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: $1,143 in South Africa versus $209 in Gambia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,781 in South Africa versus $376 in Gambia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,419 in South Africa versus $542 in Gambia.

Living in South Africa is roughly 447% more expensive than in Gambia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: South Africa 17% lower, Gambia 85% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.30 R 182

$7.04 GMD 519

60.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.51 R 717

$77.1 GMD 5,683

-42.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 R 95.0

$8.07 GMD 595

-26.89%

Cappuccino

$2.44 R 39.22

$3.48 GMD 257

-29.89%

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

$1.16 R 18.64

$2.27 GMD 167

-48.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.39

$1.33 GMD 98.2

-27.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 R 41.29

$5.67 GMD 418

-54.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 R 49.60

$4.77 GMD 352

-35.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 R 20.57

$1.45 GMD 107

-11.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.15

$0.68 GMD 50.0

66.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.55

$1.14 GMD 84.2

60.53%

Eggs

$2.55 R 41.12

$2.06 GMD 152

23.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.35 R 134

$5.95 GMD 439

40.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 R 87.6

$8.63 GMD 636

-36.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.88 R 127

$5.50 GMD 405

43.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 R 30.61

$1.97 GMD 145

-3.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.36

$1.59 GMD 118

6.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.14

$2.00 GMD 147

-9.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 R 30.23

$1.85 GMD 137

1.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.76

$1.02 GMD 75.3

50.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.03

$0.94 GMD 69.1

58.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 R 21.45

$0.26 GMD 19.11

411.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R 19.09

$0.38 GMD 27.68

213.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 R 55.0

$1.70 GMD 126

100.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 R 81.7

$6.83 GMD 503

-25.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 R 24.28

$1.59 GMD 117

-5.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 R 32.64

$1.65 GMD 122

23.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 R 28.39

$0.33 GMD 24.07

433.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 R 1,016

$6.58 GMD 485

859.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 R 17.97

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R 16.33

$0.65 GMD 48.07

55.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.07 R 130

$3.94 GMD 290

104.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 R 23.53

$1.09 GMD 80.4

33.94%

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

$36.8K R 592.8K

$2,650 GMD 195.3K

1289.40%

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

$32.5K R 523.6K

$3,215 GMD 236.9K

911.45%

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

$136 R 2,185

$29.84 GMD 2,199

354.69%

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

$35.72 R 575

$14.36 GMD 1,058

148.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.40 R 667

$52.5 GMD 3,867

-21.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.96 R 563

$23.22 GMD 1,711

50.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.46 R 201

$13.26 GMD 978

-6.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 R 123

$3.31 GMD 244

130.21%

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

$231 R 3,725

$6.60 GMD 486

3405.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,726 R 92.2K

$137 GMD 10.1K

4078.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 R 908

$55.1 GMD 4,058

2.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.91 R 546

$44.76 GMD 3,299

-24.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R 1,639

$99.2 GMD 7,313

2.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.0 R 1,497

$87.0 GMD 6,410

6.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 R 8,154

$101 GMD 7,461

400.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,727

$108 GMD 7,987

285.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 R 15.8K

$245 GMD 18.1K

298.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$838 R 13.5K

$99.8 GMD 7,355

740.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,151 R 18.5K

$1,422 GMD 104.8K

-19.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$800 R 12.9K

$1,164 GMD 85.8K

-31.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,554 R 25.0K

$60.3 GMD 4,444

2477.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.24

-25.07%

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

Last update for South Africa: September 8, 2026

Last update for Gambia: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $445 in South Africa, $14.00 in Gambia. Capital cities: $324 in Bloemfontein vs $101 in Banjul.

National salary averages: $1,553 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 3079% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 38% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 1600% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 2446% 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 $332 per month in Gambia and $1,231 in South Africa, there's a 271% 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.