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

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $214 in Gambia versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $356 in Gambia versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $497 in Gambia versus $1,550 in China.

Living in Gambia costs about 70% less than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Gambia 84% lower, China 47% lower.

Gambia ($57.0–$611) and China ($532–$1,192) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.37 GMD 324

$2.86 ¥19.35

52.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.7 GMD 4,350

$23.44 ¥159

150.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.48 GMD 481

$4.84 ¥32.75

33.88%

Cappuccino

$2.54 GMD 188

$3.11 ¥21.06

-18.33%

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

$1.74 GMD 129

$0.44 ¥3.00

295.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 GMD 91.9

$0.29 ¥1.99

327.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 GMD 266

$0.98 ¥6.64

266.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 GMD 270

$2.05 ¥13.88

78.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 GMD 112

$1.84 ¥12.47

-17.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 GMD 51.7

$1.62 ¥10.94

-56.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 GMD 91.6

$0.93 ¥6.28

33.33%

Eggs

$2.20 GMD 163

$1.63 ¥11.03

34.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.82 GMD 432

$13.15 ¥89.0

-55.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 GMD 582

$3.26 ¥22.09

140.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.25 GMD 389

$10.62 ¥71.9

-50.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 GMD 230

$1.80 ¥12.19

72.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 GMD 176

$1.30 ¥8.77

82.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 GMD 154

$1.46 ¥9.90

42.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 GMD 137

$1.20 ¥8.15

54.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 GMD 76.2

$0.76 ¥5.14

35.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 GMD 74.3

$0.88 ¥5.93

13.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.24 GMD 17.68

$0.57 ¥3.86

-57.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 GMD 29.55

$0.54 ¥3.63

-25.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 GMD 144

$3.42 ¥23.17

-42.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.94 GMD 515

$11.75 ¥79.5

-40.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 GMD 164

$0.80 ¥5.40

176.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 GMD 127

$1.62 ¥10.95

6.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 GMD 16.35

$0.43 ¥2.94

-48.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.45 GMD 478

$20.47 ¥139

-68.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 GMD 37.99

$1.36 ¥9.24

-62.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 GMD 53.1

$0.35 ¥2.39

105.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 GMD 321

$6.50 ¥43.97

-33.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 GMD 80.7

$1.12 ¥7.59

-2.68%

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

$2,639 GMD 195.7K

$19.5K ¥131.8K

-86.45%

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

$4,013 GMD 297.5K

$16.9K ¥114.1K

-76.20%

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

$33.58 GMD 2,490

$51.7 ¥350

-35.05%

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

$14.59 GMD 1,082

$10.17 ¥68.8

43.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.96 GMD 3,556

$11.16 ¥75.5

329.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.78 GMD 1,837

$39.62 ¥268

-37.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.23 GMD 1,055

$14.53 ¥98.3

-2.06%

Cinema Ticket

$3.57 GMD 265

$6.38 ¥43.19

-44.04%

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

$6.89 GMD 511

$407 ¥2,756

-98.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$143 GMD 10.6K

$17.8K ¥120.7K

-99.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 GMD 4,115

$45.53 ¥308

21.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.56 GMD 3,155

$32.31 ¥219

31.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 GMD 7,551

$72.6 ¥491

40.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 GMD 6,552

$74.4 ¥504

18.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$101 GMD 7,511

$443 ¥2,996

-77.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$82.7 GMD 6,129

$258 ¥1,747

-67.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$253 GMD 18.8K

$910 ¥6,162

-72.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$107 GMD 7,942

$543 ¥3,677

-80.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,464 GMD 108.6K

$4,934 ¥33.4K

-70.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,165 GMD 86.4K

$2,398 ¥16.2K

-51.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$62.6 GMD 4,642

$1,065 ¥7,205

-94.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

4.06

149.26%

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

Last update for Gambia: July 12, 2026

Last update for China: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $15.00 in Gambia, $287 in China. Capital cities: $103 in Banjul vs $894 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $61.0 in Gambia, $855 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1813% higher in China.

Dining out costs 31% more in China.

Public transport is 1700% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 1302% 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

Gambia vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $862 per month in China and $334 in Gambia, there's a 158% 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.