Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bissau Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bissau

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $888 in Bissau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,408 in Bissau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,929 in Bissau.

Living in Medellin is roughly 16% more expensive than Bissau, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Bissau 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$5.17 F CFA 2,897

14.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$26.26 F CFA 14.7K

24.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$9.45 F CFA 5,301

-23.81%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.73 F CFA 972

-1.73%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$1.05 F CFA 587

4.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.92 F CFA 514

-21.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$0.69 F CFA 385

142.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.77 F CFA 995

-40.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.94 F CFA 530

32.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$2.10 F CFA 1,178

-33.81%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$5.33 F CFA 2,991

-57.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$14.60 F CFA 8,186

-70.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$14.09 F CFA 7,903

-58.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$14.22 F CFA 7,974

-37.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$4.48 F CFA 2,514

-50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.03 F CFA 579

4.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$4.38 F CFA 2,456

-65.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$0.16 F CFA 87.2

756.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.38 F CFA 771

-18.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.39 F CFA 781

-19.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$1.28 F CFA 720

-28.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$6.99 F CFA 3,919

59.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.30 F CFA 729

-8.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$0.86 F CFA 482

175.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.55 F CFA 307

43.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$25.12 F CFA 14.1K

63.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.52 F CFA 850

-38.16%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$32.2K F CFA 18.1M

-44.43%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$29.2K F CFA 16.4M

-8.10%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$109 F CFA 61.0K

-22.84%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$34.37 F CFA 19.3K

-72.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$45.85 F CFA 25.7K

-47.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$44.39 F CFA 24.9K

-41.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$761 F CFA 426.6K

-59.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$2,338 F CFA 1.3M

153.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$442 F CFA 248.0K

10.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$228 F CFA 128.1K

61.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$742 F CFA 416.3K

11.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$474 F CFA 265.8K

51.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$1,062 F CFA 595.7K

-48.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Bissau: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $442 in Bissau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bissau pays 95% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $26.00 in Bissau. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $305, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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

Medellin vs Bissau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Bissau differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,034 vs $888 including rent). Bissau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Bissau earns 95% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $487 in Medellin versus $442 in Bissau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $306 in Medellin versus $761 in Bissau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 61% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $888 in Bissau versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bissau but tight or insufficient in Medellin. 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 16% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.