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: $891 in Guinea-Bissau versus $1,019 in South Africa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Guinea-Bissau versus $1,583 in South Africa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,945 in Guinea-Bissau versus $2,146 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 33% lower, South Africa 23% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Guinea-Bissau: monthly costs span $891 to $891, compared to $804–$1,358 in South Africa. City choice carries more weight in Guinea-Bissau.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.18 F CFA 2,958

$8.89 R 148

-41.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.60 F CFA 15.2K

$39.93 R 665

-33.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 F CFA 5,307

$4.90 R 81.7

89.59%

Cappuccino

$1.79 F CFA 1,024

$2.03 R 33.88

-11.82%

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

$1.09 F CFA 623

$1.04 R 17.26

4.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 F CFA 512

$0.74 R 12.32

21.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.74 F CFA 421

$2.29 R 38.17

-67.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 R 42.69

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 F CFA 987

$1.07 R 17.74

61.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 F CFA 538

$1.04 R 17.27

-9.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 F CFA 1,241

$1.56 R 25.96

39.10%

Eggs

$5.30 F CFA 3,031

$2.22 R 37.05

138.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.79 F CFA 8,453

$7.93 R 132

86.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.84 F CFA 7,909

$4.57 R 76.1

202.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 F CFA 8,023

$6.63 R 110

111.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 F CFA 2,475

$1.50 R 25.03

188.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 F CFA 597

$1.47 R 24.46

-28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 F CFA 2,547

$1.45 R 24.11

207.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.18 F CFA 103

$1.57 R 26.14

-88.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 F CFA 823

$1.20 R 19.97

20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 F CFA 792

$1.28 R 21.38

7.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 R 17.23

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 F CFA 770

$0.93 R 15.54

45.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 R 48.96

Wine (Bottle)

$7.14 F CFA 4,080

$5.14 R 85.7

38.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 F CFA 777

$1.36 R 22.67

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 F CFA 486

$1.66 R 27.66

-48.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 F CFA 297

$1.63 R 27.22

-68.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.89 F CFA 14.8K

$44.21 R 736

-41.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 19.18

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R 18.30

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.77 R 79.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 F CFA 864

$1.25 R 20.81

20.80%

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

$31.8K F CFA 18.2M

$21.0K R 350.4K

51.12%

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

$29.2K F CFA 16.7M

$23.4K R 390.4K

24.71%

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

$106 F CFA 60.7K

$114 R 1,892

-6.42%

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

$35.10 F CFA 20.1K

$32.92 R 548

6.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.76 F CFA 26.2K

$40.72 R 678

12.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.04 F CFA 25.2K

$31.49 R 525

39.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.52 R 159

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 R 115

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

$757 F CFA 432.8K

$188 R 3,124

303.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,328 F CFA 1.3M

$4,300 R 71.6K

-45.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.97 R 832

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.67 R 511

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 R 1,571

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.9 R 1,331

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 F CFA 249.1K

$444 R 7,398

-1.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$229 F CFA 131.1K

$374 R 6,231

-38.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 F CFA 423.9K

$902 R 15.0K

-17.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 F CFA 275.4K

$720 R 12.0K

-33.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,102 R 18.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$756 R 12.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,048 F CFA 598.7K

$1,494 R 24.9K

-29.88%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for South Africa: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $438 in Guinea-Bissau, $367 in South Africa. Capital cities: $438 in Bissau vs $399 in Pretoria.

National salary averages: $1,051 in Guinea-Bissau, $1,498 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 19% higher in Guinea-Bissau.

Dining out costs 30% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 63% more expensive in Guinea-Bissau.

Salaries are 43% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

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 $891 per month in Guinea-Bissau and $1,081 in South Africa, there's a 21% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Guinea-Bissau: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 stretches only to regional areas and 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.