Dakar vs Ashgabat Cost of Living Comparison
Takeaway for Dakar vs Ashgabat: everyday costs favor Ashgabat (~21% CPI gap), housing index favors Ashgabat, wage stretch favors Ashgabat. Use category winners, not a single headline, when the binding constraint is rent or income.
Overall Cost Winner
Ashgabat
Lower overall CPI; largest measurable gaps: Transport (100% gap, Ashgabat ahead); Utilities (100% gap, Ashgabat ahead).
Monthly Cost Difference
Estimated monthly housing+utilities+internet basket is about $137 lower in Ashgabat than in Dakar (~23% gap; converted via exchange rates).
Estimated monthly difference: $137 (favoring Ashgabat).
Category Winners
| Category | Winner | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Overall CPI | Ashgabat | CPI 20.1 vs 25.5 (lower is better) |
| Housing | Ashgabat | Rent index 11.8 vs 15.3 (lower is better) |
| Food | Ashgabat | Groceries index 28.1 vs 34.6 (lower is better) |
| Transport | Ashgabat | One-way ticket 1.1 vs 264.49 (lower is better) |
| Utilities | Ashgabat | Utilities (85m²) 82.6 vs 18482.4 (lower is better) |
| Internet | Ashgabat | Internet 52.92 vs 13698.72 (lower is better) |
| Restaurants | Ashgabat | Restaurant index 20 vs 25 (lower is better) |
| Salary | Dakar | Avg net salary 756449.6 vs 5338.2 (higher is better) |
| Purchasing Power | Ashgabat | PP index 24.6 vs 20.2 (higher is better) |
Biggest Difference
Transport: Ashgabat leads with a 100% gap.
One-way ticket 1.1 vs 264.49 (lower is better)
Quick Decision
- Students: Ashgabat — Lower housing / rent index (23% gap).
- Families: Ashgabat — Housing is typically the largest household line; rent index favors Ashgabat; purchasing power favors Ashgabat.
- Remote Workers: Ashgabat — Everyday cost index (CPI) favors Ashgabat (~21% gap).
- Budget Living: Ashgabat — Lowest overall consumer-price index in this pair.
Key Takeaways
- Ashgabat is the overall cost winner on CPI (~21% lower everyday-cost index than Dakar).
- Housing: Ashgabat leads on rent index (23% gap).
- Food / groceries: Ashgabat is lower (19% gap).
- Purchasing power: Ashgabat scores higher (22% gap).
- Largest category gap: Transport (100%), favoring Ashgabat.
- Sample monthly basket (1BR + utilities + internet) is ~$137 cheaper in Ashgabat.
Analysis
Dakar versus Ashgabat is not a single number. With a 21% CPI spread, groceries and services tend to move with Ashgabat, while housing follows Ashgabat's rent index. Purchasing power (20.2 vs 24.6) decides whether local wages offset local prices.
Trust & data transparency
Last updated: 2026-08-21
Data Sources
This page uses CityCost index inputs. Platform sources (see also Data sources):
- Regional
- Regional
On-page labels for this view: Regional · Regional.
Methodology
Each indexed city is associated with a reference basket of common living costs (for example rent, groceries samples, transport tickets, utilities, restaurant meals, and net salary where available). From those items, the platform derives relative indices such as CPI, rent, groceries, restaurants, and local purchasing power, using New York City = 100 as the familiar baseline convention for relative comparison.