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: $883 in Bissau versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,405 in Bissau versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,927 in Bissau versus $2,980 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 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.32 F CFA 3,005

$11.87 MX$204

-55.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.76 F CFA 15.1K

$42.90 MX$736

-37.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 F CFA 5,229

$10.65 MX$183

-13.05%

Cappuccino

$1.71 F CFA 965

$3.45 MX$59.2

-50.43%

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

$1.05 F CFA 591

$1.50 MX$25.81

-30.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 F CFA 519

$0.95 MX$16.28

-3.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.72 F CFA 409

$3.03 MX$51.9

-76.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 F CFA 1,013

$1.38 MX$23.61

29.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 F CFA 538

$1.85 MX$31.70

-48.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 F CFA 1,230

$1.61 MX$27.65

35.40%

Eggs

$5.28 F CFA 2,979

$2.59 MX$44.51

103.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.40 F CFA 8,133

$8.26 MX$142

74.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.20 F CFA 8,020

$8.37 MX$144

69.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.32 F CFA 8,086

$10.66 MX$183

34.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 F CFA 2,443

$2.63 MX$45.12

64.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 F CFA 606

$1.49 MX$25.53

-28.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.50 F CFA 2,541

$1.92 MX$32.94

134.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.18 F CFA 104

$2.09 MX$35.81

-91.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 F CFA 805

$1.86 MX$31.88

-23.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 F CFA 810

$2.26 MX$38.81

-36.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 F CFA 758

$1.09 MX$18.67

22.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

Wine (Bottle)

$7.22 F CFA 4,077

$10.39 MX$178

-30.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 F CFA 747

$1.72 MX$29.59

-23.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 F CFA 517

$2.61 MX$44.85

-64.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 F CFA 310

$0.54 MX$9.30

1.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.32 F CFA 14.3K

$26.94 MX$462

-6.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 F CFA 841

$1.27 MX$21.88

17.32%

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

$32.4K F CFA 18.3M

$30.4K MX$521.3K

6.52%

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

$29.0K F CFA 16.4M

$23.6K MX$404.5K

22.96%

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

$106 F CFA 60.1K

$83.0 MX$1,425

28.28%

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

$34.72 F CFA 19.6K

$22.71 MX$390

52.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.89 F CFA 25.4K

$29.46 MX$506

52.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 F CFA 24.7K

$51.0 MX$875

-14.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

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

$759 F CFA 428.7K

$197 MX$3,386

284.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,276 F CFA 1.3M

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-56.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 F CFA 243.9K

$956 MX$16.4K

-54.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$233 F CFA 131.4K

$477 MX$8,189

-51.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$736 F CFA 415.4K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-55.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 F CFA 275.3K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-60.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,048 F CFA 591.6K

$667 MX$11.4K

57.06%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $432 in Bissau and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bissau pays 57% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $308 vs $250, 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 44% in total monthly costs ($883 vs $1,271 including rent). Bissau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bissau pays 57% 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: $432 in Bissau versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $759 in Bissau versus $197 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 23% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $883 in Bissau versus $1,271 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 44% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.