Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bissau Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bissau

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $899 in Bissau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $1,407 in Bissau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $1,916 in Bissau.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 167% more expensive than Bissau, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Bissau is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$5.45 F CFA 3,074

224.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$26.65 F CFA 15.0K

162.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$9.44 F CFA 5,329

44.70%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$1.78 F CFA 1,006

53.93%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.08 F CFA 610

158.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.84 F CFA 472

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$0.69 F CFA 389

531.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.79 F CFA 1,010

-27.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.00 F CFA 566

105.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.10 F CFA 1,183

-5.71%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$5.31 F CFA 2,999

-36.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$14.74 F CFA 8,322

26.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$14.00 F CFA 7,902

-31.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$14.36 F CFA 8,107

31.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$4.50 F CFA 2,541

-38.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.04 F CFA 589

137.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$4.48 F CFA 2,530

-53.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$0.16 F CFA 87.5

1662.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.39 F CFA 783

45.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.44 F CFA 814

28.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.28 F CFA 723

-29.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

$6.97 F CFA 3,932

14.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.38 F CFA 778

3.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$0.86 F CFA 486

166.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$0.51 F CFA 289

464.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

$25.18 F CFA 14.2K

12.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.54 F CFA 868

20.78%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$32.4K F CFA 18.3M

20.31%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$29.3K F CFA 16.5M

11.59%

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

$189 €163

$106 F CFA 59.6K

79.17%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$34.21 F CFA 19.3K

-33.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$45.02 F CFA 25.4K

-18.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

$44.06 F CFA 24.9K

30.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

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

$726 €625

$756 F CFA 426.5K

-3.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$2,344 F CFA 1.3M

544.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$435 F CFA 245.6K

261.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$234 F CFA 132.1K

421.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$727 F CFA 410.3K

272.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$476 F CFA 268.4K

313.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

$1,025 F CFA 578.7K

131.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 14, 2026

Last update for Bissau: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $435 in Bissau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 132% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $27.00 in Bissau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $307 per month, with Bissau cheaper across the board.

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

Barcelona vs Bissau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Bissau differ by about 167% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $899 including rent). Bissau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 132% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $435 in Bissau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $756 in Bissau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $899 in Bissau versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bissau but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Bissau the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Bissau are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bissau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 167% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.