Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bissau and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Bissau: $837 a month against $1,806 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Bissau

🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau

$837

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bissau and in Athens

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bissau and in Athens actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $837 in Bissau versus $1,806 in Athens.

Bissau $837
Athens $1,806

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,352 in Bissau versus $2,731 in Athens.

Bissau $1,352
Athens $2,731

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,868 in Bissau versus $3,656 in Athens.

Bissau $1,868
Athens $3,656

Living in Bissau costs roughly 54% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bissau is 38% below, Athens is 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.33 F CFA 3,120

$16.66 €14.87

-68.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.69 F CFA 15.0K

$66.2 €59.1

-61.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 F CFA 5,560

$11.06 €9.87

-14.10%

Cappuccino

$1.75 F CFA 1,023

$4.14 €3.69

-57.73%

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

$1.03 F CFA 600

$2.80 €2.50

-63.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 F CFA 487

$0.57 €0.51

45.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.71 F CFA 413

$5.64 €5.03

-87.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 €4.87

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 F CFA 992

$1.96 €1.75

-13.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 F CFA 587

$1.41 €1.26

-29.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 F CFA 1,184

$2.83 €2.53

-28.62%

Eggs

$5.29 F CFA 3,093

$5.04 €4.50

4.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.63 F CFA 8,561

$15.35 €13.70

-4.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.73 F CFA 8,033

$10.34 €9.23

32.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 F CFA 8,193

$18.97 €16.93

-26.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.46 F CFA 2,608

$2.17 €1.93

105.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 F CFA 622

$1.91 €1.70

-44.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.37 F CFA 2,558

$1.38 €1.23

216.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.15 F CFA 85.3

$2.20 €1.96

-93.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 F CFA 829

$1.10 €0.98

29.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 F CFA 830

$1.13 €1.00

25.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.99

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 F CFA 753

$0.83 €0.74

55.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.60 €4.99

Wine (Bottle)

$6.94 F CFA 4,062

$10.19 €9.09

-31.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 F CFA 749

$2.18 €1.95

-41.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 F CFA 499

$2.45 €2.19

-65.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 F CFA 294

$1.38 €1.23

-63.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.49 F CFA 14.9K

$30.87 €27.55

-17.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.90

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 €0.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.11 €15.27

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 F CFA 868

$2.31 €2.07

-35.93%

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

$31.7K F CFA 18.6M

$28.0K €25.0K

13.36%

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

$28.9K F CFA 16.9M

$28.0K €25.0K

3.28%

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

$105 F CFA 61.5K

$210 €187

-49.86%

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

$34.41 F CFA 20.1K

$26.70 €23.83

28.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.15 F CFA 26.4K

$30.13 €26.89

49.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.73 F CFA 25.6K

$54.6 €48.72

-19.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.03 €23.23

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 €9.62

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

$759 F CFA 444.1K

$575 €513

32.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,319 F CFA 1.4M

$13.1K €11.7K

-82.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 €83.1

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.68 €36.30

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.9

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €115

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$528 F CFA 309.1K

$756 €674

-30.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$171 F CFA 100.1K

$652 €582

-73.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$867 F CFA 507.3K

$1,294 €1,154

-32.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 F CFA 250.8K

$1,163 €1,038

-63.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,008 €3,577

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €3,081

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 F CFA 601.9K

$1,243 €1,110

-17.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

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

Last update for Bissau: October 5, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bissau

–

Athens

$652 36.5%

Groceries & Markets

Bissau

–

Athens

$315 17.6%

Eating Out

Bissau

–

Athens

$269 15%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bissau

–

Athens

$267 14.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Bissau

–

Athens

$165 9.2%

Sport & Entertainment

Bissau

–

Athens

$76 4.3%

Getting Around

Bissau

–

Athens

$46 2.6%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $528 in Bissau and $756 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 21% 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: $26.00 in Bissau vs $66.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $315 per month, with Bissau cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇼 Bissau

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

05:00 5:00 AM

08:00 8:00 AM

3 h ahead of Bissau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

395,954 Capital

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to XOF – West African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 West African CFA Franc (Fr)

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bissau Athens 4,860 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Bissau
Athens

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

Bissau vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bissau wins on cost – living expenses run 116% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bissau the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Athens. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $528 in Bissau versus $756 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bissau – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $66.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $837 per month in Bissau versus $1,806 in Athens – a 116% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $837 in Bissau versus $1,806 in Athens, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bissau but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Bissau the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bissau delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $837 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bissau hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bissau and Athens 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 116% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.