Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Banjul

For one person, living is cheaper in Banjul: $677 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Banjul, Gambia
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Banjul
🇬🇲 Gambia
$677
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket 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 Phuket and in Banjul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $677 in Banjul, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Banjul $677

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,191 in Banjul, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Banjul $1,191

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,706 in Banjul, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Banjul $1,706

Phuket costs about 89% more than Banjul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Banjul are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Banjul 50% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Banjul
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$7.47 GMD 554
-40.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$75.6 GMD 5,603
-57.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$8.04 GMD 596
9.58%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.5
$3.72 GMD 276
-23.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.43
$2.66 GMD 197
-67.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.67
$1.53 GMD 114
-67.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.4
$5.76 GMD 427
-55.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$4.46 GMD 331
-17.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Banjul
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$1.40 GMD 104
18.57%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.35
$0.61 GMD 44.98
139.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$1.32 GMD 97.6
13.64%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$1.90 GMD 141
10.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿644
$6.24 GMD 462
205.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$2.77 GMD 206
19.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$5.77 GMD 427
89.08%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿99.0
$2.08 GMD 154
40.87%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
$1.27 GMD 93.9
33.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$1.79 GMD 132
25.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$1.40 GMD 104
48.57%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$0.93 GMD 69.0
62.37%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.56
$1.00 GMD 74.0
38.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.99
$0.23 GMD 17.04
365.22%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.52
$0.62 GMD 46.05
-16.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$1.69 GMD 125
148.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$6.55 GMD 486
186.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.51 GMD 112
20.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$1.66 GMD 123
71.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Banjul
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.03
$0.18 GMD 13.08
705.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,913
$6.66 GMD 493
750.75%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.36
$0.71 GMD 52.5
43.66%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$4.09 GMD 303
-9.78%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.81
$1.05 GMD 77.8
40.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿904.3K
$2,648 GMD 196.2K
911.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿901.3K
$3,346 GMD 248.0K
697.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Banjul
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,254
$30.46 GMD 2,257
216.32%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$14.52 GMD 1,076
-22.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$44.51 GMD 3,298
-62.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Banjul
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,270
$24.02 GMD 1,780
179.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$13.42 GMD 994
-20.04%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$3.33 GMD 247
125.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Banjul
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$6.92 GMD 513
6777.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.4K
$139 GMD 10.3K
8028.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Banjul
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,106
$56.3 GMD 4,170
10.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
$44.27 GMD 3,280
-35.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,184
$98.0 GMD 7,262
-3.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,898
$86.9 GMD 6,439
-1.25%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Banjul
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$105 GMD 7,744
584.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$82.1 GMD 6,082
498.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.1K
$220 GMD 16.3K
774.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$138 GMD 10.2K
934.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿141.0K
$1,443 GMD 107.0K
189.28%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
$1,165 GMD 86.3K
161.35%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Banjul
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
$62.4 GMD 4,622
705.31%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
15
-62.87%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Banjul: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Banjul
$82 83.3% $409
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Banjul
$152 42.9% $114
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Banjul
$89 28.1% $35
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Banjul
$128 5.4% $6.6
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Banjul
$183 50.4% $61
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Banjul
$31 62.7% $52
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Banjul
$11 * 84.5% $60

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $105 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 in Phuket are about 8.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $76 in Banjul. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $152 in Banjul – so Banjul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇬🇲 Banjul
🕒 Local time
04:16 4:16 AM
21:16 9:16 PM
7 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
31,356 Capital
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

GMD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Gambian Dalasi exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 74.1 GMD (100 GMD = 1.35 USD). 1 EUR = 82.49 GMD (100 GMD = 1.21 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Banjul 12,450 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • 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
Phuket vs Banjul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Banjul cheaper than Phuket?
Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 89%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,015 in Banjul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Banjul, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $105 there versus $716 in Phuket.
What are total monthly expenses in Phuket and in Banjul?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $677 in Banjul. That makes Banjul about 47% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 88% less in Banjul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Banjul?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Banjul, where all-in costs run around $677, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Banjul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Phuket or Banjul more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Banjul. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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