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: $903 in Guinea-Bissau versus $1,021 in South Africa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,405 in Guinea-Bissau versus $1,594 in South Africa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,906 in Guinea-Bissau versus $2,167 in South Africa.

Living in Guinea-Bissau costs about 12% less than in South Africa on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Guinea-Bissau 33% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Guinea-Bissau: monthly costs span $903 to $903, compared to $804–$1,352 in South Africa. City choice carries more weight in Guinea-Bissau.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.33 F CFA 2,973

$9.20 R 151

-42.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.58 F CFA 14.8K

$38.46 R 632

-30.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.19 F CFA 5,132

$5.11 R 84.0

79.84%

Cappuccino

$1.74 F CFA 974

$2.03 R 33.32

-14.29%

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

$1.03 F CFA 576

$0.95 R 15.57

8.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 F CFA 468

$0.79 R 13.03

6.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.74 F CFA 415

$2.31 R 37.90

-67.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 R 40.40

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 F CFA 963

$1.08 R 17.74

60.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 F CFA 557

$0.96 R 15.83

4.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 F CFA 1,172

$1.60 R 26.36

31.25%

Eggs

$5.14 F CFA 2,871

$2.32 R 38.21

121.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.51 F CFA 8,102

$7.48 R 123

93.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.22 F CFA 7,938

$4.57 R 75.1

211.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.28 F CFA 7,974

$6.56 R 108

117.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.36 F CFA 2,431

$1.58 R 26.01

175.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 F CFA 603

$1.45 R 23.85

-25.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.52 F CFA 2,522

$1.50 R 24.73

201.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.17 F CFA 92.9

$1.55 R 25.40

-89.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 F CFA 770

$1.26 R 20.79

9.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 F CFA 775

$1.29 R 21.19

7.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 R 17.61

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 F CFA 747

$0.90 R 14.84

48.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 R 48.03

Wine (Bottle)

$7.13 F CFA 3,979

$4.99 R 82.1

42.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 F CFA 733

$1.39 R 22.83

-5.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 F CFA 515

$1.68 R 27.57

-45.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 F CFA 284

$1.72 R 28.27

-70.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.30 F CFA 14.1K

$45.17 R 743

-43.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R 18.24

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 R 17.45

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.84 R 79.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 F CFA 848

$1.24 R 20.43

22.58%

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

$31.8K F CFA 17.8M

$21.0K R 345.8K

51.28%

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

$29.4K F CFA 16.4M

$24.1K R 395.9K

22.09%

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

$108 F CFA 60.1K

$112 R 1,842

-3.99%

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

$34.99 F CFA 19.5K

$31.87 R 524

9.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.88 F CFA 25.6K

$40.80 R 671

12.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.82 F CFA 25.0K

$31.46 R 517

42.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.71 R 160

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 R 110

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

$762 F CFA 425.4K

$192 R 3,153

297.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,274 F CFA 1.3M

$4,306 R 70.8K

-47.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.12 R 807

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.89 R 508

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 R 1,533

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.6 R 1,292

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$446 F CFA 249.1K

$451 R 7,413

-1.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$233 F CFA 129.9K

$366 R 6,022

-36.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$744 F CFA 415.4K

$888 R 14.6K

-16.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 F CFA 263.9K

$709 R 11.7K

-33.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,148 R 18.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$807 R 13.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 F CFA 584.8K

$1,467 R 24.1K

-28.61%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for South Africa: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $441 in Guinea-Bissau, $368 in South Africa. Capital cities: $441 in Bissau vs $762 in Cape Town.

National salary averages: $1,061 in Guinea-Bissau, $1,458 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 20% higher in Guinea-Bissau.

Dining out costs 30% more in South Africa.

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

Salaries are 37% 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 $903 per month in Guinea-Bissau and $1,078 in South Africa, there's a 19% 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.