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: $899 in Bissau versus $1,223 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,407 in Bissau versus $2,237 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,916 in Bissau versus $3,251 in Phuket.

Living in Bissau costs roughly 27% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bissau 33% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.45 F CFA 3,074

$4.51 ฿147

20.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.65 F CFA 15.0K

$46.62 ฿1,515

-42.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.44 F CFA 5,329

$8.49 ฿276

11.19%

Cappuccino

$1.78 F CFA 1,006

$3.08 ฿100

-42.21%

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

$1.08 F CFA 610

$0.68 ฿22.07

58.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 F CFA 472

$0.36 ฿11.75

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.69 F CFA 389

$2.43 ฿78.8

-71.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 F CFA 1,010

$2.19 ฿71.1

-18.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 F CFA 566

$1.81 ฿59.0

-44.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 F CFA 1,183

$2.23 ฿72.5

-5.83%

Eggs

$5.31 F CFA 2,999

$2.24 ฿72.7

137.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.74 F CFA 8,322

$19.60 ฿637

-24.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.00 F CFA 7,902

$3.72 ฿121

276.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.36 F CFA 8,107

$13.47 ฿438

6.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.50 F CFA 2,541

$3.36 ฿109

33.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 F CFA 589

$1.62 ฿52.5

-35.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.48 F CFA 2,530

$2.41 ฿78.3

85.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.16 F CFA 87.5

$1.99 ฿64.6

-91.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 F CFA 783

$1.53 ฿49.76

-9.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 F CFA 814

$1.45 ฿47.19

-0.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 F CFA 723

$0.48 ฿15.73

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

Wine (Bottle)

$6.97 F CFA 3,932

$19.12 ฿621

-63.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 F CFA 778

$1.84 ฿59.7

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 F CFA 486

$2.74 ฿89.1

-68.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 F CFA 289

$1.42 ฿46.06

-64.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.18 F CFA 14.2K

$11.72 ฿381

114.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 F CFA 868

$1.29 ฿41.94

19.38%

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

$32.4K F CFA 18.3M

$28.0K ฿911.1K

15.56%

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

$29.3K F CFA 16.5M

$33.5K ฿1.1M

-12.53%

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

$106 F CFA 59.6K

$122 ฿3,964

-13.48%

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

$34.21 F CFA 19.3K

$13.93 ฿453

145.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.02 F CFA 25.4K

$18.87 ฿613

138.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.06 F CFA 24.9K

$61.3 ฿1,992

-28.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

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

$756 F CFA 426.5K

$691 ฿22.5K

9.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,344 F CFA 1.3M

$16.2K ฿525.2K

-85.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 F CFA 245.6K

$607 ฿19.7K

-28.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$234 F CFA 132.1K

$448 ฿14.6K

-47.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$727 F CFA 410.3K

$2,029 ฿66.0K

-64.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$476 F CFA 268.4K

$1,493 ฿48.5K

-68.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,025 F CFA 578.7K

$505 ฿16.4K

103.12%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $435 in Bissau and $607 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: $27.00 in Bissau vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $307 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 36% in total monthly costs ($899 vs $1,223 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: $435 in Bissau versus $607 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $756 in Bissau versus $691 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $899 in Bissau versus $1,223 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 36% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.