Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Bissau

For one person, living is cheaper in Bissau: $837 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Bissau

🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau

$837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Bissau

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Budapest and in Bissau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,621 in Budapest versus $837 in Bissau.

Budapest $1,621
Bissau $837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,555 in Budapest versus $1,352 in Bissau.

Budapest $2,555
Bissau $1,352

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,489 in Budapest versus $1,868 in Bissau.

Budapest $3,489
Bissau $1,868

Living in Budapest is roughly 94% more expensive than in Bissau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Budapest is 21% above, Bissau is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$5.33 F CFA 3,120

162.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$25.69 F CFA 15.0K

134.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$9.50 F CFA 5,560

4.84%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$1.75 F CFA 1,023

93.14%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$1.03 F CFA 600

106.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$0.83 F CFA 487

125.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$0.71 F CFA 413

428.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$1.70 F CFA 992

-33.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$1.00 F CFA 587

84.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$2.02 F CFA 1,184

18.32%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$5.29 F CFA 3,093

-27.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$14.63 F CFA 8,561

-22.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$13.73 F CFA 8,033

-50.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$14.00 F CFA 8,193

4.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$4.46 F CFA 2,608

-58.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$1.06 F CFA 622

89.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$4.37 F CFA 2,558

-46.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$0.15 F CFA 85.3

2413.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$1.42 F CFA 829

-32.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$1.42 F CFA 830

-27.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$1.29 F CFA 753

-48.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$6.94 F CFA 4,062

-13.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$1.28 F CFA 749

1.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$0.85 F CFA 499

144.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$0.50 F CFA 294

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

$25.49 F CFA 14.9K

8.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.48 F CFA 868

22.30%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$31.7K F CFA 18.6M

-7.55%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$28.9K F CFA 16.9M

17.88%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$105 F CFA 61.5K

61.59%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$34.41 F CFA 20.1K

-30.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$45.15 F CFA 26.4K

-48.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$43.73 F CFA 25.6K

51.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$759 F CFA 444.1K

-29.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$2,319 F CFA 1.4M

616.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$528 F CFA 309.1K

52.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$171 F CFA 100.1K

267.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$867 F CFA 507.3K

78.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$429 F CFA 250.8K

172.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$1,029 F CFA 601.9K

58.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Bissau: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Bissau

–

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Bissau

–

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Bissau

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Bissau

–

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Bissau

–

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Bissau

–

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Bissau

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $805 in Budapest and $528 in Bissau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Budapest pays 58% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $60.0 in Budapest vs $26.00 in Bissau. Groceries flip the comparison at $258 vs $302, with Budapest cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇬🇼 Bissau

🕒 Local time

06:46 6:46 AM

04:46 4:46 AM

2 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

395,954 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Bissau 5,110 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Budapest vs Bissau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budapest and Bissau differ by about 94% in total monthly costs ($1,621 vs $837 including rent). Bissau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 58% higher in Budapest, 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: $805 in Budapest versus $528 in Bissau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $537 in Budapest versus $759 in Bissau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Budapest pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $837 in Bissau versus $1,621 in Budapest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bissau but tight or insufficient in Budapest. 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, Budapest and Bissau 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 94% less than in Budapest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.