Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Banjul

For one person, living is cheaper in Banjul: $676 a month against $1,371 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Banjul
Learn more

Banjul Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,371

/mo nomad

Banjul

🇬🇲 Gambia

$676

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Banjul

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

A single person spends $1,371 per month in Bucharest vs $676 in Banjul, rent included.

Bucharest $1,371
Banjul $676

A couple spends around $2,067 per month in Bucharest vs $1,183 in Banjul, rent included.

Bucharest $2,067
Banjul $1,183

A family of three spends $2,764 per month in Bucharest vs $1,690 in Banjul, rent included.

Bucharest $2,764
Banjul $1,690

Bucharest costs about 103% more than Banjul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.51 RON 69.0

$7.29 GMD 541

99.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 RON 291

$73.4 GMD 5,443

-16.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.46 RON 35.46

$8.03 GMD 596

-7.10%

Cappuccino

$3.64 RON 17.31

$3.82 GMD 283

-4.71%

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

$2.62 RON 12.43

$2.60 GMD 193

0.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 RON 11.23

$1.57 GMD 116

50.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.78 RON 17.98

$5.54 GMD 411

-31.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 RON 19.52

$4.43 GMD 328

-7.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 RON 7.89

$1.33 GMD 98.7

24.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 RON 6.64

$0.64 GMD 47.51

118.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 RON 8.53

$1.32 GMD 98.1

35.61%

Eggs

$3.63 RON 17.25

$1.96 GMD 145

85.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 RON 42.38

$6.29 GMD 467

41.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.86 RON 32.62

$2.77 GMD 205

147.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.99 RON 57.0

$5.76 GMD 427

108.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 RON 6.16

$1.98 GMD 147

-34.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.76

$1.23 GMD 91.1

32.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 RON 7.09

$1.85 GMD 137

-19.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.08

$1.38 GMD 102

84.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 RON 3.86

$0.95 GMD 70.6

-14.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.78

$0.94 GMD 69.9

-14.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 RON 4.07

$0.23 GMD 16.97

273.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 RON 4.46

$0.66 GMD 49.20

42.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.60 RON 31.38

$1.73 GMD 129

281.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.33 RON 30.08

$6.32 GMD 469

0.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.64

$1.50 GMD 112

-20.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 RON 7.53

$1.74 GMD 129

-9.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 RON 4.64

$0.19 GMD 14.35

415.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.91 RON 99.4

$6.61 GMD 490

216.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.86

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 RON 2.93

$0.65 GMD 48.25

-4.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.37 RON 30.25

$3.98 GMD 295

60.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 RON 9.62

$1.03 GMD 76.4

96.12%

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

$28.2K RON 134.0K

$2,616 GMD 193.9K

978.20%

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

$26.3K RON 124.8K

$3,328 GMD 246.7K

689.61%

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

$196 RON 932

$30.51 GMD 2,262

543.00%

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

$8.60 RON 40.84

$14.17 GMD 1,051

-39.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.20 RON 43.69

$45.79 GMD 3,395

-79.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 RON 242

$24.10 GMD 1,787

111.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.04 RON 119

$13.86 GMD 1,028

80.66%

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 RON 39.27

$3.32 GMD 246

148.80%

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

$681 RON 3,234

$6.65 GMD 493

10133.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K RON 89.0K

$136 GMD 10.1K

13661.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.3 RON 443

$57.4 GMD 4,253

62.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.87 RON 189

$44.39 GMD 3,291

-10.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 RON 381

$98.8 GMD 7,327

-18.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 RON 431

$86.0 GMD 6,377

5.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$731 RON 3,473

$102 GMD 7,526

620.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 RON 2,232

$82.3 GMD 6,104

470.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,110 RON 5,276

$220 GMD 16.3K

404.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$722 RON 3,431

$137 GMD 10.1K

427.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 RON 17.8K

$1,450 GMD 107.5K

158.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,233 RON 10.6K

$1,153 GMD 85.5K

93.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,365 RON 6,487

$61.6 GMD 4,569

2115.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

-55.00%

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

Last update for Bucharest: November 2, 2026

Last update for Banjul: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$470 34.3%

Banjul

$82 12.2% 82.5% $387

Eating Out

Bucharest

$229 16.7%

Banjul

$181 26.8% 20.8% $48

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.4%

Banjul

$152 22.4% 32.5% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 15.6%

Banjul

$90 13.4% 57.7% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$137 10%

Banjul

$129 19.1% 5.7% $7.8

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$68 4.9%

Banjul

$31 4.6% 54.5% $37

Getting Around

Bucharest

$29 2.1%

Banjul

$11 * 1.6% 62.7% $18

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $731 in Bucharest versus $102 in Banjul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Bucharest are about 22 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Bucharest versus $73 in Banjul. Groceries tell a different story – $225 in Bucharest vs $152 in Banjul – so Banjul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇬🇲 Banjul

🕒 Local time

10:05 10:05 AM

08:05 8:05 AM

2 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

31,356 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Gambian Dalasi GMD D

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

100 GMD = 1.35 USD

100 GMD = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GMD, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4.75 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Gambian Dalasi exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 74.15 GMD (100 GMD = 1.35 USD). 1 EUR = 83.28 GMD (100 GMD = 1.2 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Banjul 5,300 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Banjul

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

Bucharest vs Banjul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bucharest is pricier by about 103%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,056 per month in Bucharest and $1,014 in Banjul. 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 $102 there versus $731 in Bucharest.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,371 in Bucharest and $676 in Banjul. That makes Banjul about 51% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 68% 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 $676, than in Bucharest at $1,371. In Banjul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bucharest 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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bucharest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.