How much does it cost to live in Dakar?
Typical Month (Mid Range)
$2,009 (F CFA 1,142,219)
Housing, food, transport, mobile, coworking and gym.
Updated September 2026 · Sources cited: theafricanvestor.com, keur-immo.com
- Typical Month (Lower End)
- $613 (F CFA 348,400)
- Typical Month (Premium)
- $4,557 (F CFA 2,590,657)
Good to know
Good to Know
- The CFA Franc (XOF) is pegged to the euro at a fixed rate, so it doesn't fluctuate against the euro the way it does against the US dollar — useful context if you're budgeting from Europe versus the US.
- Furnished, expat-standard apartments in Almadies, Ngor and Plateau typically cost noticeably more than the city-wide averages you'll see on generic cost-of-living sites — those sites often reflect unfurnished, local long-term leases rather than what a short-stay nomad actually pays.
- Reliable electricity (generator backup) and AC are meaningful rent drivers in Dakar; a unit advertised with both usually costs more but is worth it given periodic power reliability issues.
- Bargaining on rent is common practice, especially for longer stays — don't assume the first quoted price is final.
- Senegal has no dedicated digital nomad visa — most remote workers simply enter on the standard 90-day visa-free stamp available to US, UK, and EU passport holders.
- Dakar's coworking scene is still developing compared to bigger nomad hubs; options are concentrated in Almadies and the Plateau, and prices/venues can change or come and go.
- Roaming on a foreign SIM in Senegal is expensive — buying a local Orange or Free SIM (or a Senegal-specific e-SIM) shortly after arrival is far cheaper than roaming on a home carrier.
- Public buses (DDD and the newer electric BRT) are the cheapest way around the city, but informal 'car rapide' minivans still require cash and route knowledge — ask a local which vehicle goes where.
- Taxis in Dakar are not metered; always negotiate the fare before getting in.
Monthly Totals
- Mid-range month
- F CFA 1,142,219
Includes 5 estimated components
- Lean month
- F CFA 348,400
Includes 4 estimated components
- Comfortable month
- F CFA 2,590,657
Includes 6 estimated components
Living Costs
- Where nomads live
- No large formal digital-nomad colony is documented in Dakar, but expat/professional rental demand concentrates in a clear set of coastal and central neighborhoods: Almadies, Ngor and Plateau are the most sought-after, with Fann/Point E and Mermoz as common, slightly cheaper alternatives. All housing figures below are grounded in these areas.
Housing (per month)
- Mid-range 1-bed
- F CFA 700,000
Survey / cost-of-living site
The Africanvestor states the average 2-bedroom rent in Dakar as of early 2026 is around 700,000 CFA, scaled from Numbeo anchor figures and cross-checked against Expat-Dakar averages; furnished units in expat-heavy zones run at the higher end of the cited 350,000-1,300,000 CFA range.
- Budget studio / 1-bed
- F CFA 380,000
Survey / cost-of-living site
The Africanvestor's rent report states the average 1-bedroom rent in Dakar as of early 2026 is approximately 380,000 CFA, with cheaper outer neighborhoods (Grand Dakar, HLM, Parcelles Assainies) at the low end of the range; this is not a furnished-premium figure.
- Premium apartment
- F CFA 2,000,000
Local listing
Keur Immo live listing: a fully furnished 230 sqm apartment on the 4th floor of a residence opposite the World Bank offices in Almadies, listed at 2,000,000 FCFA/month.
- Private room in a shared home
- F CFA 150,000
Estimated
No live listing found for a private room in a shared home in Dakar; estimated at roughly 35-40% of a budget furnished 1BR apartment rent, which is a common ratio in comparable West African capitals. Treat as a rough planning figure only.
Groceries
- Groceries for one (month)
- F CFA 150,000
Estimated
No single source publishes a monthly one-person grocery total for Dakar; estimated by blending per-item supermarket prices (milk, water, staples) with typical monthly consumption for someone cooking most meals at home, shopping at a mid-range supermarket (e.g. Casino, Auchan) rather than local markets.
Sample prices
1L Milk
- 1L Milk
- F CFA 1,500
Survey / cost-of-living site
Hikersbay's crowdsourced Dakar price data lists a 1-litre bottle/carton of milk at 1,500 XOF.
Bottled Water, 1L (Store)
- Bottled Water, 1L (Store)
- F CFA 400
Estimated
Expat.com's Senegal guide cites a litre of bottled water at XOF 300-500; 400 is the midpoint of that stated range, so recorded as estimated rather than a single stated price.
Dozen Eggs
- Dozen Eggs
- F CFA 2,000
Estimated
No sourced Dakar-specific egg price found at the time of research; rough planning estimate based on typical West African supermarket pricing.
Eating out
- Cheap meal
- F CFA 2,925
Estimated
Hikersbay lists a meal in a cheap restaurant in Dakar at 3,900 XOF ($7.00). [Adjusted 2026-09-18: the source's 3900 XOF reduced by 25%; see "adjusted".]
- High-end meal
- F CFA 35,000
Estimated
No sourced high-end restaurant price found for Dakar at the time of research; estimated as roughly 1.5x the per-person mid-range figure, a common multiplier for upscale dining versus mid-range in this price bracket.
- Mid-range meal
- F CFA 16,875
Estimated
Expat.com's Senegal guide states a mid-range restaurant meal for two costs XOF 30,000-60,000; halved to a per-person figure using the range midpoint (45,000/2), so recorded as estimated rather than a single sourced per-person price. [Adjusted 2026-09-18: the source's 22500 XOF reduced by 25%; see "adjusted".]
Work, Transport & Essentials
Coworking
- Day pass
- F CFA 6,822
Estimated
No single-day drop-in price was found published for a Dakar coworking space at the time of research. Estimated at roughly 15% of DIALLO COWORK's own listed monthly hot-desk rate as a rough day-rate proxy.
Published in USD
- Monthly hot desk
- F CFA 112,569
Survey / cost-of-living site
Coworkbooking aggregator listing for DIALLO COWORK in Almadies: hot desk 'from 198 USD / 31 days' (discounted from a listed 248 USD).
Published in USD
Transport
- Single ride
- F CFA 250
Survey / cost-of-living site
Dakar Bus Fare Calculator states 'the cost of public transportation in Dakar stands at 250.00 XOF'.
- Monthly pass
- F CFA 15,000
Survey / cost-of-living site
Relocation guide states Dakar Dem Dikk (DDD) monthly pass is 'around 10,000 CFA francs for students and 15,000 CFA francs for adults'.
Mobile & data
- Monthly plan
- F CFA 10,000
Estimated
No current Orange/Free Senegal operator page with a specific monthly data-bundle price was retrieved at the time of research. Estimated at a typical 10-15GB prepaid bundle price range for local carriers in Dakar.
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this cost of living research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Dakar
Data last updated September 2026 · Verify anything important.