Cost of Living Comparison Between Bissau and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Bissau and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $888 in Bissau versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,408 in Bissau versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,929 in Bissau versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Bissau costs roughly 28% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bissau 34% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.17 F CFA 2,897

$4.63 ฿151

11.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.26 F CFA 14.7K

$46.84 ฿1,532

-43.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.45 F CFA 5,301

$8.84 ฿289

6.90%

Cappuccino

$1.73 F CFA 972

$3.00 ฿98.0

-42.33%

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

$1.05 F CFA 587

$0.74 ฿24.25

41.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 F CFA 514

$0.37 ฿11.95

148.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.69 F CFA 385

$2.44 ฿79.8

-71.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 F CFA 995

$2.26 ฿73.9

-21.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 F CFA 530

$1.84 ฿60.1

-48.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 F CFA 1,178

$2.24 ฿73.4

-6.25%

Eggs

$5.33 F CFA 2,991

$2.32 ฿75.7

129.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.60 F CFA 8,186

$19.67 ฿643

-25.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.09 F CFA 7,903

$3.65 ฿119

286.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.22 F CFA 7,974

$13.10 ฿428

8.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 F CFA 2,514

$3.39 ฿111

32.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 F CFA 579

$1.64 ฿53.7

-37.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.38 F CFA 2,456

$2.41 ฿79.0

81.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.16 F CFA 87.2

$2.03 ฿66.4

-92.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 F CFA 771

$1.56 ฿50.9

-11.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 F CFA 781

$1.50 ฿48.94

-7.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 F CFA 720

$0.49 ฿16.00

161.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

Wine (Bottle)

$6.99 F CFA 3,919

$18.88 ฿617

-62.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 F CFA 729

$1.78 ฿58.1

-26.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 F CFA 482

$2.75 ฿90.1

-68.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 F CFA 307

$1.40 ฿45.81

-60.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.12 F CFA 14.1K

$11.48 ฿376

118.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 F CFA 850

$1.35 ฿44.19

12.59%

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

$32.2K F CFA 18.1M

$27.2K ฿888.9K

18.63%

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

$29.2K F CFA 16.4M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-11.45%

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

$109 F CFA 61.0K

$125 ฿4,087

-12.94%

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

$34.37 F CFA 19.3K

$13.57 ฿444

153.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.85 F CFA 25.7K

$18.52 ฿606

147.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.39 F CFA 24.9K

$61.5 ฿2,010

-27.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

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

$761 F CFA 426.6K

$698 ฿22.8K

8.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,338 F CFA 1.3M

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-85.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 F CFA 248.0K

$616 ฿20.1K

-28.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$228 F CFA 128.1K

$446 ฿14.6K

-48.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 F CFA 416.3K

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-63.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 F CFA 265.8K

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-68.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,062 F CFA 595.7K

$524 ฿17.1K

102.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

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

Last update for Bissau: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $442 in Bissau and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bissau pays 103% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $26.00 in Bissau vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $292, with Phuket 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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bissau and Phuket differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($888 vs $1,232 including rent). Bissau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bissau pays 103% 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: $442 in Bissau versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $761 in Bissau versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $888 in Bissau versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bissau but tight or insufficient in Phuket. 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, Bissau and Phuket 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 39% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.