Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and the Gambia

Name: Gambia
Address: GM

For one person, living is cheaper in the Gambia: $703 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $24,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
Learn more

United States Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in the Gambia
Learn more

Gambia Living Index

Jump to prices

🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇬🇲 Gambia

$703

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States 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 the United States and in the Gambia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,734 in the United States versus $703 in the Gambia.

United States $2,734
Gambia $703

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,985 in the United States versus $1,215 in the Gambia.

United States $3,985
Gambia $1,215

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,235 in the United States versus $1,726 in the Gambia.

United States $5,235
Gambia $1,726

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $979 to $5,160, compared to $56–$677 in the Gambia. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in the United States is roughly 289% more expensive than in the Gambia on average.

The United States (101% above) and the Gambia (48% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$6.81 GMD 505

194.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$74.8 GMD 5,542

7.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$7.59 GMD 562

55.47%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$3.51 GMD 260

58.12%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$2.19 GMD 163

21.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.31 GMD 96.9

65.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$5.73 GMD 424

6.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$4.52 GMD 335

75.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.38 GMD 102

-24.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$0.72 GMD 53.4

398.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.19 GMD 88.2

279.83%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$2.07 GMD 154

106.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$5.92 GMD 439

123.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$8.57 GMD 635

47.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$5.55 GMD 411

217.12%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.01 GMD 149

163.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.53 GMD 114

10.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.08 GMD 154

113.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$1.76 GMD 131

171.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$0.98 GMD 72.6

203.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$0.91 GMD 67.3

246.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$0.28 GMD 20.95

685.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.39 GMD 28.75

502.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$1.66 GMD 123

561.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$6.83 GMD 506

120.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.51 GMD 112

36.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$1.57 GMD 117

141.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.33 GMD 24.09

487.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$6.63 GMD 491

795.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$0.65 GMD 48.22

189.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$4.03 GMD 299

640.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.03 GMD 76.6

-0.97%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$2,672 GMD 198.0K

976.27%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$3,254 GMD 241.1K

705.46%

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

$218 $218

$30.48 GMD 2,258

615.09%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$14.20 GMD 1,052

339.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$51.7 GMD 3,830

44.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$23.45 GMD 1,738

78.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$13.63 GMD 1,010

67.35%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$3.33 GMD 247

341.44%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$6.61 GMD 490

22427.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$138 GMD 10.2K

18253.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$56.8 GMD 4,212

-4.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$44.94 GMD 3,330

-4.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$97.8 GMD 7,247

-3.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$87.6 GMD 6,490

29.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$102 GMD 7,587

1520.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$82.4 GMD 6,107

1534.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$219 GMD 16.2K

1125.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$104 GMD 7,684

1991.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$1,467 GMD 108.7K

123.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$1,144 GMD 84.8K

116.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$60.4 GMD 4,477

7010.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

-56.33%

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for the Gambia: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Gambia

$82 11.7% 93.9% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Gambia

$183 26% 56% $233

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Gambia

$96 13.7% 72.8% $259

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Gambia

$171 24.3% 47.9% $157

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Gambia

$129 18.4% 5.7% $7.9

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Gambia

$11 * 1.6% 86% $69

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Gambia

$30 4.3% 57.8% $41

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

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,620 in the United States, $105 in the Gambia. Capital cities: $2,768 in Washington, DC vs $105 in Banjul.

National salary averages: $4,549 in the United States, $62 in the Gambia. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1443% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 15% more in the United States.

Public transport is 800% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 73 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇬🇲 Gambia

🕒 Local time

06:22 6:22 AM

10:22 10:22 AM

4 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

2,639,916

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Gambian Dalasi GMD D

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

100 GMD = 1.35 USD

100 GMD = 1.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GMD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇬🇲 Gambian Dalasi (D)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 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).

GMD to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

United States Gambia 7,390 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
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

United States vs Gambia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $703 per month in the Gambia and $2,734 in the United States, there’s a 289% 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 cheaper in the Gambia: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 in the United States and $105 in the Gambia. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: the Gambia wins on affordability; the United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.