Why is gambia so cheap

The country has a rich and complex history. Eventually, the British took control, and they used the area during the slave trade. In the late s, the French helped the British establish the boundaries of the country. It became an independent nation in , though it was still under the British monarchy rule. In the s and early s, The Gambians and Senegalese organized political coups against the British Commonwealth.

After several years of fighting, The Gambians began rejoining the Commonwealth, finalizing the decision in The people of Gambia speak English as their official language, and the 1. It has a hot, tropical rainy season between June and November, with a cool, dry season between November and May. The climate, the cost of living, and the coastal cities are the attractions that bring expats to the small African nation. A cost-of-living index shows the differences between the costs of items like rent, groceries, and transportation in cities worldwide.

To set an index, the base location is giving the number The destination location is based on that number. If New York ranks , the cost of living in The Gambia is about The capital, Banjul, has one of the lowest costs of living in the world.

Related: Cost of Living in Liberia. The majority of the essentials are much less expensive than they are in the US. When compared to the United States, internet expenses are quite expensive in The Gambia. In general, Gambians do not get unlimited internet. They pay for a set number of megabytes and download speeds each month. This is much less than a two-person household in the US. The small African nation does not have much of a public transportation system.

They do have shared taxis, which are incredibly inexpensive. Most groceries cost less than groceries in the United States. One exception is milk. Most other foods cost comparatively lesser than the US. These are the prices you can expect to see in USD at Gambia grocers:. Life is taken at a very relaxed pace and they are always willing to share their culture with tourists.

Children are also very curious about tourists and will want to hug you… and ask for sweets! The river is "The Gambia". The country exists as a small strip of land area to either side of the river, which is a major tourist attraction.

It is a vibrant must-see place, full of colours and wildlife. It is also interesting to travel from Banjul to Barra by ferry just for the trip.

An alternative way of spending a few days in The Gambia is volunteering in a local school. There are many options around the country which take in volunteers for some time to play with the children or teach them how to speak English. Visiting The Gambia is now easier - and cheaper - than ever before thanks to direct flights from Gatwick to Banjul, operated by Titan Airways and Small Planet Airlines.

The flights run twice a week in Winter and once a week during summer, with a flight time of approximately six hours. ES Money. The Escapist.

The Reveller. The Optimist. ES Best. ES Mag. This is due to the higher risk of diseases such as malaria and pneumonia in rural areas, which are among the leading causes of death in Gambian children under the age of five. The maternal mortality rate in Gambia was deaths per , live births in According to the World Health Organization, one key factor in the distressing rate of maternal mortality was a lack of proper medical assistance at birth for many mothers.

It was estimated that skilled medical personnel attended only 57 percent of births in Gambia. Another leading factor in both maternal and infant mortality is malnutrition.

Research shows that malnutrition heightens the risk of mortality for both mothers and children. Studies show that lack of nutrition contributes to 45 percent of child mortality. Data from the WHO highlighted that However, while the risks are still high, malnutrition rates have shown a gradual downward trend in recent years. A major issue with the Gambian healthcare system is the shortage of doctors and other medical personnel. At least half of all public health workers in Gambia end up leaving the public sector because of low pay and difficult work.

While many of these workers join the private sector, many others leave the country altogether.