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: $891 in Bissau versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Bissau versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,945 in Bissau versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Bissau costs roughly 30% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bissau 33% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 F CFA 3,039

$4.48 ฿150

19.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.81 F CFA 15.2K

$45.59 ฿1,521

-41.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.64 F CFA 5,472

$8.76 ฿292

10.05%

Cappuccino

$1.72 F CFA 974

$2.97 ฿99.0

-42.09%

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

$1.04 F CFA 591

$0.69 ฿22.90

50.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 F CFA 476

$0.39 ฿13.04

115.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.69 F CFA 392

$2.53 ฿84.4

-72.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 F CFA 1,023

$2.15 ฿71.6

-16.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 F CFA 536

$1.82 ฿60.6

-48.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 F CFA 1,214

$2.18 ฿72.9

-1.83%

Eggs

$5.24 F CFA 2,978

$2.25 ฿75.0

132.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.29 F CFA 8,110

$20.00 ฿667

-28.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.20 F CFA 8,062

$3.63 ฿121

291.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.35 F CFA 8,145

$13.56 ฿452

5.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.29 F CFA 2,438

$3.24 ฿108

32.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 F CFA 590

$1.64 ฿54.6

-36.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 F CFA 2,576

$2.33 ฿77.8

94.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.19 F CFA 109

$2.07 ฿69.1

-90.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 F CFA 793

$1.55 ฿51.6

-9.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 F CFA 792

$1.46 ฿48.54

-4.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 F CFA 727

$0.48 ฿16.09

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

Wine (Bottle)

$6.97 F CFA 3,955

$18.57 ฿620

-62.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 F CFA 773

$1.86 ฿61.9

-26.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 F CFA 509

$2.65 ฿88.6

-66.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 F CFA 289

$1.42 ฿47.28

-64.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.02 F CFA 14.8K

$11.57 ฿386

124.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 F CFA 867

$1.34 ฿44.84

14.18%

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

$32.0K F CFA 18.2M

$27.8K ฿927.1K

15.08%

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

$29.4K F CFA 16.7M

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-11.79%

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

$108 F CFA 61.2K

$123 ฿4,105

-12.43%

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

$34.27 F CFA 19.5K

$13.77 ฿459

148.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.80 F CFA 25.4K

$18.33 ฿611

144.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.80 F CFA 25.4K

$60.7 ฿2,025

-26.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

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

$765 F CFA 434.5K

$688 ฿22.9K

11.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,293 F CFA 1.3M

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-85.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 F CFA 248.7K

$621 ฿20.7K

-29.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$231 F CFA 131.4K

$446 ฿14.9K

-48.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$736 F CFA 417.7K

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-63.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 F CFA 268.5K

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-68.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,051 F CFA 596.8K

$494 ฿16.5K

112.97%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Bissau and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bissau pays 113% 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 $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $306 vs $291, 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 42% in total monthly costs ($891 vs $1,264 including rent). Bissau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 113% higher in Bissau, 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: $438 in Bissau versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $765 in Bissau versus $688 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 $891 in Bissau versus $1,264 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 42% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.