Cost of Living Comparison Between Gambia and South Africa Cost of Living Comparison Between Gambia and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $214 in Gambia versus $1,020 in South Africa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $356 in Gambia versus $1,587 in South Africa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $497 in Gambia versus $2,154 in South Africa.

Living in Gambia costs about 79% less than in South Africa on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Gambia 84% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Gambia ($57.0–$611) and South Africa ($803–$1,362) 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

$9.14 R 150

-52.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.7 GMD 4,350

$39.14 R 643

49.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.48 GMD 481

$5.19 R 85.3

24.86%

Cappuccino

$2.54 GMD 188

$1.98 R 32.50

28.28%

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

$1.74 GMD 129

$1.00 R 16.45

74.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 GMD 91.9

$0.79 R 12.92

56.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 GMD 266

$2.21 R 36.36

62.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 GMD 270

$2.57 R 42.28

42.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 GMD 112

$1.12 R 18.43

34.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 GMD 51.7

$0.97 R 15.90

-27.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 GMD 91.6

$1.54 R 25.37

-19.48%

Eggs

$2.20 GMD 163

$2.25 R 36.96

-2.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.82 GMD 432

$7.86 R 129

-25.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 GMD 582

$4.58 R 75.3

71.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.25 GMD 389

$6.68 R 110

-21.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 GMD 230

$1.57 R 25.88

97.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 GMD 176

$1.47 R 24.18

61.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 GMD 154

$1.52 R 25.00

36.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 GMD 137

$1.51 R 24.81

22.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 GMD 76.2

$1.26 R 20.71

-18.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 GMD 74.3

$1.27 R 20.96

-21.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.24 GMD 17.68

$1.09 R 17.86

-77.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 GMD 29.55

$0.97 R 15.93

-58.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 GMD 144

$2.84 R 46.62

-31.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.94 GMD 515

$5.20 R 85.5

33.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 GMD 164

$1.38 R 22.74

60.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 GMD 127

$1.72 R 28.24

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 GMD 16.35

$1.72 R 28.30

-87.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.45 GMD 478

$44.22 R 727

-85.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 GMD 37.99

$1.15 R 18.93

-55.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 GMD 53.1

$1.07 R 17.51

-32.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 GMD 321

$4.74 R 77.8

-8.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 GMD 80.7

$1.28 R 21.09

-14.84%

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

$2,639 GMD 195.7K

$20.4K R 334.8K

-87.04%

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

$4,013 GMD 297.5K

$24.0K R 394.3K

-83.27%

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

$33.58 GMD 2,490

$113 R 1,856

-70.26%

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

$14.59 GMD 1,082

$32.35 R 532

-54.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.96 GMD 3,556

$41.46 R 682

15.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.78 GMD 1,837

$31.04 R 510

-20.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.23 GMD 1,055

$9.72 R 160

46.40%

Cinema Ticket

$3.57 GMD 265

$6.67 R 110

-46.48%

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

$6.89 GMD 511

$186 R 3,051

-96.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$143 GMD 10.6K

$4,399 R 72.3K

-96.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 GMD 4,115

$50.2 R 824

10.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.56 GMD 3,155

$30.37 R 499

40.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 GMD 7,551

$93.4 R 1,535

9.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 GMD 6,552

$80.4 R 1,322

9.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$101 GMD 7,511

$439 R 7,210

-76.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$82.7 GMD 6,129

$372 R 6,112

-77.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$253 GMD 18.8K

$903 R 14.8K

-71.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$107 GMD 7,942

$705 R 11.6K

-84.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,464 GMD 108.6K

$1,116 R 18.3K

31.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,165 GMD 86.4K

$793 R 13.0K

46.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$62.6 GMD 4,642

$1,506 R 24.8K

-95.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

11.55

-12.38%

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

Last update for Gambia: July 12, 2026

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $15.00 in Gambia, $368 in South Africa. Capital cities: $103 in Banjul vs $292 in Bloemfontein.

National salary averages: $61.0 in Gambia, $1,513 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 2353% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 119% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 1500% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 2380% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

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 South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $334 per month in Gambia and $1,083 in South Africa, there's a 224% 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 South Africa 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 South Africa 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; South Africa may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.