Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Gambia and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

For one person, living is cheaper in the Gambia: $703 a month against $1,203 in South Africa, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in the Gambia
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Gambia Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in South Africa
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South Africa Living Index

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🇬🇲 Gambia

$703

/mo nomad

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,203

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the Gambia and in South Africa

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 South Africa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $703 in the Gambia versus $1,203 in South Africa.

Gambia $703
South Africa $1,203

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,215 in the Gambia versus $1,893 in South Africa.

Gambia $1,215
South Africa $1,893

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,726 in the Gambia versus $2,583 in South Africa.

Gambia $1,726
South Africa $2,583

Internal cost variation is higher in South Africa: monthly costs span $618 to $1,556, compared to $56–$677 in the Gambia. City choice carries more weight in South Africa.

Living in the Gambia costs about 42% less than in South Africa on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: the Gambia 48% lower, South Africa 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.81 GMD 505

$10.67 R 178

-36.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.8 GMD 5,542

$41.66 R 694

79.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.59 GMD 562

$5.80 R 96.6

30.86%

Cappuccino

$3.51 GMD 260

$2.36 R 39.30

48.73%

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

$2.19 GMD 163

$1.12 R 18.60

95.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 GMD 96.9

$0.90 R 15.02

45.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 GMD 424

$2.42 R 40.27

136.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 GMD 335

$3.06 R 51.0

47.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 GMD 102

$1.18 R 19.62

16.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 GMD 53.4

$1.13 R 18.86

-36.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 GMD 88.2

$1.74 R 28.95

-31.61%

Eggs

$2.07 GMD 154

$2.57 R 42.88

-19.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.92 GMD 439

$8.43 R 140

-29.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.57 GMD 635

$5.12 R 85.3

67.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.55 GMD 411

$7.59 R 127

-26.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 GMD 149

$1.77 R 29.57

13.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 GMD 114

$1.74 R 28.95

-12.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 GMD 154

$1.77 R 29.48

17.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 GMD 131

$1.76 R 29.31

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 GMD 72.6

$1.49 R 24.85

-34.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 GMD 67.3

$1.47 R 24.42

-38.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 GMD 20.95

$1.23 R 20.56

-77.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 GMD 28.75

$1.10 R 18.29

-64.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.66 GMD 123

$3.24 R 54.1

-48.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.83 GMD 506

$5.00 R 83.3

36.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 GMD 112

$1.50 R 24.95

0.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 GMD 117

$1.94 R 32.32

-19.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 GMD 24.09

$1.48 R 24.63

-77.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.63 GMD 491

$59.3 R 988

-88.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 R 18.25

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 GMD 48.22

$0.99 R 16.49

-34.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.03 GMD 299

$7.46 R 124

-45.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 GMD 76.6

$1.43 R 23.80

-27.97%

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

$2,672 GMD 198.0K

$35.3K R 588.4K

-92.43%

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

$3,254 GMD 241.1K

$32.4K R 540.6K

-89.97%

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

$30.48 GMD 2,258

$133 R 2,212

-77.04%

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

$14.20 GMD 1,052

$34.83 R 581

-59.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 GMD 3,830

$39.76 R 663

30.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.45 GMD 1,738

$33.09 R 552

-29.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.63 GMD 1,010

$11.65 R 194

17.00%

Cinema Ticket

$3.33 GMD 247

$7.18 R 120

-53.62%

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

$6.61 GMD 490

$224 R 3,735

-97.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$138 GMD 10.2K

$5,462 R 91.0K

-97.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 GMD 4,212

$54.2 R 903

4.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.94 GMD 3,330

$34.13 R 569

31.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.8 GMD 7,247

$102 R 1,702

-4.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 GMD 6,490

$88.5 R 1,475

-1.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$102 GMD 7,587

$492 R 8,204

-79.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$82.4 GMD 6,107

$398 R 6,629

-79.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$219 GMD 16.2K

$946 R 15.8K

-76.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$104 GMD 7,684

$827 R 13.8K

-87.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,467 GMD 108.7K

$1,099 R 18.3K

33.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,144 GMD 84.8K

$769 R 12.8K

48.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$60.4 GMD 4,477

$1,502 R 25.0K

-95.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.23

33.57%

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

Last update for the Gambia: October 26, 2026

Last update for South Africa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Gambia

$183 26%

South Africa

$196 16.3% 7.4% $13

Eating Out

Gambia

$171 24.3%

South Africa

$157 13.1% 8% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Gambia

$129 18.4%

South Africa

$126 10.4% 2.9% $3.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gambia

$96 13.7%

South Africa

$207 17.2% 115% $111

Accommodation & Living

Gambia

$82 11.7%

South Africa

$398 33.1% 383% $315

Sport & Entertainment

Gambia

$30 4.3%

South Africa

$47 4% 57.6% $17

Getting Around

Gambia

$11 * 1.6%

South Africa

$71 5.9% 537% $60

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

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $105 in the Gambia, $422 in South Africa. Capital cities: $105 in Banjul vs $450 in Pretoria.

National salary averages: $62 in the Gambia, $1,488 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 302% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 67% more in the Gambia.

Public transport is 771% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are about 24 times higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

Good to know

🇬🇲 Gambia

🇿🇦 South Africa

🕒 Local time

09:30 9:30 AM

11:30 11:30 AM

2 h ahead of the Gambia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,639,916

62,027,503

💱 Currency

Gambian Dalasi GMD D

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 GMD = 1.35 USD

100 GMD = 1.21 EUR

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to GMD – Gambian Dalasi Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇲 Gambian Dalasi (D)

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).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 16.67 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6 USD). 1 EUR = 18.55 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

USD to GMD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gambia South Africa 6,600 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Gambia
South Africa

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 South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $703 per month in the Gambia and $1,203 in South Africa, there’s a 71% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $422 in South Africa and $105 in the Gambia. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In the 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: the Gambia wins on affordability; South Africa may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.