Senegal, Dakar

Overview

Senegal, Dakar Dakar is the capital and largest city of Senegal. Dakar is the westernmost city on the African mainland and is a major regional port.

Senegal is in Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania. The climate is tropical, hot and humid with a rainy season (May to November) and a dry season (December to April).

The official language is French. It is widely spoken in towns and slightly less frequently in rural areas. Wolof is spoken by the majority of the population, particularly in urban areas, and is increasingly used in the business world. English is becoming more widely spoken. The main religion is Islam.

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.

Expatriate business dress is relatively formal. Senegal is officially a secular state, however more than 90% of the population is Muslim. Expatriate women should therefore dress conservatively by covering their legs and arms.

The security risk for expatriates in Senegal is low overall, but medium for Casamance. Risks include petty theft, violent protest action, and in the south of Casamance risks also include bandits, separatist groups and landmines. Other risks include the low driving standards and poor road conditions.

The currency of Senegal is the CFA Franc BCEAO (XOF). While ATMs are available in Dakar not all international cards are accepted. Major credit cards are accepted at larger establishments.

Medical facilities are reasonable in Dakar but limited in the rest of the country. Malaria and other tropical diseases are common. Occasional outbreaks of cholera have been reported.

The population of Dakar is 2.5 Million (2019 est.), while the inflation rate (CPI) is 0.7% for Senegal as at September 2019.

Xpatulator Hypothetical Tax for Senegal is based on the current personal income tax rates which are progressive up to 40%.

Cost Of Living

The cost of living for expatriates / professional migrants in Dakar as at 1 November 2019 is average in comparison to other places in the world.

We have collected prices for the same items, world wide, based on Expat spending norms, in or closest to the location, and converted them to $USD so that we can compare the cost of 13 different baskets in 780 global locations. For each basket, compared to New York, the equivalent cost in Dakar is as follows:
1) Alcohol and/or Tobacco: for items such as beer, spirits, wine and tobacco related products such as cigarettes. A basket costing USD$1000 in New York costs USD$560. Average price in a store for a midrange bottle of wine is USD$6.76, domestic/local beer (500ml) USD$0.69, imported/international beer (330ml) USD$2.00 and a pack of 20 cigarettes is USD$1.14.
2) Clothing: for items such as business, casual and children's clothing and footwear. A basket costing USD$1000 in New York costs USD$680. Average price for an international brand of mens jeans is USD$25, a quality international brand of running shoes USD$65, mens leather shoes suitable for office wear USD$34 while a medium size international summer dress from a global chain store is USD$19.
3) Communication: for various communication costs such as home telephone rental, internet subscription, mobile service provider tariff and data costs. A basket costing USD$200 in New York costs USD$250. Average price for a monthly standard plan internet subscription is USD$62, while the benchmark mobile tariff is USD$0.23 per minute.
4) Education: for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. A basket costing USD$30000 in New York costs USD$22800. Average annual private international school fee (excluding extras) USD$14,800 for Primary School, and USD$16,470 for High School.
5) Furniture & Appliances: for items such as dining table and chairs, home entertainment, kitchen appliances, and sofas. A basket costing USD$2500 in New York costs USD$1525. Average price for a 6kg front loader Washing Machine is USD$612, and USD$526 for a 46+'' LED UHD TV.
6) Groceries: for items such as consumables, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruit & vegetables, general food products, snacks, soft drinks. A basket costing USD$1000 in New York costs USD$640. Average grocery prices in a major international retail store for 1 kg apples is USD$1.92, 1 kg oranges USD$1.97, 1 head lettuce USD$1.32, 1 kg potatos USD$1.07, 1 kg boneless, skinless, chicken breast USD$5.98, 1 kg cheddar cheese USD$14.37, 1 dozen large eggs USD$2.03, 500g loaf white bread USD$0.29, 1 L full cream milk USD$1.70, and 1.5 L water USD$0.85.
7) Healthcare: for general heath care, doctor visits, hospital stays, non-prescription medicine, and medical insurance. A basket costing USD$1000 in New York costs USD$540. Average healthcare cost for a private practice Doctor visit for an uninsured patient is USD$43, and a private hospital stay per day including nursing care, medications, diagnostic tests, food, and related costs is USD$1,335.
8) Household Accommodation: for items such as apartment rent, house rent, property purchase, mortgage rate, and utilities. A basket costing USD$5000 in New York costs USD$3050. Average expatriate house / apartment rent for a secure upmarket unfurnished apartment (3 bedrooms) is USD$2,926 in a central location, and USD$1,536 in a suburban location, per month, excluding utilities.
9) Miscellaneous: for items such as dry cleaning, linen, magazines, newspapers, office supplies, and postage stamps. A basket costing USD$500 in New York costs USD$420. Average price for dry cleaning (1 mens 2 pc suit) is USD$8.20, while an international newspaper is USD$2.52.
10) Personal Care: for items such as cosmetics, hair care, and toiletries. A basket costing USD$500 in New York costs USD$195. Average cost for a mens haircut and blow dry is USD$16, while a womens hair colour, cut and blow dry - medium length is USD$78.
11) Recreation & Culture: for items such as books, cinema, sport and theatre tickets. A basket costing USD$500 in New York costs USD$370. Average price for a latest release international cinema ticket (average of on and off peak where applicable) for one adult is USD$8.46, and an international fitness, recreation or sports club membership cost for one adult is USD$46 per month.
12) Restaurants Meals Out and Hotels: for items such as hotel daily room rates, meals and beverages in a restaurant, and take away food and beverages. A basket costing USD$1000 in New York costs USD$470. Average cappuccino price (regular, medium) is USD$2.25, coke/pepsi (330ml) USD$0.67, burger meal (international franchise or similar) USD$7.37, and a mid-range international restaurant meal for 2 USD$30.44.
13) Transport: for items such as fuel (petrol/gasoline), car hire, public transport, vehicle purchase and maintenance. A basket costing USD$1000 in New York costs USD$740. Average average price over the last year for highest available octane petrol / gasoline (1L) is USD$1.10, while the benchmark car sedan purchase price including taxes/duties for a compact / small / economy vehicle (1.4 L) is USD$15,643.

Dakar is -0.3% cheaper than Houston TX for groceries, 43.4% more expensive for household costs than Kuala Lumpur, and 26.2% more expensive for transport costs than Dubai.

Dakar is ranked as a extreme hardship location.

The hardship premium for Dakar for an expat from Perth, is for example 30%, i.e. host location (Dakar) premium of 40% minus home (Perth) location premium of 10%.

Want to know more about cost of living, hardship (quality of living) or expat salary in Dakar? Register subscribe to your home location and Dakar and run your personalised reports.

International Cost of Living Calculators

Do you need a Cost of Living Comparison Calculator?

International Cost of Living Calculator Pricing

Cost of Living Articles and Rankings

Cost of Living Reviews by City and Country for 780 International Locations

International Cost of Living Help

The cost of living for expatriates / professional migrants in Dakar as at 1 November 2019 is average in comparison to other places in the world.

Dakar is ranked as a extreme hardship location.