Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Gambia and Canada

For one person, living is cheaper in the Gambia: $703 a month against $2,310 in Canada, rent and utilities included – about $19,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Gambia
Canada
🇬🇲 Gambia
$703
/mo nomad
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,310
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the Gambia and in Canada

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

A single person spends $703 per month in the Gambia vs $2,310 in Canada, rent included.

  • Gambia $703
  • Canada $2,310

A couple spends around $1,215 per month in the Gambia vs $3,356 in Canada, rent included.

  • Gambia $1,215
  • Canada $3,356

A family of three spends $1,726 per month in the Gambia vs $4,403 in Canada, rent included.

  • Gambia $1,726
  • Canada $4,403

The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($889–$3,737) than in the Gambia ($56–$677), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the Gambia is roughly 70% lower than in Canada on average.

The Gambia sits 48% below the global median, while Canada is 70% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Gambia
Canada
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.81 GMD 505
$18.16 CA$25.52
-62.50%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.8 GMD 5,542
$71.2 CA$100
5.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.59 GMD 562
$10.81 CA$15.19
-29.79%
Cappuccino
$3.51 GMD 260
$3.78 CA$5.31
-7.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19 GMD 163
$2.11 CA$2.97
3.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 GMD 96.9
$1.66 CA$2.33
-21.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.73 GMD 424
$5.62 CA$7.89
1.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.52 GMD 335
$5.72 CA$8.04
-20.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Gambia
Canada
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.38 GMD 102
$2.17 CA$3.06
-36.41%
White Bread (500g)
$0.72 GMD 53.4
$2.60 CA$3.66
-72.31%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.19 GMD 88.2
$3.65 CA$5.13
-67.40%
Eggs
$2.07 GMD 154
$3.63 CA$5.10
-42.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.92 GMD 439
$10.76 CA$15.12
-44.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.57 GMD 635
$11.90 CA$16.72
-27.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.55 GMD 411
$15.42 CA$21.67
-64.01%
Apples (1kg)
$2.01 GMD 149
$4.03 CA$5.66
-50.12%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 GMD 114
$1.38 CA$1.95
10.87%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.08 GMD 154
$3.88 CA$5.44
-46.39%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.76 GMD 131
$4.08 CA$5.74
-56.86%
Potato (1kg)
$0.98 GMD 72.6
$2.57 CA$3.61
-61.87%
Onion (1kg)
$0.91 GMD 67.3
$2.48 CA$3.48
-63.31%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.28 GMD 20.95
$2.65 CA$3.72
-89.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.39 GMD 28.75
$1.71 CA$2.41
-77.19%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.66 GMD 123
$14.32 CA$20.12
-88.41%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.83 GMD 506
$13.49 CA$18.95
-49.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.51 GMD 112
$2.84 CA$3.99
-46.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 GMD 117
$3.30 CA$4.64
-52.42%
🚌 Getting Around
Gambia
Canada
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.33 GMD 24.09
$2.55 CA$3.59
-87.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$6.63 GMD 491
$71.9 CA$101
-90.78%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$3.18 CA$4.47
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.65 GMD 48.22
$1.54 CA$2.16
-57.79%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.03 GMD 299
$26.69 CA$37.50
-84.90%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.03 GMD 76.6
$1.24 CA$1.75
-16.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$2,672 GMD 198.0K
$27.9K CA$39.2K
-90.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$3,254 GMD 241.1K
$21.1K CA$29.6K
-84.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Gambia
Canada
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$30.48 GMD 2,258
$147 CA$207
-79.32%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.20 GMD 1,052
$41.80 CA$58.7
-66.03%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.7 GMD 3,830
$60.2 CA$84.6
-14.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Gambia
Canada
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$23.45 GMD 1,738
$39.01 CA$54.8
-39.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.63 GMD 1,010
$19.06 CA$26.78
-28.49%
Cinema Ticket
$3.33 GMD 247
$11.21 CA$15.75
-70.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Gambia
Canada
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$6.61 GMD 490
$721 CA$1,013
-99.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$138 GMD 10.2K
$14.8K CA$20.9K
-99.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Gambia
Canada
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.8 GMD 4,212
$55.3 CA$77.7
2.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.94 GMD 3,330
$38.95 CA$54.7
15.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$97.8 GMD 7,247
$87.4 CA$123
11.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$87.6 GMD 6,490
$101 CA$142
-13.53%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Gambia
Canada
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$102 GMD 7,587
$1,290 CA$1,813
-92.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$82.4 GMD 6,107
$1,130 CA$1,588
-92.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$219 GMD 16.2K
$2,036 CA$2,861
-89.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$104 GMD 7,684
$1,731 CA$2,432
-94.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,467 GMD 108.7K
$4,769 CA$6,700
-69.23%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,144 GMD 84.8K
$3,730 CA$5,240
-69.33%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Gambia
Canada
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$60.4 GMD 4,477
$3,070 CA$4,313
-98.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
15
4.87
208.01%

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

Last update for the Gambia: October 26, 2026

Last update for Canada: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Gambia
$183
Canada
$371 103% $188
Eating Out
Gambia
$171
Canada
$278 62.4% $107
Clothing & Footwear
Gambia
$129
Canada
$127 1.5% $1.9
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Gambia
$96
Canada
$249 159% $153
Accommodation & Living
Gambia
$82
Canada
$1.1K 1271% $1K
Sport & Entertainment
Gambia
$30
Canada
$61 104% $31
Getting Around
Gambia
$11 *
Canada
$93 732% $82

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

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $105 in the Gambia vs $1,250 in Canada. For reference, capital cities sit at $105 in Banjul and $1,434 in Ottawa.

Average salary: $62 in the Gambia vs $2,968 in Canada. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1090% higher in Canada.

Public transport is 843% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are about 48 times higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Canada.

Good to know
🇬🇲 Gambia
🇨🇦 Canada
🕒 Local time
10:18 10:18 AM
06:18 6:18 AM
4 h behind the Gambia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,639,916
36,991,981
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to GMD – Gambian Dalasi Converter

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).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.712 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Gambia Canada 6,550 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Gambia
  • Canada

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
Gambia vs Canada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Canada more expensive than the Gambia?
The Gambia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 70% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Canada: a central one-bedroom averages $1,250 versus $105 in the Gambia.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget in Canada or in the Gambia?
$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in the Gambia, but in Canada it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Should I move to Canada or to the Gambia?
The Gambia is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Gambia vs other spots: cost of living compared

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