Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Bissau

For one person, living is cheaper in Bissau: $837 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Bissau

🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau

$837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town 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 Cape Town and in Bissau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,568 in Cape Town versus $837 in Bissau.

Cape Town $1,568
Bissau $837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,438 in Cape Town versus $1,352 in Bissau.

Cape Town $2,438
Bissau $1,352

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,307 in Cape Town versus $1,868 in Bissau.

Cape Town $3,307
Bissau $1,868

Living in Cape Town is roughly 87% more expensive than in Bissau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cape Town is 17% above, Bissau is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 R 194

$5.33 F CFA 3,120

121.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 R 768

$25.69 F CFA 15.0K

81.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 R 98.4

$9.50 F CFA 5,560

-37.26%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R 40.80

$1.75 F CFA 1,023

41.14%

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

$1.33 R 21.91

$1.03 F CFA 600

29.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 16.99

$0.83 F CFA 487

24.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 R 49.72

$0.71 F CFA 413

323.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R 60.4

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 22.96

$1.70 F CFA 992

-18.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.60

$1.00 F CFA 587

19.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 R 34.84

$2.02 F CFA 1,184

4.46%

Eggs

$3.01 R 49.58

$5.29 F CFA 3,093

-43.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 148

$14.63 F CFA 8,561

-38.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 R 110

$13.73 F CFA 8,033

-51.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 R 153

$14.00 F CFA 8,193

-33.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.13

$4.46 F CFA 2,608

-58.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.31

$1.06 F CFA 622

79.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.83

$4.37 F CFA 2,558

-59.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 R 34.41

$0.15 F CFA 85.3

1293.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.64

$1.42 F CFA 829

9.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.53

$1.42 F CFA 830

4.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 19.19

$1.29 F CFA 753

-10.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 R 61.2

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 100

$6.94 F CFA 4,062

-12.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.85

$1.28 F CFA 749

8.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.32

$0.85 F CFA 499

158.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 24.98

$0.50 F CFA 294

202.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,006

$25.49 F CFA 14.9K

139.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.33

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 R 25.29

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 26.08

$1.48 F CFA 868

6.76%

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

$35.5K R 585.7K

$31.7K F CFA 18.6M

11.91%

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

$31.7K R 523.8K

$28.9K F CFA 16.9M

9.73%

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

$116 R 1,920

$105 F CFA 61.5K

10.66%

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

$28.37 R 468

$34.41 F CFA 20.1K

-17.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 R 671

$45.15 F CFA 26.4K

-9.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.85 R 806

$43.73 F CFA 25.6K

11.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 184

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 R 146

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

$261 R 4,314

$759 F CFA 444.1K

-65.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 110.6K

$2,319 F CFA 1.4M

189.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R 914

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 532

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,939

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 R 1,766

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 R 16.7K

$528 F CFA 309.1K

92.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 R 11.8K

$171 F CFA 100.1K

318.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 R 29.7K

$867 F CFA 507.3K

107.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 R 22.0K

$429 F CFA 250.8K

210.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,636 R 27.0K

$1,029 F CFA 601.9K

59.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Last update for Bissau: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

Bissau

–

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

Bissau

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

Bissau

–

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11%

Bissau

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Bissau

–

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Bissau

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Bissau

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,015 in Cape Town and $528 in Bissau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cape Town pays 59% 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: $47.00 in Cape Town vs $26.00 in Bissau. Groceries flip the comparison at $222 vs $302, with Cape Town cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇬🇼 Bissau

🕒 Local time

11:06 11:06 AM

09:06 9:06 AM

2 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

395,954 Capital

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 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 ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Bissau 6,230 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Bissau

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

Cape Town vs Bissau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town and Bissau differ by about 87% in total monthly costs ($1,568 vs $837 including rent). Bissau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 59% higher in Cape Town, 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: $1,015 in Cape Town versus $528 in Bissau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $261 in Cape Town versus $759 in Bissau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Cape Town pay roughly 36% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $837 in Bissau versus $1,568 in Cape Town, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bissau but tight or insufficient in Cape Town. 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 87% less than in Cape Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.