-25.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$44.29 F CFA 25.8K

27.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

$22.92 F CFA 13.4K

8.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$8.32 F CFA 4,852

-19.95%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$327 F CFA 190.5K

30.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$10.4K F CFA 6.1M

11.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$58.6 F CFA 34.2K

15.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$44.95 F CFA 26.2K

15.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$87.1 F CFA 50.8K

21.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$97.1 F CFA 56.6K

15.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$827 F CFA 482.1K

23.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$430 F CFA 250.9K

52.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$1,724 F CFA 1.0M

33.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$916 F CFA 534.2K

35.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$4,838 F CFA 2.8M

-25.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$1,494 F CFA 871.1K

29.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$341 F CFA 198.7K

182.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

8.75

29.14%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Dakar: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Dakar

$430 30.4% 34.2% $224

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Dakar

$296 21% 6.8% $22

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Dakar

$147 10.4% 28.1% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Dakar

$129 9.2% 15% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Dakar

$260 18.4% 109% $136

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Dakar

$61 4.3% 12.6% $8.8

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Dakar

$92 6.5% 258% $66

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $827 in Dakar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 183% 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: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $52.0 in Dakar. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $296, with Dakar cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇸🇳 Dakar

🕒 Local time

08:22 8:22 AM

14:22 2:22 PM

6 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

2,396,800 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 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 MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Dakar 8,620 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
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

Mexico City vs Dakar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Dakar differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,548 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 183% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $827 in Dakar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,548 per month in Mexico City versus $1,415 in Dakar – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dakar runs roughly 292% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,415 in Dakar versus $1,548 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dakar but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. 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.

Expats usually find Dakar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.