Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Petaling Jaya and Banjul

For one person, living is cheaper in Banjul: $671 a month against $1,037 in Petaling Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Petaling Jaya
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Petaling Jaya Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Banjul
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Banjul Living Index

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Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,037

/mo nomad

Banjul

🇬🇲 Gambia

$671

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Petaling Jaya and in Banjul

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

A single person spends $1,037 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $671 in Banjul, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,037
Banjul $671

A couple spends around $1,499 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $1,175 in Banjul, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,499
Banjul $1,175

A family of three spends $1,962 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $1,680 in Banjul, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,962
Banjul $1,680

Petaling Jaya costs about 55% more than Banjul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Petaling Jaya and Banjul are more affordable than the global median – Petaling Jaya 23% lower, Banjul 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.58 MYR 14.62

$7.22 GMD 535

-50.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 MYR 98.8

$72.8 GMD 5,384

-66.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 MYR 19.40

$7.82 GMD 579

-39.13%

Cappuccino

$2.99 MYR 12.21

$3.59 GMD 266

-16.71%

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

$0.93 MYR 3.80

$2.66 GMD 197

-65.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 MYR 1.81

$1.60 GMD 118

-72.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 MYR 13.54

$5.51 GMD 408

-39.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 MYR 23.01

$4.59 GMD 340

22.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MYR 7.53

$1.37 GMD 101

35.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 MYR 4.16

$0.61 GMD 45.47

67.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MYR 6.02

$1.32 GMD 97.6

12.12%

Eggs

$1.83 MYR 7.48

$1.91 GMD 141

-4.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.93 MYR 40.53

$6.22 GMD 461

59.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 MYR 13.42

$2.64 GMD 195

24.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.51 MYR 38.81

$5.52 GMD 408

72.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.50 MYR 14.29

$2.00 GMD 148

75.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MYR 7.70

$1.25 GMD 92.6

51.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 MYR 11.07

$1.84 GMD 136

47.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 MYR 7.44

$1.39 GMD 103

30.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MYR 8.79

$0.93 GMD 68.5

131.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 MYR 8.02

$0.98 GMD 72.8

101.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 MYR 6.08

$0.25 GMD 18.62

496.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.27

$0.66 GMD 48.67

-15.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.62 MYR 18.86

$1.71 GMD 127

170.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.26 MYR 78.6

$6.24 GMD 462

208.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 MYR 10.69

$1.51 GMD 112

73.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MYR 19.09

$1.73 GMD 128

170.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.20 MYR 4.91

$0.22 GMD 16.26

445.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 MYR 50.3

$6.64 GMD 492

85.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 MYR 5.02

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.55

$0.70 GMD 51.6

-45.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 MYR 35.75

$3.98 GMD 294

120.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 MYR 3.26

$1.03 GMD 76.3

-22.33%

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

$41.7K MYR 170.2K

$2,622 GMD 194.0K

1491.53%

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

$32.1K MYR 130.8K

$3,203 GMD 237.1K

900.96%

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

$49.70 MYR 203

$30.90 GMD 2,287

60.84%

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

$7.99 MYR 32.61

$14.36 GMD 1,062

-44.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.77 MYR 109

$44.92 GMD 3,324

-40.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.5 MYR 214

$23.70 GMD 1,754

121.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.03 MYR 12.37

$13.63 GMD 1,009

-77.77%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MYR 20.12

$3.47 GMD 256

42.07%

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

$273 MYR 1,114

$6.57 GMD 486

4054.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MYR 42.8K

$134 GMD 9,891

7755.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 MYR 211

$56.8 GMD 4,203

-8.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.02 MYR 122

$44.89 GMD 3,322

-33.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 MYR 320

$99.0 GMD 7,325

-20.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 MYR 353

$88.5 GMD 6,547

-2.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 MYR 1,966

$101 GMD 7,455

378.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 MYR 1,620

$80.9 GMD 5,988

390.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 MYR 3,394

$218 GMD 16.1K

282.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 MYR 2,281

$137 GMD 10.1K

307.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,184 MYR 13.0K

$1,437 GMD 106.4K

121.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$978 MYR 3,990

$1,148 GMD 84.9K

-14.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 MYR 6,964

$61.7 GMD 4,568

2665.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

-69.93%

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

Last update for Petaling Jaya: October 12, 2026

Last update for Banjul: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Petaling Jaya

$397 38.3%

Banjul

$81 12.1% 79.6% $316

Groceries & Markets

Petaling Jaya

$249 24.1%

Banjul

$150 22.4% 39.8% $99

Eating Out

Petaling Jaya

$112 10.8%

Banjul

$178 26.5% 58.7% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Petaling Jaya

$111 10.7%

Banjul

$130 19.4% 17.3% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Petaling Jaya

$84 8.2%

Banjul

$90 13.4% 6.8% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Petaling Jaya

$62 6%

Banjul

$31 4.6% 50.9% $32

Getting Around

Petaling Jaya

$20 2%

Banjul

$11 * 1.6% 45.7% $9.3

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Petaling Jaya versus $101 in Banjul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 2665% higher in Petaling Jaya, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Petaling Jaya versus $73.0 in Banjul. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Petaling Jaya vs $150 in Banjul – so Banjul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🇬🇲 Banjul

🕒 Local time

09:03 9:03 AM

01:03 1:03 AM

8 h behind Petaling Jaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

771,687

31,356 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Gambian Dalasi GMD D

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

100 GMD = 1.35 USD

100 GMD = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GMD, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Gambian Dalasi exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 74 GMD (100 GMD = 1.35 USD). 1 EUR = 83.19 GMD (100 GMD = 1.2 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Petaling Jaya Banjul 12,960 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Petaling Jaya
Banjul

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

Petaling Jaya vs Banjul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Petaling Jaya is pricier by about 55%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,556 per month in Petaling Jaya and $1,007 in Banjul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Banjul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,037 in Petaling Jaya and $671 in Banjul. That's a gap of about 55%.

Public transport costs about 86% less in Banjul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Banjul, where all-in costs run around $671, than in Petaling Jaya at $1,037. In Banjul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Petaling Jaya it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Banjul – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Banjul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Petaling Jaya makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.