Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guinea-Bissau and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

For one person, living is cheaper in Guinea-Bissau: $822 a month against $1,203 in South Africa, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in South Africa
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South Africa Living Index

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🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau

$822

/mo nomad

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,203

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Guinea-Bissau and in South Africa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $822 in Guinea-Bissau versus $1,203 in South Africa.

Guinea-Bissau $822
South Africa $1,203

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,318 in Guinea-Bissau versus $1,893 in South Africa.

Guinea-Bissau $1,318
South Africa $1,893

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,815 in Guinea-Bissau versus $2,583 in South Africa.

Guinea-Bissau $1,815
South Africa $2,583

Internal cost variation is higher in South Africa: monthly costs span $618 to $1,556, compared to $826–$826 in Guinea-Bissau. City choice carries more weight in South Africa.

Living in Guinea-Bissau costs about 32% less than in South Africa on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Guinea-Bissau 40% lower, South Africa 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.14 F CFA 3,029

$10.67 R 177

-51.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.96 F CFA 15.3K

$41.66 R 693

-37.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 F CFA 5,493

$5.80 R 96.5

60.86%

Cappuccino

$1.69 F CFA 993

$2.36 R 39.23

-28.39%

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

$1.04 F CFA 613

$1.12 R 18.56

-7.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 F CFA 523

$0.90 R 15.00

-1.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.66 F CFA 386

$2.42 R 40.20

-72.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 R 50.9

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 F CFA 1,024

$1.18 R 19.58

47.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 F CFA 544

$1.13 R 18.83

-18.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 F CFA 1,171

$1.74 R 28.90

14.37%

Eggs

$5.23 F CFA 3,081

$2.57 R 42.80

103.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.79 F CFA 8,714

$8.43 R 140

75.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.42 F CFA 7,907

$5.12 R 85.1

162.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.51 F CFA 7,958

$7.59 R 126

78.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 F CFA 2,578

$1.77 R 29.52

147.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.00 F CFA 588

$1.74 R 28.90

-42.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.28 F CFA 2,521

$1.77 R 29.43

141.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.19 F CFA 110

$1.76 R 29.26

-89.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 F CFA 786

$1.49 R 24.81

-10.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 F CFA 795

$1.47 R 24.38

-8.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 R 20.52

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 F CFA 736

$1.10 R 18.25

13.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 R 54.0

Wine (Bottle)

$6.91 F CFA 4,072

$5.00 R 83.2

38.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 F CFA 742

$1.50 R 24.90

-16.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 F CFA 491

$1.94 R 32.26

-57.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 F CFA 293

$1.48 R 24.58

-66.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.81 F CFA 15.2K

$59.3 R 986

-56.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 R 18.21

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R 16.46

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.46 R 124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 F CFA 868

$1.43 R 23.76

2.80%

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

$31.9K F CFA 18.8M

$35.3K R 587.4K

-9.53%

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

$29.3K F CFA 17.3M

$32.4K R 539.7K

-9.59%

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

$104 F CFA 61.5K

$133 R 2,208

-21.31%

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

$35.44 F CFA 20.9K

$34.83 R 580

1.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.34 F CFA 26.7K

$39.76 R 662

14.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.81 F CFA 24.6K

$33.09 R 551

26.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.65 R 194

Cinema Ticket

$7.18 R 119

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

$772 F CFA 454.7K

$224 R 3,728

244.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,264 F CFA 1.3M

$5,462 R 90.9K

-58.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 R 902

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.13 R 568

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R 1,699

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 R 1,472

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 F CFA 299.5K

$492 R 8,189

3.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 F CFA 100.2K

$398 R 6,617

-57.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$866 F CFA 510.3K

$946 R 15.7K

-8.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 F CFA 246.5K

$827 R 13.8K

-49.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,099 R 18.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$769 R 12.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 F CFA 606.3K

$1,502 R 25.0K

-31.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.23

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

Last update for Guinea-Bissau: October 25, 2026

Last update for South Africa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Guinea-Bissau

–

South Africa

$398 33.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guinea-Bissau

–

South Africa

$207 17.2%

Groceries & Markets

Guinea-Bissau

–

South Africa

$196 16.3%

Eating Out

Guinea-Bissau

–

South Africa

$157 13.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Guinea-Bissau

–

South Africa

$126 10.4%

Getting Around

Guinea-Bissau

–

South Africa

$71 5.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Guinea-Bissau

–

South Africa

$47 4%

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $501 in Guinea-Bissau, $422 in South Africa. Capital cities: $501 in Bissau vs $450 in Pretoria.

National salary averages: $1,046 in Guinea-Bissau, $1,488 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 56% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 135% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 42% higher in South Africa.

Good to know

🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau

🇿🇦 South Africa

🕒 Local time

11:20 11:20 AM

13:20 1:20 PM

2 h ahead of Guinea-Bissau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,861,283

62,027,503

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.01 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to XOF – West African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 West African CFA Franc (Fr)

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 589 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 16.64 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.01 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Guinea-Bissau South Africa 6,390 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Guinea-Bissau
South Africa

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

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

At $822 per month in Guinea-Bissau and $1,203 in South Africa, there’s a 46% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Overall, Guinea-Bissau is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.

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.