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

Name: Gambia
Address: GM

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in South Africa is roughly 377% more expensive than in Gambia on average.

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

South Africa ($803–$1,362) and Gambia ($57.0–$611) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 R 151

$4.37 GMD 324

109.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 648

$58.7 GMD 4,350

-33.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 R 85.9

$6.48 GMD 481

-19.91%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R 32.73

$2.54 GMD 188

-22.05%

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

$1.00 R 16.57

$1.74 GMD 129

-42.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 13.01

$1.24 GMD 91.9

-36.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.61

$3.59 GMD 266

-38.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R 42.58

$3.65 GMD 270

-29.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.56

$1.51 GMD 112

-25.83%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 R 16.01

$0.70 GMD 51.7

38.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.55

$1.24 GMD 91.6

24.19%

Eggs

$2.25 R 37.22

$2.20 GMD 163

2.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 R 130

$5.82 GMD 432

35.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R 75.8

$7.85 GMD 582

-41.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 R 111

$5.25 GMD 389

27.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.06

$3.10 GMD 230

-49.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.35

$2.37 GMD 176

-37.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.18

$2.08 GMD 154

-26.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.98

$1.85 GMD 137

-18.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R 20.85

$1.03 GMD 76.2

22.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R 21.11

$1.00 GMD 74.3

27.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.99

$0.24 GMD 17.68

354.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 16.04

$0.40 GMD 29.55

142.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 R 46.95

$1.95 GMD 144

45.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 R 86.1

$6.94 GMD 515

-25.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.91

$2.21 GMD 164

-37.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.44

$1.72 GMD 127

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.50

$0.22 GMD 16.35

681.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.22 R 732

$6.45 GMD 478

585.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 19.06

$0.51 GMD 37.99

125.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 R 17.64

$0.72 GMD 53.1

48.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 R 78.4

$4.33 GMD 321

9.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.24

$1.09 GMD 80.7

17.43%

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

$20.4K R 337.1K

$2,639 GMD 195.7K

671.72%

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

$24.0K R 397.0K

$4,013 GMD 297.5K

497.75%

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

$113 R 1,869

$33.58 GMD 2,490

236.30%

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

$32.35 R 536

$14.59 GMD 1,082

121.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.46 R 686

$47.96 GMD 3,556

-13.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 R 514

$24.78 GMD 1,837

25.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.72 R 161

$14.23 GMD 1,055

-31.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 R 110

$3.57 GMD 265

86.83%

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

$186 R 3,072

$6.89 GMD 511

2593.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,399 R 72.8K

$143 GMD 10.6K

2966.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 830

$55.5 GMD 4,115

-9.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.37 R 503

$42.56 GMD 3,155

-28.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 R 1,546

$102 GMD 7,551

-8.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 R 1,332

$88.4 GMD 6,552

-8.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 R 7,261

$101 GMD 7,511

333.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 R 6,155

$82.7 GMD 6,129

349.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R 14.9K

$253 GMD 18.8K

256.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 R 11.7K

$107 GMD 7,942

558.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,116 R 18.5K

$1,464 GMD 108.6K

-23.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$793 R 13.1K

$1,165 GMD 86.4K

-31.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,506 R 24.9K

$62.6 GMD 4,642

2305.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

10.12

14.13%

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

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Last update for Gambia: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

National salary averages: $1,513 in South Africa, $61.0 in Gambia. 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

South Africa vs Gambia: 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.