Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and the Gambia

Name: Gambia
Address: GM

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.

58

Cost of Living Index in South Africa
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South Africa Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in the Gambia
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Gambia Living Index

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🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,203

/mo nomad

🇬🇲 Gambia

$703

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

South Africa $1,203
Gambia $703

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

South Africa $1,893
Gambia $1,215

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

South Africa $2,583
Gambia $1,726

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 South Africa is roughly 71% more expensive than in the Gambia on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 R 177

$6.81 GMD 505

56.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.66 R 693

$74.8 GMD 5,542

-44.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 R 96.5

$7.59 GMD 562

-23.58%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R 39.23

$3.51 GMD 260

-32.76%

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

$1.12 R 18.56

$2.19 GMD 163

-48.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R 15.00

$1.31 GMD 96.9

-31.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 R 40.20

$5.73 GMD 424

-57.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 R 50.9

$4.52 GMD 335

-32.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 R 19.58

$1.38 GMD 102

-14.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.83

$0.72 GMD 53.4

56.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.90

$1.19 GMD 88.2

46.22%

Eggs

$2.57 R 42.80

$2.07 GMD 154

24.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.43 R 140

$5.92 GMD 439

42.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.12 R 85.1

$8.57 GMD 635

-40.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.59 R 126

$5.55 GMD 411

36.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.52

$2.01 GMD 149

-11.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.90

$1.53 GMD 114

13.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.43

$2.08 GMD 154

-14.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 R 29.26

$1.76 GMD 131

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.81

$0.98 GMD 72.6

52.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.38

$0.91 GMD 67.3

61.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 R 20.52

$0.28 GMD 20.95

339.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 R 18.25

$0.39 GMD 28.75

182.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 R 54.0

$1.66 GMD 123

95.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.00 R 83.2

$6.83 GMD 506

-26.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 R 24.90

$1.51 GMD 112

-0.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 R 32.26

$1.57 GMD 117

23.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 R 24.58

$0.33 GMD 24.09

348.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.3 R 986

$6.63 GMD 491

794.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 R 18.21

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R 16.46

$0.65 GMD 48.22

52.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.46 R 124

$4.03 GMD 299

85.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 R 23.76

$1.03 GMD 76.6

38.83%

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

$35.3K R 587.4K

$2,672 GMD 198.0K

1221.32%

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

$32.4K R 539.7K

$3,254 GMD 241.1K

896.89%

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

$133 R 2,208

$30.48 GMD 2,258

335.50%

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

$34.83 R 580

$14.20 GMD 1,052

145.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.76 R 662

$51.7 GMD 3,830

-23.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.09 R 551

$23.45 GMD 1,738

41.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.65 R 194

$13.63 GMD 1,010

-14.53%

Cinema Ticket

$7.18 R 119

$3.33 GMD 247

115.62%

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

$224 R 3,728

$6.61 GMD 490

3290.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,462 R 90.9K

$138 GMD 10.2K

3869.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 R 902

$56.8 GMD 4,212

-4.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.13 R 568

$44.94 GMD 3,330

-24.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R 1,699

$97.8 GMD 7,247

4.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 R 1,472

$87.6 GMD 6,490

1.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 R 8,189

$102 GMD 7,587

380.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$398 R 6,617

$82.4 GMD 6,107

382.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$946 R 15.7K

$219 GMD 16.2K

332.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$827 R 13.8K

$104 GMD 7,684

697.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,099 R 18.3K

$1,467 GMD 108.7K

-25.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$769 R 12.8K

$1,144 GMD 84.8K

-32.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,502 R 25.0K

$60.4 GMD 4,477

2385.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.23

-25.13%

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

Last update for South Africa: October 26, 2026

Last update for the Gambia: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

South Africa

$398 33.1%

Gambia

$82 11.7% 79.3% $315

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Africa

$207 17.2%

Gambia

$96 13.7% 53.5% $111

Groceries & Markets

South Africa

$196 16.3%

Gambia

$183 26% 6.9% $13

Eating Out

South Africa

$157 13.1%

Gambia

$171 24.3% 8.7% $14

Clothing & Footwear

South Africa

$126 10.4%

Gambia

$129 18.4% 3% $3.7

Getting Around

South Africa

$71 5.9%

Gambia

$11 * 1.6% 84.3% $60

Sport & Entertainment

South Africa

$47 4%

Gambia

$30 4.3% 36.5% $17

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

Cost Breakdown

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

National salary averages: $1,488 in South Africa, $62 in the Gambia. 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

🇿🇦 South Africa

🇬🇲 Gambia

🕒 Local time

12:24 12:24 PM

10:24 10:24 AM

2 h behind South Africa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,027,503

2,639,916

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Gambian Dalasi GMD D

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.01 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 GMD = 1.35 USD

100 GMD = 1.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GMD, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 16.64 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.01 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

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).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

South Africa
Gambia

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

South Africa vs Gambia: 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.