Cost of Living in Gambia
Image credit: IsaacTuray
Purchasing Power vs. United States
Based on GDP per capita (PPP). Gambia: $3,058/capita.
Cities in Gambia
Income Category
Happiness
4.5 / 10
#110 globally
GDP per Capita
Population
Child Education
Public-schooling rules are not sourced for Gambia yet. Country-level enrollment, instruction-language, and homeschool notes will appear here once verified.
Childcare & Domestic Help
Nanny, housekeeper, and driver pricing is not yet sourced for Gambia. We publish this section only when we can tie it to verified local samples or a clearly marked country fallback.
Healthcare
System strength, outcome signals, facility coverage, and self-pay visibility in Gambia.
Method: country metrics come from public system indicators, facility coverage reflects mapped providers we can inventory, direct pricing only reflects observed self-pay pages, and relative care cost can fall back to broad cost-of-living healthcare indices. Sparse pricing does not imply sparse healthcare availability.
Healthcare system
LimitedCoverage looks thinner, doctor staffing is lighter, and hospital capacity looks tighter weigh on this rating.
Public care
LimitedPublic coverage looks thinner, public funding looks lighter, and country-level outcomes are weaker weigh on this rating.
Private care
MixedA clearly private facility base help, but self-pay pricing transparency is still sparse.
UHC coverage
53/100
2023
Physicians
0.09/1k
2023
Hospital beds
1.11/1k
2023
Out of pocket
34%
2023
Outcome signals
Life expectancy
66.1 yrs
2024
Maternal mortality
354/100k
2023
Neonatal mortality
23.0/1k
2024
International patient readiness
MixedA visible private hospital base and there is visible specialty depth help, but price transparency is still sparse and headline outcomes are less reassuring.
Pricing transparency
LimitedPublished self-pay prices are scarce weigh on this rating.
Facility coverage
Self-pay pricing visibility
No verified self-pay prices are published for the tracked facilities in Gambia yet.
This usually reflects low online price transparency rather than a lack of healthcare providers.
Notable facilities
System metrics: World Bank WDI · Updated 2026-06-01
Safety & Governance
Street Safety
Source: Numbeo where a city row is matched; otherwise World Bank WGI and country-level safety context.
Political Stability
World Bank WGI scale: -2.5 to +2.5.
Wages by Sector
| Sector | Median |
|---|---|
| Administrative & Support Services | — |
| Agriculture & Farming | — |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | — |
| Construction | — |
| Education | — |
| Finance & Insurance | — |
| Healthcare & Social Work | — |
| Hospitality & Food Service | — |
| Information & Technology | — |
| Manufacturing | — |
| Mining & Quarrying | — |
| Other Services | — |
| Professional & Scientific Services | — |
| Public Administration & Defence | — |
| Real Estate | — |
| Retail & Wholesale Trade | — |
| Transport & Logistics | — |
| Utilities | — |
2018 annual wages in Gambia · Source: ILO ILOSTAT
Visa Information (US passport)
Short-stay entry
US passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival.
About Gambia
Gambia is a small Sub-Saharan African country where Banjul anchors most practical expat life, because internet, services, and healthcare are much thinner outside the main areas. Its cost of living is very low, making it one of the more budget-oriented options in the region, but that affordability comes with clear tradeoffs: healthcare quality is limited, many expats use regional facilities, and connectivity can be inconsistent with poor speeds beyond Banjul. English is the official language, which lowers the day-to-day friction for many relocators, and tourist visas can run up to 90 days with extended residency options available. The tropical climate is hot year-round, with a rainy season from May to October, so housing quality, backup power, and location matter more than the headline price.
See the full breakdown — free
No password needed. Takes ~30 seconds.
Common questions about Gambia
Sourced from SortaRich's public-data ranking engine — every figure links to its institutional source.
Is Gambia a good country to live in?
Gambia is a lower-rated country to live in per the World Happiness Report (4.5 of 10, ranking #110 globally). Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use SortaRich's free quiz to see how Gambia ranks for your specific income, family, and visa profile.
Sources: World Happiness Report, SortaRich Methodology
How far does $1 go in Gambia?
$1 goes about 4.3x further in Gambia than in the baseline market — your home-country income stretches that much more (current PPP ratio: 4.30). The figure adjusts every year as exchange rates and local prices shift. SortaRich uses World Bank ICP 2021 as the anchor and Penn World Tables 11.0 for cross-validation.
Sources: World Bank ICP 2021, Penn World Tables 11.0
What visa do I need to move to Gambia?
To move to Gambia you have these visa options: Tourist entry: visa_on_arrival. Visa rules change frequently — confirm the current terms with the official immigration authority before booking flights.
Source: SortaRich Visa Database
What are the best cities to live in Gambia?
The best cities to live in Gambia are Banjul — those are the most-searched options among the 1 cities profiled in the SortaRich database. Each city page includes a personalized PPP comparison versus your home city plus subnational price data where available.
Source: SortaRich City Index