Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Banjul and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Banjul: $674 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Banjul
🇬🇲 Gambia
$674
/mo nomad
Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,621
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Banjul and in Budapest

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Banjul and in Budapest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $674 per month in Banjul vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Banjul $674
  • Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $1,184 per month in Banjul vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Banjul $1,184
  • Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $1,695 per month in Banjul vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Banjul $1,695
  • Budapest $3,489

Banjul is about 58% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Banjul sits 50% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Banjul
Budapest
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.29 GMD 532
$13.99 Ft 4,555
-47.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.0 GMD 5,328
$60.3 Ft 19.7K
20.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.91 GMD 578
$9.96 Ft 3,244
-20.58%
Cappuccino
$3.76 GMD 274
$3.38 Ft 1,102
11.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66 GMD 194
$2.13 Ft 693
24.88%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 GMD 112
$1.87 Ft 609
-17.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.45 GMD 398
$3.75 Ft 1,222
45.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.44 GMD 324
$3.57 Ft 1,163
24.37%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Banjul
Budapest
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.38 GMD 101
$1.13 Ft 369
22.12%
White Bread (500g)
$0.64 GMD 46.87
$1.84 Ft 600
-65.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.29 GMD 94.5
$2.39 Ft 777
-46.03%
Eggs
$1.97 GMD 144
$3.83 Ft 1,246
-48.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.16 GMD 450
$11.33 Ft 3,689
-45.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.63 GMD 192
$6.74 Ft 2,194
-60.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.45 GMD 398
$14.69 Ft 4,784
-62.90%
Apples (1kg)
$2.06 GMD 150
$1.84 Ft 598
11.96%
Banana (1kg)
$1.22 GMD 88.7
$2.01 Ft 654
-39.30%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.76 GMD 128
$2.36 Ft 767
-25.42%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.32 GMD 96.7
$3.77 Ft 1,227
-64.99%
Potato (1kg)
$0.88 GMD 64.4
$0.96 Ft 314
-8.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.00 GMD 73.0
$1.03 Ft 335
-2.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.25 GMD 18.31
$1.56 Ft 509
-83.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.61 GMD 44.59
$0.66 Ft 216
-7.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.66 GMD 122
$7.96 Ft 2,594
-79.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.29 GMD 459
$6.01 Ft 1,956
4.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.53 GMD 111
$1.30 Ft 422
17.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 GMD 123
$2.08 Ft 677
-18.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Banjul
Budapest
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.19 GMD 13.59
$1.50 Ft 490
-87.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$6.40 GMD 468
$27.61 Ft 8,991
-76.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$3.30 Ft 1,075
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.71 GMD 51.7
$1.30 Ft 424
-45.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.12 GMD 301
$19.78 Ft 6,442
-79.17%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.08 GMD 79.1
$1.81 Ft 591
-40.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$2,616 GMD 191.0K
$29.3K Ft 9.6M
-91.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$3,205 GMD 233.9K
$34.1K Ft 11.1M
-90.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Banjul
Budapest
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$30.89 GMD 2,255
$170 Ft 55.3K
-81.82%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.21 GMD 1,038
$23.98 Ft 7,809
-40.74%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$45.37 GMD 3,312
$23.42 Ft 7,628
93.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Banjul
Budapest
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$23.56 GMD 1,720
$66.2 Ft 21.6K
-64.43%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.61 GMD 994
$19.18 Ft 6,245
-29.04%
Cinema Ticket
$3.37 GMD 246
$9.52 Ft 3,101
-64.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Banjul
Budapest
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$6.59 GMD 481
$537 Ft 174.8K
-98.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$136 GMD 9,921
$16.6K Ft 5.4M
-99.18%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Banjul
Budapest
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.2 GMD 4,029
$101 Ft 33.0K
-45.53%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.48 GMD 3,174
$42.99 Ft 14.0K
1.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.0 GMD 7,228
$113 Ft 36.7K
-12.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.6 GMD 6,251
$119 Ft 38.7K
-27.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Banjul
Budapest
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$101 GMD 7,347
$805 Ft 262.2K
-87.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$81.2 GMD 5,924
$629 Ft 204.9K
-87.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$213 GMD 15.6K
$1,549 Ft 504.6K
-86.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$138 GMD 10.1K
$1,167 Ft 380.1K
-88.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,438 GMD 104.9K
$5,618 Ft 1.8M
-74.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,160 GMD 84.7K
$3,968 Ft 1.3M
-70.77%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Banjul
Budapest
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$60.6 GMD 4,426
$1,626 Ft 529.5K
-96.27%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
15
6.43
133.28%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Banjul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Eating Out
Banjul
$180
Budapest
$224 24.5% $44
Groceries & Markets
Banjul
$149
Budapest
$258 72.8% $109
Clothing & Footwear
Banjul
$127
Budapest
$169 32.7% $42
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Banjul
$90
Budapest
$217 140% $127
Accommodation & Living
Banjul
$81
Budapest
$629 675% $548
Sport & Entertainment
Banjul
$30
Budapest
$85 182% $55
Getting Around
Banjul
$11 *
Budapest
$43 306% $33

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $101 in Banjul versus $805 in Budapest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 2581% higher in Budapest, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Banjul versus $60.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $149 in Banjul vs $258 in Budapest – so Banjul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇬🇲 Banjul
🇭🇺 Budapest
🕒 Local time
01:53 1:53 AM
03:53 3:53 AM
2 h ahead of Banjul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
31,356 Capital
1,686,222 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to GMD – Gambian Dalasi Converter

Gambian Dalasi exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 73 GMD (100 GMD = 1.37 USD). 1 EUR = 81.88 GMD (100 GMD = 1.22 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Banjul Budapest 5,020 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Banjul
  • Budapest

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Banjul vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Budapest cheaper than Banjul?
Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 141%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,010 per month in Banjul and $2,432 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Banjul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Banjul and in Budapest?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $674 in Banjul and $1,621 in Budapest. That's a gap of about 141%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 331% less in Banjul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Banjul or in Budapest?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Banjul, where all-in costs run around $674, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Banjul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Banjul or Budapest more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Banjul – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Banjul or Budapest?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Banjul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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