Cost of Living Comparison Between Guinea-Bissau and South Africa Cost of Living Comparison Between Guinea-Bissau and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $883 in Guinea-Bissau versus $1,019 in South Africa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,405 in Guinea-Bissau versus $1,585 in South Africa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,927 in Guinea-Bissau versus $2,150 in South Africa.

Living in Guinea-Bissau costs about 13% less than in South Africa on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Guinea-Bissau 34% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Guinea-Bissau: monthly costs span $883 to $883, compared to $806–$1,361 in South Africa. City choice carries more weight in Guinea-Bissau.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.32 F CFA 3,002

$8.88 R 144

-40.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.03 F CFA 14.7K

$39.40 R 637

-33.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.25 F CFA 5,222

$4.92 R 79.6

88.01%

Cappuccino

$1.78 F CFA 1,008

$2.00 R 32.28

-11.00%

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

$1.09 F CFA 614

$1.03 R 16.58

5.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 F CFA 487

$0.75 R 12.15

14.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.72 F CFA 409

$2.26 R 36.50

-68.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 R 40.00

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 F CFA 977

$1.08 R 17.42

60.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 F CFA 532

$1.04 R 16.78

-9.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 F CFA 1,176

$1.57 R 25.45

32.48%

Eggs

$5.45 F CFA 3,076

$2.28 R 36.86

139.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 F CFA 8,191

$7.73 R 125

87.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.37 F CFA 8,113

$4.56 R 73.8

215.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 F CFA 7,875

$6.72 R 109

107.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.31 F CFA 2,436

$1.50 R 24.31

187.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 F CFA 589

$1.41 R 22.87

-26.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.53 F CFA 2,558

$1.51 R 24.38

200.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.19 F CFA 110

$1.52 R 24.51

-87.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 F CFA 784

$1.26 R 20.44

10.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 F CFA 784

$1.30 R 20.95

6.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.62

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 F CFA 752

$0.99 R 15.99

34.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 R 48.20

Wine (Bottle)

$6.95 F CFA 3,924

$5.12 R 82.9

35.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 F CFA 775

$1.32 R 21.37

3.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 F CFA 477

$1.65 R 26.68

-49.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 F CFA 312

$1.71 R 27.60

-67.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.87 F CFA 14.6K

$45.13 R 730

-42.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R 17.93

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 R 17.91

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.70 R 76.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 F CFA 866

$1.28 R 20.74

19.53%

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

$32.1K F CFA 18.1M

$20.8K R 335.8K

54.54%

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

$28.8K F CFA 16.3M

$23.5K R 379.4K

22.73%

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

$106 F CFA 59.6K

$111 R 1,792

-4.80%

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

$35.23 F CFA 19.9K

$32.41 R 524

8.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.02 F CFA 25.4K

$41.64 R 673

8.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.37 F CFA 24.5K

$31.24 R 505

38.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.78 R 158

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 R 110

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

$765 F CFA 431.9K

$189 R 3,048

305.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,306 F CFA 1.3M

$4,394 R 71.0K

-47.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.42 R 799

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.39 R 491

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 R 1,522

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 R 1,283

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 F CFA 246.2K

$444 R 7,171

-1.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$236 F CFA 133.4K

$368 R 5,948

-35.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 F CFA 404.6K

$880 R 14.2K

-18.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$481 F CFA 271.9K

$714 R 11.5K

-32.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,061 R 17.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$782 R 12.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,050 F CFA 592.8K

$1,505 R 24.3K

-30.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

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

Last update for Guinea-Bissau: June 6, 2026

Last update for South Africa: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $432 in Guinea-Bissau, $368 in South Africa. Capital cities: $432 in Bissau vs $764 in Cape Town.

National salary averages: $1,048 in Guinea-Bissau, $1,501 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 17% higher in Guinea-Bissau.

Dining out costs 30% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 56% more expensive in Guinea-Bissau.

Salaries are 43% higher in South Africa, giving South Africa stronger purchasing power.

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

Guinea-Bissau vs South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $883 per month in Guinea-Bissau and $1,084 in South Africa, there's a 23% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Guinea-Bissau is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in South Africa beats Guinea-Bissau across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Guinea-Bissau, $1,200 covers most cities easily. In South Africa, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Guinea-Bissau wins on affordability; South Africa may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.