Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Gambia Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Gambia

Name: Gambia
Address: GM

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,626 in United States versus $209 in Gambia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,830 in United States versus $376 in Gambia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,033 in United States versus $542 in Gambia.

Living in United States is roughly 1156% more expensive than in Gambia on average.

United States (90% above) and Gambia (85% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.83 $19.83

$7.04 GMD 519

181.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 $78.8

$77.1 GMD 5,683

2.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.19 $12.19

$8.07 GMD 595

51.05%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$3.48 GMD 257

60.63%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$2.27 GMD 167

22.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.33 GMD 98.2

63.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 $5.86

$5.67 GMD 418

3.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$4.77 GMD 352

68.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.45 GMD 107

-26.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 $3.68

$0.68 GMD 50.0

441.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$1.14 GMD 84.2

308.77%

Eggs

$4.20 $4.20

$2.06 GMD 152

103.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.78 $12.78

$5.95 GMD 439

114.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.40 $12.40

$8.63 GMD 636

43.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.90 $16.90

$5.50 GMD 405

207.27%

Apples (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$1.97 GMD 145

165.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.59 GMD 118

4.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.00 GMD 147

116.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$1.85 GMD 137

168.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.02 GMD 75.3

176.47%

Onion (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$0.94 GMD 69.1

230.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.26 GMD 19.11

742.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$0.38 GMD 27.68

494.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.35 $10.35

$1.70 GMD 126

508.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 $14.81

$6.83 GMD 503

116.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.59 GMD 117

31.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 $3.65

$1.65 GMD 122

121.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 $2.38

$0.33 GMD 24.07

621.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 $64.5

$6.58 GMD 485

880.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 $3.54

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 $1.86

$0.65 GMD 48.07

186.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.34 $30.34

$3.94 GMD 290

670.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.09 GMD 80.4

-8.26%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$2,650 GMD 195.3K

1241.14%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$3,215 GMD 236.9K

704.63%

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

$222 $222

$29.84 GMD 2,199

644.60%

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

$61.1 $61.1

$14.36 GMD 1,058

325.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.7 $74.7

$52.5 GMD 3,867

42.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.49 $44.49

$23.22 GMD 1,711

91.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.35 $22.35

$13.26 GMD 978

68.55%

Cinema Ticket

$15.03 $15.03

$3.31 GMD 244

354.08%

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

$1,431 $1,431

$6.60 GMD 486

21581.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.9K $25.9K

$137 GMD 10.1K

18785.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.6 $53.6

$55.1 GMD 4,058

-2.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.46 $43.46

$44.76 GMD 3,299

-2.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 $91.5

$99.2 GMD 7,313

-7.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$87.0 GMD 6,410

30.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 $1,633

$101 GMD 7,461

1512.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 $1,328

$108 GMD 7,987

1125.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,606 $2,606

$245 GMD 18.1K

961.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,206 $2,206

$99.8 GMD 7,355

2110.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,323 $3,323

$1,422 GMD 104.8K

133.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,653 $2,653

$1,164 GMD 85.8K

127.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,306 $4,306

$60.3 GMD 4,444

7041.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

-58.60%

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

Last update for United States: September 7, 2026

Last update for Gambia: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,604 in United States, $14.00 in Gambia. Capital cities: $1,360 in Columbia, TN vs $101 in Banjul.

National salary averages: $4,526 in United States, $61.0 in Gambia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 11357% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 159% more in United States.

Public transport is 2600% more expensive in United States.

Salaries are 7320% higher in United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in United States.

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 $332 per month in Gambia and $3,142 in United States, there's a 846% 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 United States 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 United States 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; United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.