Senegal, Dakar

Country Full Name: Republic of Senegal.

Location: Senegal is in Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania.

Country Climate: Tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has strong southeast winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind.

Country Terrain: Generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in southeast.

Major Languages: French (official), Wolof.

Major Religions: Islam.

Population: 2.5 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of Senegal is predominantly rural with limited natural resources and gains most of its foreign exchange from fish, phosphates, groundnuts, tourism, and services.

Currency: CFA Franc BCEAO (XOF).

Inflation: 2.7% (2011 est.).

Dakar is the capital and largest city of Senegal.

Dakar is the westernmost city on the African mainland and is a major regional port.

The cost of living in Dakar in Senegal is very high compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. Dakar in Senegal is currently ranked 120 overall out of 780 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 780 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are high compared to other places for items such as alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, wine (where alcohol is legally sold) and tobacco related products. There are 242 places that are more expensive, and 537 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are very high compared to other places for items such as business suits, casual clothing, children's clothing, coats, evening wear, footwear, hats, shoe repairs and underwear. There are 12 places that are more expensive, and 767 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are very high compared to other places for various communication costs such as call charges, home telephone rental, internet connection, mobile data costs, mobile phone contract and service provider fees. There are 6 places that are more expensive, and 773 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are high compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 160 places that are more expensive, and 619 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are very high compared to other places for items such as DVD player, fridge freezer, furniture, household equipment, iron, kettle, light bulbs, microwave, television, toaster, vacuum cleaner and washing machine. There are 27 places that are more expensive, and 752 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are very high compared to other places for items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning materials, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs. There are 117 places that are more expensive, and 662 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are very high compared to other places for general healthcare, general practitioner consultation rates, healthcare/medical insurance, hospital private ward daily rate and non-prescription medicine. There are 84 places that are more expensive, and 695 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are high compared to other places for items such as accommodation, apartment, flat, house, villa, rent, electricity, household fuels, household gas, water, and local property rates / residential taxes / levies. There are 225 places that are more expensive, and 554 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are very high compared to other places for items such as dry cleaning, general goods, general services, linen, magazines, maid, newspapers, office supplies, postage stamps and stationery. There are 71 places that are more expensive, and 708 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are very high compared to other places for items such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer, nappies, pain relief tablets, shampoo, soap, sun block, toilet paper and toothpaste. There are 34 places that are more expensive, and 745 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are high compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 281 places that are more expensive, and 498 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are very high compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a family restaurant (non fast food), 4 star and 5 star hotel rates and take away meal (fast food). There are 154 places that are more expensive, and 625 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are very low compared to other places for items such as car hire purchase, car insurance, car lease, car maintenance, car rental, car service, diesel, petrol, tyres and public transport. There are 663 places that are more expensive, and 116 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Dakar in Senegal are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Dakar in Senegal is ranked as high degree of hardship with a hardship index of 30%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Dakar in Senegal are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is as at 1 April 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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