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Dakar vs Zanzibar cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ธ๐ณ Dakar
๐น๐ฟ Zanzibar
At a glance
- Where Zanzibar is clearly cheaper: Transit (73%โ), Haircut (63%โ), Studio rent (month) (60%โ)
- Where Dakar is clearly cheaper: Taxi (39%โ), Street food (24%โ), Laundry (24%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Zanzibar is easier to travel (3.2 vs 3.6). Biggest gap: language โ Dakar 4 vs Zanzibar 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Dakar | Zanzibar | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | CFA 3,000$5.19 | TSh 12,000$4.55 | Zanzibar โ12% |
| Street food1 item | CFA 1,000$1.73 | TSh 6,000$2.27 | Dakar โ24% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | CFA 12,000$20.8 | TSh 40,000$15.2 | Zanzibar โ27% |
| Coffeeone cup | CFA 2,000$3.46 | TSh 5,500$2.08 | Zanzibar โ40% |
| Beerone bottle | CFA 1,500$2.59 | TSh 6,000$2.27 | Zanzibar โ12% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | CFA 4,000$6.92 | TSh 18,000$6.82 | similar |
| Bottled water | CFA 300$0.52 | TSh 700$0.27 | Zanzibar โ49% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | CFA 500$0.86 | TSh 1,500$0.57 | Zanzibar โ34% |
| Taxi5 km in town | CFA 2,000$3.46 | TSh 15,000$5.68 | Dakar โ39% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | CFA 1,000$1.73 | TSh 5,000$1.89 | Dakar โ9% |
| Transitone ride | CFA 400$0.69 | TSh 500$0.19 | Zanzibar โ73% |
| Scooter rentalper day | CFA 10,000$17.3 | TSh 50,000$18.9 | Dakar โ9% |
| Hotel night3-star | CFA 45,000$77.8 | TSh 200,000$75.8 | similar |
| Studio rent (month) | CFA 300,000$519 | TSh 550,000$208 | Zanzibar โ60% |
| Laundry | CFA 1,000$1.73 | TSh 6,000$2.27 | Dakar โ24% |
| SIM card1 week data | CFA 3,500$6.05 | TSh 15,000$5.68 | Zanzibar โ6% |
| Haircutcut | CFA 3,000$5.19 | TSh 5,000$1.89 | Zanzibar โ63% |
| Massage1 hour | CFA 15,000$25.9 | TSh 70,000$26.5 | similar |
| Half-day tourper person | CFA 15,000$25.9 | TSh 65,000$24.6 | Zanzibar โ5% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | CFA 5,000$8.65 | TSh 10,000$3.79 | Zanzibar โ56% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Dakar or Zanzibar?
Zanzibar is 21% cheaper than Dakar. Daily budget $134 vs $127; a month $1,977 vs $1,263.
Which is easier to travel, Dakar or Zanzibar?
Zanzibar is easier: Zanzibar 3.2/5 vs Dakar 3.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Dakar and Zanzibar?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Dakar is about $1,977 and Zanzibar about $1,263 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.