West African CFA franc

It cost about 1,000 ex-uef, which is roughly $2 for an American listener, but here it feels like a fair price for the cold relief it brings.

The currency here is the West African CFA franc, and while national inflation data suggests food costs are drifting gently upward, prices in Foundione remain well below those in Dakar.

A bowl of Thibodian at a local Gargo runs about $1,500 to $2,500 XREF, so a meal is affordable, but the logistics of getting there can be expensive if you need private transport.

As I reached the sand spit, the light was fading into that deep indigo twilight unique to the coast.

So that's roughly 124,503 square miles, about the size of New Mexico if you're in America.

The currency is the West African Sefa Franc or the XOF on the currency exchange.

That currency is shared with Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo.

The median age is 18.8 years.

The price has jumped recently, of course.

A single small cup runs about 50 to 100 XOF, so maybe 10 or 15 cents.

But the powder itself has spiked to around 5000 XOF per kilogram due to inflation and the lead up to the maple season.

You pay for the ritual as much as the drink.

I handed over 100 XOF bill, got my paper cut and turned to face the market stalls opening their awnings.

The market life here is distinct from what you see in Dakar, or even Matam.

It is quieter, more deliberate.

In Taoba, there are no municipal buses or metro cards.

It was nangdeaf, truly delicious and filling.

The currency you will use everywhere is the West African CFA franc, or ex-wef.

One US dollar is roughly 606 ex-wef, though that rate fluctuates slightly.

When you look at costs, think in terms of hundreds.

Speaking of onions, the price spikes around the Magle Pilgrimage are real.

A sack that cost around 6,500 XOF last year jumped to nearly 10,000 XOF recently.

A reminder that inflation hits the holy city just as hard as anywhere else.

The market in Geunbind is bustling, though not chaotic.

I sat outside, watching the horse carts, chariots, clatter past.

A ride in one of these carts might set you back between 100 and 500 XOF depending on the distance, but honestly, it is the best way to see the layout of the town without sweating through your shirt.

After breakfast, I walked toward the Dero Kudas Quarter.

This area is historic, one of the largest central quarters surrounding the mosque, and its dominance is so profound that the neighboring quarter, Taube Mesquite, was deliberately created to counterbalance it.

Enforcement is handled by the marid authorities, not the police, and the atmosphere is one of quiet discipline.

I stopped by a small café near the Guillem-Bind pink to rest my feet.

The cup of Café Taube here was about 80 XOF, less than a dollar, but the powder has gotten expensive.

In 2025 and 2026, the price of coffee powder spiked to around 5,000 XOF per kilogram, a sharp run-up that mirrors the inflation we saw in onions.

It was Café Touba Nourderaine, a spot that locals know well.

A cup of Café Touba here costs about fifty to one hundred XOF, so roughly a tenth of a dollar.

It is cheap, strong, and sweet, served in tiny glasses that fit perfectly in your palm.

You drink it fast, standing up because the heat is rising and there's work to be done.

The powder itself has gotten more expensive recently, jumping to around five thousand XOF per kilogram in some markets.

But the final cup remains affordable if you know where to look.

I watched an old man pour the coffee from a height, creating that perfect foam on top, a technique that takes years to master.

Instead, the economy thrives on food, textiles, and religious goods.

I ordered a Café Touba, the local blend of roasted coffee beans and grains of saline, spiced and sweetened.

It costs about fifty to one hundred XOF, so roughly twenty cents.

In America, that would be a drop in the bucket, but here it is a daily ritual.

The coffee is strong, bitter, and grounding.

A sack of onions jumped significantly in price last year, and the powder for Café Touba has gone up too.

Still, a meal at a local gargote like Restaurant Sokhna Fatma Diop Touba is affordable.

You can get a plate of thiebou dien, the national dish of rice and fish, for about two thousand five hundred XOF, maybe three dollars.

It is hearty, tomato-based, and filling.

You need it for maps, for banking alerts, for calling home.

I paid roughly 15,000 XOF for the data bundle.

At the current rate, that is about $25.

It is not cheap, but it is reliable.

Lingere is a cash town.

You need bills for the market, for the transport, for the small purchases.

I kept a stack of 5,000 and 2,000 XOF notes in my pocket, about $8, enough for a day of small transactions.

I wandered past the old railway station, the Gare Ferriere de Linger.

There are no reliable ATMs on this stretch of the N3, so if you are coming here, you must withdraw your funds in Lugha or Arasagwai before you arrive.

I have been carrying enough XOF to cover my rent, my market purchases, and my buffer for the next leg, but today was about administrative formalities.

I am finalizing my carte d'identité d'étranger application.

For those thinking of staying longer than the tourist period, You cannot just walk into a commune hall and sort this out.

I stopped at LE Café du Rail for a strong black coffee.

It is a simple place, right in the shadow of the old station buildings, but the view is unmatched.

I paid about 500 XOF for the coffee, roughly $3, which is standard for a sit-down spot with a view.

Sitting there, I thought about how this town is defined by its transit role.