Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Bissau Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Bissau

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $888 in Bissau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,408 in Bissau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,929 in Bissau.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 67% more expensive than Bissau, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Bissau is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$5.17 F CFA 2,897

151.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$26.26 F CFA 14.7K

102.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$9.45 F CFA 5,301

2.86%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$1.73 F CFA 972

116.76%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.05 F CFA 587

49.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.92 F CFA 514

22.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$0.69 F CFA 385

360.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.77 F CFA 995

-8.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$0.94 F CFA 530

188.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$2.10 F CFA 1,178

-10.48%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$5.33 F CFA 2,991

-52.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$14.60 F CFA 8,186

-30.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$14.09 F CFA 7,903

-41.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$14.22 F CFA 7,974

-16.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$4.48 F CFA 2,514

-36.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.03 F CFA 579

69.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$4.38 F CFA 2,456

-52.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$0.16 F CFA 87.2

1131.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.38 F CFA 771

56.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.39 F CFA 781

56.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$1.28 F CFA 720

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$6.99 F CFA 3,919

103.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.30 F CFA 729

35.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$0.86 F CFA 482

327.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.55 F CFA 307

-29.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$25.12 F CFA 14.1K

-25.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.52 F CFA 850

-11.18%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$32.2K F CFA 18.1M

-41.44%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$29.2K F CFA 16.4M

-20.59%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$109 F CFA 61.0K

-62.49%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$34.37 F CFA 19.3K

-19.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$45.85 F CFA 25.7K

-33.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$44.39 F CFA 24.9K

20.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

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

$436 MX$7,632

$761 F CFA 426.6K

-42.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$2,338 F CFA 1.3M

347.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$442 F CFA 248.0K

126.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$228 F CFA 128.1K

171.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$742 F CFA 416.3K

187.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$474 F CFA 265.8K

160.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$1,062 F CFA 595.7K

0.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Bissau: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $442 in Bissau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 0% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $26.00 in Bissau. Groceries flip the comparison at $286 vs $305, with Mexico City 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

Mexico City vs Bissau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Bissau differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $888 including rent). Bissau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 0% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $442 in Bissau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $761 in Bissau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Mexico City pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $888 in Bissau versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bissau but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. 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 67% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.