Cost of Living Comparison Between Bissau and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Bissau and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $888 in Bissau versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,408 in Bissau versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,929 in Bissau versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Bissau costs roughly 31% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bissau 34% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.17 F CFA 2,897

$11.94 MX$209

-56.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.26 F CFA 14.7K

$42.75 MX$748

-38.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.45 F CFA 5,301

$10.59 MX$185

-10.76%

Cappuccino

$1.73 F CFA 972

$3.62 MX$63.4

-52.21%

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

$1.05 F CFA 587

$1.47 MX$25.69

-28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 F CFA 514

$0.94 MX$16.51

-2.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.69 F CFA 385

$3.09 MX$54.1

-77.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 F CFA 995

$1.43 MX$24.94

23.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 F CFA 530

$1.88 MX$32.97

-50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 F CFA 1,178

$1.63 MX$28.50

28.83%

Eggs

$5.33 F CFA 2,991

$2.64 MX$46.26

101.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.60 F CFA 8,186

$8.21 MX$144

77.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.09 F CFA 7,903

$8.29 MX$145

69.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.22 F CFA 7,974

$11.10 MX$194

28.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 F CFA 2,514

$2.65 MX$46.40

69.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 F CFA 579

$1.50 MX$26.26

-31.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.38 F CFA 2,456

$1.99 MX$34.79

120.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.16 F CFA 87.2

$2.08 MX$36.33

-92.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 F CFA 771

$1.79 MX$31.29

-22.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 F CFA 781

$2.18 MX$38.09

-36.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 F CFA 720

$1.04 MX$18.15

23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

Wine (Bottle)

$6.99 F CFA 3,919

$10.20 MX$179

-31.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 F CFA 729

$1.73 MX$30.22

-24.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 F CFA 482

$2.50 MX$43.71

-65.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 F CFA 307

$0.52 MX$9.07

5.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.12 F CFA 14.1K

$26.97 MX$472

-6.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 F CFA 850

$1.27 MX$22.28

19.69%

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

$32.2K F CFA 18.1M

$30.9K MX$540.4K

4.42%

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

$29.2K F CFA 16.4M

$23.3K MX$408.0K

25.04%

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

$109 F CFA 61.0K

$82.0 MX$1,435

32.68%

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

$34.37 F CFA 19.3K

$22.45 MX$393

53.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.85 F CFA 25.7K

$29.66 MX$519

54.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.39 F CFA 24.9K

$51.9 MX$908

-14.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

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

$761 F CFA 426.6K

$198 MX$3,462

284.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,338 F CFA 1.3M

$5,273 MX$92.3K

-55.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 F CFA 248.0K

$963 MX$16.9K

-54.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$228 F CFA 128.1K

$465 MX$8,133

-50.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 F CFA 416.3K

$1,596 MX$27.9K

-53.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 F CFA 265.8K

$1,209 MX$21.2K

-60.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,062 F CFA 595.7K

$720 MX$12.6K

47.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

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

Last update for Bissau: April 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $442 in Bissau and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bissau pays 47% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $251, with Playa del Carmen 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 Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bissau and Playa del Carmen differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($888 vs $1,287 including rent). Bissau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bissau pays 47% 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 $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $761 in Bissau versus $198 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 22% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $888 in Bissau versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bissau but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. 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 45% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.