Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Senegal and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Senegal: $1,370 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 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
131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index

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🇸🇳 Senegal

$1,370

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Senegal and in the United States

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 the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,370 in Senegal versus $2,734 in the United States.

Senegal $1,370
United States $2,734

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Senegal versus $3,985 in the United States.

Senegal $2,137
United States $3,985

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,904 in Senegal versus $5,235 in the United States.

Senegal $2,904
United States $5,235

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $979 to $5,160, compared to $153–$1,392 in Senegal. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in Senegal costs about 50% less than in the United States on average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.81 F CFA 2,823

$20.03 $20.03

-75.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.5 F CFA 32.0K

$80.0 $80.0

-31.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 F CFA 6,373

$11.80 $11.80

-8.05%

Cappuccino

$3.43 F CFA 2,017

$5.55 $5.55

-38.20%

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

$1.37 F CFA 805

$2.66 $2.66

-48.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 F CFA 437

$2.17 $2.17

-65.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 F CFA 1,496

$6.12 $6.12

-58.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 F CFA 2,572

$7.94 $7.94

-44.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.60 F CFA 1,526

$1.04 $1.04

150.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 F CFA 411

$3.59 $3.59

-80.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 F CFA 964

$4.52 $4.52

-63.72%

Eggs

$2.49 F CFA 1,465

$4.28 $4.28

-41.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.60 F CFA 10.3K

$13.22 $13.22

33.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.07 F CFA 5,328

$12.60 $12.60

-28.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.27 F CFA 6,621

$17.60 $17.60

-35.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 F CFA 1,909

$5.30 $5.30

-38.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 F CFA 1,193

$1.69 $1.69

20.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 F CFA 1,808

$4.44 $4.44

-30.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 F CFA 991

$4.77 $4.77

-64.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 F CFA 863

$2.97 $2.97

-50.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 F CFA 590

$3.15 $3.15

-68.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 F CFA 661

$2.20 $2.20

-48.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 F CFA 384

$2.35 $2.35

-72.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.09 F CFA 1,229

$10.98 $10.98

-80.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.35 F CFA 10.2K

$15.05 $15.05

15.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 F CFA 848

$2.06 $2.06

-30.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 F CFA 1,918

$3.79 $3.79

-13.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 F CFA 315

$1.94 $1.94

-72.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.1 F CFA 30.6K

$59.4 $59.4

-12.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 F CFA 1,017

$3.58 $3.58

-51.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 F CFA 1,222

$1.88 $1.88

10.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.98 F CFA 9,974

$29.84 $29.84

-43.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 F CFA 960

$1.02 $1.02

59.80%

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

$49.5K F CFA 29.1M

$28.8K $28.8K

72.09%

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

$47.5K F CFA 27.9M

$26.2K $26.2K

81.37%

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

$203 F CFA 119.5K

$218 $218

-6.68%

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

$11.71 F CFA 6,876

$62.5 $62.5

-81.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.66 F CFA 26.8K

$74.5 $74.5

-38.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.92 F CFA 18.7K

$41.86 $41.86

-23.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.30 F CFA 13.7K

$22.81 $22.81

2.15%

Cinema Ticket

$8.45 F CFA 4,962

$14.70 $14.70

-42.52%

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

$327 F CFA 192.0K

$1,489 $1,489

-78.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,827 F CFA 5.2M

$25.3K $25.3K

-65.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 F CFA 34.5K

$54.3 $54.3

8.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.69 F CFA 26.2K

$42.71 $42.71

4.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 F CFA 49.2K

$94.1 $94.1

-10.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.7 F CFA 57.4K

$114 $114

-13.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$751 F CFA 441.0K

$1,659 $1,659

-54.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$426 F CFA 250.3K

$1,348 $1,348

-68.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,744 F CFA 1.0M

$2,682 $2,682

-34.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$862 F CFA 506.4K

$2,169 $2,169

-60.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,909 F CFA 2.9M

$3,283 $3,283

49.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,497 F CFA 879.0K

$2,482 $2,482

-39.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$340 F CFA 200.0K

$4,296 $4,296

-92.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.75

6.55

33.59%

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

Last update for Senegal: October 26, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Senegal

$426 31.1%

United States

$1.3K 49.3% 216% $921

Groceries & Markets

Senegal

$298 21.7%

United States

$415 15.2% 39.4% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Senegal

$261 19%

United States

$355 13% 36.1% $94

Eating Out

Senegal

$142 10.4%

United States

$328 12% 131% $186

Clothing & Footwear

Senegal

$128 9.4%

United States

$137 5% 6.9% $8.8

Getting Around

Senegal

$66 4.9%

United States

$80 2.9% 20.6% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Senegal

$49 3.6%

United States

$71 2.6% 46% $22

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $551 in Senegal, $1,620 in the United States. Capital cities: $801 in Dakar vs $2,768 in Washington, DC.

National salary averages: $340 in Senegal, $4,549 in the United States. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 194% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 39% more in the United States.

Public transport is 21% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 13 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇸🇳 Senegal

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

05:17 5:17 AM

01:17 1:17 AM

4 h behind Senegal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,876,720

340,110,988

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Senegal United States 7,230 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Senegal
United States

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 United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,370 per month in Senegal and $2,734 in the United States, Senegal comes out about 50% 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 Senegal: 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 $1,620 in the United States and $551 in Senegal. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

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