Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Banjul and Petaling Jaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Banjul: $677 a month against $1,056 in Petaling Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Banjul
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Banjul Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Petaling Jaya
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Petaling Jaya Living Index

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Banjul

🇬🇲 Gambia

$677

/mo nomad

Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,056

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Banjul and in Petaling Jaya

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 Petaling Jaya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $677 per month in Banjul vs $1,056 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Banjul $677
Petaling Jaya $1,056

A couple spends around $1,191 per month in Banjul vs $1,569 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Banjul $1,191
Petaling Jaya $1,569

A family of three spends $1,706 per month in Banjul vs $2,082 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Banjul $1,706
Petaling Jaya $2,082

Banjul is about 36% cheaper than Petaling Jaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Banjul and Petaling Jaya are more affordable than the global median – Banjul 50% lower, Petaling Jaya 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.47 GMD 554

$3.57 MYR 14.54

109.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.6 GMD 5,603

$24.39 MYR 99.4

210.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.04 GMD 596

$4.85 MYR 19.75

65.77%

Cappuccino

$3.72 GMD 276

$3.08 MYR 12.53

20.78%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 GMD 197

$0.85 MYR 3.46

212.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 GMD 114

$0.41 MYR 1.67

273.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 GMD 427

$3.28 MYR 13.38

75.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 GMD 331

$5.69 MYR 23.19

-21.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 GMD 104

$1.93 MYR 7.87

-27.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.61 GMD 44.98

$1.03 MYR 4.21

-40.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 GMD 97.6

$1.44 MYR 5.87

-8.33%

Eggs

$1.90 GMD 141

$1.77 MYR 7.21

7.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.24 GMD 462

$9.71 MYR 39.56

-35.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.77 GMD 206

$3.28 MYR 13.36

-15.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.77 GMD 427

$9.73 MYR 39.65

-40.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 GMD 154

$3.51 MYR 14.29

-40.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 GMD 93.9

$1.86 MYR 7.57

-31.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 GMD 132

$2.73 MYR 11.13

-34.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 GMD 104

$1.83 MYR 7.44

-23.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 GMD 69.0

$2.15 MYR 8.75

-56.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 GMD 74.0

$2.02 MYR 8.23

-50.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.23 GMD 17.04

$1.45 MYR 5.90

-84.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 GMD 46.05

$0.52 MYR 2.14

19.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.69 GMD 125

$4.56 MYR 18.59

-62.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.55 GMD 486

$19.38 MYR 79.0

-66.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 GMD 112

$2.64 MYR 10.75

-42.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 GMD 123

$4.48 MYR 18.24

-62.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 GMD 13.08

$1.25 MYR 5.10

-85.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.66 GMD 493

$12.45 MYR 50.7

-46.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 MYR 4.85

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 GMD 52.5

$0.35 MYR 1.44

102.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 GMD 303

$8.75 MYR 35.65

-53.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 GMD 77.8

$0.87 MYR 3.55

20.69%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$2,648 GMD 196.2K

$45.9K MYR 186.9K

-94.23%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$3,346 GMD 248.0K

$35.3K MYR 143.9K

-90.53%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$30.46 GMD 2,257

$49.61 MYR 202

-38.60%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$14.52 GMD 1,076

$8.18 MYR 33.33

77.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.51 GMD 3,298

$27.36 MYR 111

62.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.02 GMD 1,780

$40.42 MYR 165

-40.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.42 GMD 994

$3.03 MYR 12.34

342.90%

Cinema Ticket

$3.33 GMD 247

$5.00 MYR 20.38

-33.40%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$6.92 GMD 513

$273 MYR 1,112

-97.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$139 GMD 10.3K

$10.5K MYR 42.9K

-98.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 GMD 4,170

$51.6 MYR 210

9.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.27 GMD 3,280

$29.45 MYR 120

50.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 GMD 7,262

$78.0 MYR 318

25.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 GMD 6,439

$87.2 MYR 355

-0.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$105 GMD 7,744

$511 MYR 2,084

-79.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$82.1 GMD 6,082

$426 MYR 1,738

-80.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$220 GMD 16.3K

$961 MYR 3,914

-77.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 GMD 10.2K

$699 MYR 2,849

-80.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,443 GMD 107.0K

$3,144 MYR 12.8K

-54.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,165 GMD 86.3K

$976 MYR 3,978

19.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$62.4 GMD 4,622

$1,746 MYR 7,115

-96.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

232.59%

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

Last update for Banjul: October 26, 2026

Last update for Petaling Jaya: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Eating Out

Banjul

$183 27.1%

Petaling Jaya

$113 10.7% 38.4% $70

Groceries & Markets

Banjul

$152 22.5%

Petaling Jaya

$249 23.6% 63.9% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Banjul

$128 19%

Petaling Jaya

$111 10.5% 13.7% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Banjul

$89 13.2%

Petaling Jaya

$85 8.1% 4.8% $4.3

Accommodation & Living

Banjul

$82 12.1%

Petaling Jaya

$426 40.4% 420% $344

Sport & Entertainment

Banjul

$31 4.5%

Petaling Jaya

$50 4.8% 64.3% $20

Getting Around

Banjul

$11 * 1.6%

Petaling Jaya

$20 1.9% 87.2% $9.5

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $105 in Banjul versus $511 in Petaling Jaya. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Petaling Jaya are about 28 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Banjul versus $24 in Petaling Jaya. Groceries tell a different story – $152 in Banjul vs $249 in Petaling Jaya – so Banjul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇲 Banjul

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🕒 Local time

16:07 4:07 PM

00:07 12:07 AM

8 h ahead of Banjul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,356 Capital

771,687

💱 Currency

Gambian Dalasi GMD D

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 GMD = 1.35 USD

100 GMD = 1.21 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to GMD – Gambian Dalasi Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇲 Gambian Dalasi (D)

Gambian Dalasi exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 74.1 GMD (100 GMD = 1.35 USD). 1 EUR = 82.47 GMD (100 GMD = 1.21 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.53 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

USD to GMD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Banjul Petaling Jaya 12,960 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Banjul
Petaling Jaya

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 Petaling Jaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Petaling Jaya is pricier by about 56%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,015 per month in Banjul and $1,583 in Petaling Jaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Banjul, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $105 there versus $511 in Petaling Jaya.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $677 in Banjul and $1,056 in Petaling Jaya. That’s a gap of about 56%.

Public transport costs about 47% less in Banjul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Banjul, where all-in costs run around $677, than in Petaling Jaya at $1,056. In Banjul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Petaling Jaya it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Banjul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Petaling Jaya makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.