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: $891 in Bissau versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Bissau versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,945 in Bissau versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Bissau costs roughly 29% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bissau 33% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 F CFA 3,039

$11.72 MX$203

-54.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.81 F CFA 15.2K

$41.89 MX$725

-36.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.64 F CFA 5,472

$10.51 MX$182

-8.28%

Cappuccino

$1.72 F CFA 974

$3.59 MX$62.0

-52.09%

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

$1.04 F CFA 591

$1.51 MX$26.10

-31.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 F CFA 476

$0.92 MX$15.83

-8.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.69 F CFA 392

$2.96 MX$51.2

-76.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 F CFA 1,023

$1.40 MX$24.16

28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 F CFA 536

$1.88 MX$32.60

-50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 F CFA 1,214

$1.56 MX$26.97

37.18%

Eggs

$5.24 F CFA 2,978

$2.61 MX$45.14

100.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.29 F CFA 8,110

$8.32 MX$144

71.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.20 F CFA 8,062

$8.35 MX$145

70.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.35 F CFA 8,145

$10.86 MX$188

32.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.29 F CFA 2,438

$2.71 MX$46.93

58.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 F CFA 590

$1.51 MX$26.04

-31.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 F CFA 2,576

$1.87 MX$32.41

142.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.19 F CFA 109

$2.19 MX$37.89

-91.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 F CFA 793

$1.86 MX$32.14

-24.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 F CFA 792

$2.23 MX$38.59

-37.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 F CFA 727

$1.09 MX$18.79

17.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

Wine (Bottle)

$6.97 F CFA 3,955

$10.43 MX$180

-33.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 F CFA 773

$1.66 MX$28.68

-18.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 F CFA 509

$2.61 MX$45.19

-65.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 F CFA 289

$0.54 MX$9.37

-5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.02 F CFA 14.8K

$26.16 MX$453

-0.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 F CFA 867

$1.31 MX$22.69

16.79%

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

$32.0K F CFA 18.2M

$29.8K MX$515.7K

7.29%

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

$29.4K F CFA 16.7M

$23.3K MX$403.5K

26.25%

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

$108 F CFA 61.2K

$81.3 MX$1,406

32.58%

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

$34.27 F CFA 19.5K

$22.56 MX$390

51.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.80 F CFA 25.4K

$30.05 MX$520

49.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.80 F CFA 25.4K

$52.9 MX$915

-15.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

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

$765 F CFA 434.5K

$201 MX$3,474

281.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,293 F CFA 1.3M

$5,175 MX$89.5K

-55.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 F CFA 248.7K

$978 MX$16.9K

-55.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$231 F CFA 131.4K

$470 MX$8,140

-50.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$736 F CFA 417.7K

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-55.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 F CFA 268.5K

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-60.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,051 F CFA 596.8K

$677 MX$11.7K

55.36%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Bissau and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bissau pays 55% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $306 vs $252, 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 41% in total monthly costs ($891 vs $1,260 including rent). Bissau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 55% 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 $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $765 in Bissau versus $201 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 $891 in Bissau versus $1,260 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 41% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.