Cost of Living Comparison Between Bissau and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Bissau and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $888 in Bissau versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,408 in Bissau versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,929 in Bissau versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Bissau costs roughly 40% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bissau is 34% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.17 F CFA 2,894

$12.98 MX$226

-60.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.26 F CFA 14.7K

$53.1 MX$923

-50.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.45 F CFA 5,295

$9.72 MX$169

-2.78%

Cappuccino

$1.73 F CFA 971

$3.75 MX$65.2

-53.87%

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

$1.05 F CFA 587

$1.57 MX$27.30

-33.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 F CFA 513

$1.13 MX$19.64

-18.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.69 F CFA 384

$3.18 MX$55.3

-78.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 F CFA 994

$1.62 MX$28.21

9.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 F CFA 529

$2.71 MX$47.09

-65.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 F CFA 1,177

$1.88 MX$32.70

11.70%

Eggs

$5.33 F CFA 2,987

$2.51 MX$43.65

112.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.60 F CFA 8,177

$10.08 MX$175

44.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.09 F CFA 7,894

$8.29 MX$144

69.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.22 F CFA 7,965

$11.94 MX$208

19.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 F CFA 2,512

$2.86 MX$49.77

56.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 F CFA 578

$1.75 MX$30.45

-41.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.38 F CFA 2,453

$2.08 MX$36.27

110.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.16 F CFA 87.1

$1.97 MX$34.27

-91.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 F CFA 770

$2.16 MX$37.58

-36.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 F CFA 780

$2.18 MX$37.94

-36.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.20

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 F CFA 719

$1.12 MX$19.57

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.1

Wine (Bottle)

$6.99 F CFA 3,915

$14.25 MX$248

-50.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 F CFA 729

$1.76 MX$30.68

-26.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 F CFA 481

$3.68 MX$64.1

-76.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 F CFA 307

$0.39 MX$6.71

41.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.12 F CFA 14.1K

$18.66 MX$325

34.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.12

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.29

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.3

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 F CFA 849

$1.35 MX$23.50

12.59%

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

$32.2K F CFA 18.1M

$18.9K MX$328.6K

70.78%

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

$29.2K F CFA 16.3M

$23.2K MX$402.8K

25.92%

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

$109 F CFA 61.0K

$40.82 MX$710

166.56%

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

$34.37 F CFA 19.3K

$27.50 MX$479

24.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.85 F CFA 25.7K

$30.38 MX$529

50.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.39 F CFA 24.9K

$53.4 MX$930

-16.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$109

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

$761 F CFA 426.1K

$436 MX$7,588

74.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,338 F CFA 1.3M

$10.5K MX$182.1K

-77.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$988

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$779

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,789

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 F CFA 247.7K

$1,000 MX$17.4K

-55.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$228 F CFA 128.0K

$620 MX$10.8K

-63.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 F CFA 415.9K

$2,137 MX$37.2K

-65.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 F CFA 265.5K

$1,235 MX$21.5K

-61.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,062 F CFA 595.0K

$1,067 MX$18.6K

-0.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

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

Last update for Bissau: April 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $442 in Bissau and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 0% 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 $53.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $286, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bissau and Mexico City differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($888 vs $1,484 including rent). Bissau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 0% less. 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: $442 in Bissau versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $761 in Bissau versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Mexico City pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $888 in Bissau versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bissau but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. 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.

Expats usually find Bissau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.