Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Gambia Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Gambia

Name: Gambia
Address: GM

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $720 in China versus $209 in Gambia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in China versus $376 in Gambia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,576 in China versus $542 in Gambia.

Living in China is roughly 244% more expensive than in Gambia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 48% lower, Gambia 85% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.93 ¥19.60

$7.04 GMD 519

-58.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.72 ¥152

$77.1 GMD 5,683

-70.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 ¥33.95

$8.07 GMD 595

-37.17%

Cappuccino

$2.94 ¥19.70

$3.48 GMD 257

-15.52%

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

$0.48 ¥3.21

$2.27 GMD 167

-78.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$1.33 GMD 98.2

-77.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ¥7.10

$5.67 GMD 418

-81.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ¥15.07

$4.77 GMD 352

-52.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ¥11.99

$1.45 GMD 107

23.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥11.35

$0.68 GMD 50.0

150.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.45

$1.14 GMD 84.2

-15.79%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.79

$2.06 GMD 152

-21.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.60 ¥91.1

$5.95 GMD 439

128.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.84

$8.63 GMD 636

-60.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 ¥74.2

$5.50 GMD 405

101.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$1.97 GMD 145

-8.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.74

$1.59 GMD 118

-18.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.91

$2.00 GMD 147

-26.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.72

$1.85 GMD 137

-29.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.82

$1.02 GMD 75.3

-29.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.31

$0.94 GMD 69.1

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.08

$0.26 GMD 19.11

134.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.73

$0.38 GMD 27.68

47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.67 ¥24.58

$1.70 GMD 126

115.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 ¥79.7

$6.83 GMD 503

74.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.56

$1.59 GMD 117

-47.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.08

$1.65 GMD 122

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.33 GMD 24.07

-12.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.61 ¥151

$6.58 GMD 485

243.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.72

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ¥2.31

$0.65 GMD 48.07

-47.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.27 ¥48.72

$3.94 GMD 290

84.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥8.26

$1.09 GMD 80.4

12.84%

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

$19.5K ¥130.9K

$2,650 GMD 195.3K

637.45%

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

$17.2K ¥115.5K

$3,215 GMD 236.9K

436.53%

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

$55.5 ¥371

$29.84 GMD 2,199

85.86%

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

$8.51 ¥57.0

$14.36 GMD 1,058

-40.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.81 ¥72.4

$52.5 GMD 3,867

-79.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.02 ¥268

$23.22 GMD 1,711

72.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.80 ¥99.1

$13.26 GMD 978

11.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.73 ¥45.09

$3.31 GMD 244

103.32%

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

$454 ¥3,042

$6.60 GMD 486

6781.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K ¥130.8K

$137 GMD 10.1K

14150.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.95 ¥301

$55.1 GMD 4,058

-18.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.81 ¥240

$44.76 GMD 3,299

-20.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 ¥514

$99.2 GMD 7,313

-22.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.3 ¥518

$87.0 GMD 6,410

-11.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 ¥2,581

$101 GMD 7,461

280.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ¥1,623

$108 GMD 7,987

123.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 ¥5,603

$245 GMD 18.1K

240.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 ¥3,177

$99.8 GMD 7,355

375.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,619 ¥30.9K

$1,422 GMD 104.8K

224.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,316 ¥15.5K

$1,164 GMD 85.8K

99.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,062 ¥7,110

$60.3 GMD 4,444

1660.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

-76.87%

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

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Last update for Gambia: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $295 in China, $14.00 in Gambia. Capital cities: $957 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $101 in Banjul.

National salary averages: $865 in China, $61.0 in Gambia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 2007% higher in China.

Dining out costs 38% more in Gambia.

Public transport is 1600% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 1318% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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

China vs Gambia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $852 per month in China and $332 in Gambia, there's a 157% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Gambia: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in China is consistently higher than in Gambia across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Gambia, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in China it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Gambia wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.