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 $212 in Gambia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,598 in South Africa versus $355 in Gambia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,175 in South Africa versus $498 in Gambia.

Living in South Africa is roughly 381% more expensive than Gambia on average.

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

South Africa ($819–$1,339) and Gambia ($59.0–$598) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 R 147

$4.21 GMD 311

114.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.48 R 642

$58.8 GMD 4,346

-32.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 R 80.3

$6.28 GMD 464

-21.34%

Cappuccino

$2.06 R 33.47

$2.55 GMD 188

-19.22%

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

$0.95 R 15.40

$1.74 GMD 128

-45.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.13

$1.19 GMD 87.6

-31.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 35.90

$3.70 GMD 274

-40.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.33

$3.70 GMD 274

-32.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.07

$1.45 GMD 107

-23.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 16.64

$0.76 GMD 56.1

34.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.28

$1.23 GMD 91.2

26.83%

Eggs

$2.34 R 38.05

$2.20 GMD 163

6.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 R 126

$5.79 GMD 428

33.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.49 R 73.1

$8.05 GMD 595

-44.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.73 R 109

$5.48 GMD 405

22.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.40

$3.16 GMD 234

-50.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.22

$2.38 GMD 176

-39.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.48

$2.07 GMD 153

-30.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.55

$1.91 GMD 141

-20.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.81

$1.04 GMD 76.8

17.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R 20.74

$1.03 GMD 75.9

24.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 R 16.89

$0.26 GMD 19.31

300.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.21

$0.39 GMD 29.13

141.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R 48.55

$1.97 GMD 146

51.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 R 83.8

$6.65 GMD 491

-22.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.55

$2.15 GMD 159

-35.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 26.93

$1.78 GMD 132

-6.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 26.48

$0.20 GMD 14.75

715.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.05 R 732

$6.62 GMD 489

580.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.41

$0.55 GMD 40.33

105.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R 17.93

$0.69 GMD 50.8

59.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 R 78.9

$4.20 GMD 310

15.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R 20.15

$1.13 GMD 83.7

9.73%

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

$20.3K R 330.2K

$2,670 GMD 197.3K

660.92%

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

$23.5K R 381.4K

$4,010 GMD 296.4K

485.22%

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

$113 R 1,843

$32.93 GMD 2,433

244.46%

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

$32.36 R 526

$15.01 GMD 1,109

115.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.45 R 674

$46.56 GMD 3,441

-10.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.59 R 513

$24.51 GMD 1,811

28.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.61 R 156

$14.24 GMD 1,052

-32.51%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 R 111

$3.64 GMD 269

87.64%

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

$187 R 3,039

$7.17 GMD 530

2508.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,362 R 70.9K

$141 GMD 10.4K

3002.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.50 R 804

$57.0 GMD 4,214

-13.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.42 R 494

$41.85 GMD 3,093

-27.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 R 1,489

$101 GMD 7,453

-9.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 R 1,281

$88.1 GMD 6,514

-10.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 R 7,175

$105 GMD 7,728

322.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 R 5,963

$82.5 GMD 6,099

344.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 R 14.4K

$257 GMD 19.0K

243.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 R 11.8K

$108 GMD 7,966

571.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,090 R 17.7K

$1,452 GMD 107.3K

-24.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$780 R 12.7K

$1,168 GMD 86.3K

-33.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,558 R 25.3K

$61.9 GMD 4,578

2414.56%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Gambia: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $368 in South Africa, $15.00 in Gambia. Capital cities: $765 in Cape Town vs $103 in Banjul.

National salary averages: $1,520 in South Africa, $60.0 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 2433% higher in South Africa, giving South Africa stronger purchasing power.

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 $329 per month in Gambia and $1,079 in South Africa, there's a 228% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Gambia is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.