Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Senegal and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $1,370 in Senegal, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Senegal
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Senegal Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index

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🇸🇳 Senegal

$1,370

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Senegal and in China

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,370 in Senegal versus $791 in China.

Senegal $1,370
China $791

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Senegal versus $1,251 in China.

Senegal $2,137
China $1,251

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,904 in Senegal versus $1,711 in China.

Senegal $2,904
China $1,711

Internal cost variation is higher in Senegal: monthly costs span $153 to $1,392, compared to $465–$1,222 in China. City choice carries more weight in Senegal.

Living in Senegal is roughly 73% more expensive than in China on average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.81 F CFA 2,823

$2.98 ¥19.78

61.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.5 F CFA 32.0K

$22.09 ¥147

146.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 F CFA 6,373

$5.20 ¥34.55

108.65%

Cappuccino

$3.43 F CFA 2,017

$2.97 ¥19.71

15.49%

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

$1.37 F CFA 805

$0.48 ¥3.18

185.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 F CFA 437

$0.30 ¥2.00

146.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 F CFA 1,496

$1.08 ¥7.17

136.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 F CFA 2,572

$2.28 ¥15.13

92.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.60 F CFA 1,526

$1.80 ¥11.94

44.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 F CFA 411

$1.68 ¥11.13

-58.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 F CFA 964

$0.92 ¥6.13

78.26%

Eggs

$2.49 F CFA 1,465

$1.61 ¥10.72

54.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.60 F CFA 10.3K

$13.38 ¥88.9

31.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.07 F CFA 5,328

$3.35 ¥22.25

170.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.27 F CFA 6,621

$11.35 ¥75.4

-0.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 F CFA 1,909

$1.82 ¥12.11

78.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 F CFA 1,193

$1.31 ¥8.68

54.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 F CFA 1,808

$1.49 ¥9.88

106.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 F CFA 991

$1.27 ¥8.46

33.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 F CFA 863

$0.71 ¥4.73

107.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 F CFA 590

$0.93 ¥6.20

7.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 F CFA 661

$0.62 ¥4.11

82.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 F CFA 384

$0.56 ¥3.73

16.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.09 F CFA 1,229

$3.78 ¥25.12

-44.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.35 F CFA 10.2K

$12.13 ¥80.6

43.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 F CFA 848

$0.83 ¥5.53

73.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 F CFA 1,918

$1.68 ¥11.19

94.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 F CFA 315

$0.29 ¥1.91

86.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.1 F CFA 30.6K

$17.83 ¥118

192.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 F CFA 1,017

$1.49 ¥9.88

16.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 F CFA 1,222

$0.37 ¥2.49

462.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.98 F CFA 9,974

$7.10 ¥47.17

139.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 F CFA 960

$1.26 ¥8.36

29.37%

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

$49.5K F CFA 29.1M

$19.4K ¥129.2K

154.49%

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

$47.5K F CFA 27.9M

$17.5K ¥116.5K

171.04%

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

$203 F CFA 119.5K

$54.6 ¥363

272.80%

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

$11.71 F CFA 6,876

$8.73 ¥58.0

34.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.66 F CFA 26.8K

$11.07 ¥73.5

312.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.92 F CFA 18.7K

$40.77 ¥271

-21.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.30 F CFA 13.7K

$14.48 ¥96.2

60.91%

Cinema Ticket

$8.45 F CFA 4,962

$6.78 ¥45.05

24.63%

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

$327 F CFA 192.0K

$517 ¥3,433

-36.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,827 F CFA 5.2M

$19.8K ¥131.6K

-55.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 F CFA 34.5K

$46.53 ¥309

26.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.69 F CFA 26.2K

$35.66 ¥237

25.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 F CFA 49.2K

$77.0 ¥512

8.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.7 F CFA 57.4K

$80.3 ¥533

21.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$751 F CFA 441.0K

$386 ¥2,564

94.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$426 F CFA 250.3K

$235 ¥1,558

81.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,744 F CFA 1.0M

$822 ¥5,461

112.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$862 F CFA 506.4K

$453 ¥3,011

90.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,909 F CFA 2.9M

$4,697 ¥31.2K

4.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,497 F CFA 879.0K

$2,372 ¥15.8K

-36.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$340 F CFA 200.0K

$1,093 ¥7,264

-68.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.75

3.46

152.89%

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

Last update for Senegal: October 26, 2026

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Senegal

$426 31.1%

China

$235 29.6% 45% $192

Groceries & Markets

Senegal

$298 21.7%

China

$210 26.5% 29.5% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Senegal

$261 19%

China

$74 9.4% 71.5% $186

Eating Out

Senegal

$142 10.4%

China

$88 11.1% 38% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Senegal

$128 9.4%

China

$108 13.6% 16% $21

Getting Around

Senegal

$66 4.9%

China

$22 2.8% 66.4% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Senegal

$49 3.6%

China

$54 6.9% 11.3% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $551 in Senegal, $298 in China. Capital cities: $801 in Dakar vs $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $340 in Senegal, $873 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 85% higher in Senegal.

Dining out costs 145% more in Senegal.

Public transport is 189% more expensive in Senegal.

Salaries are about 2.6 times higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇸🇳 Senegal

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

08:50 8:50 AM

16:50 4:50 PM

8 h ahead of Senegal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,876,720

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to XOF – West African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 West African CFA Franc (Fr)

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 587 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Senegal China 12,290 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Senegal
China

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

Senegal vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $1,370 in Senegal, China comes out about 42% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in China: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $551 in Senegal and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.