Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bissau Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bissau

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $888 in Bissau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,408 in Bissau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,929 in Bissau.

Living in Phuket is roughly 39% more expensive than Bissau, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Bissau 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$5.17 F CFA 2,897

-10.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$26.26 F CFA 14.7K

78.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$9.45 F CFA 5,301

-6.46%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.73 F CFA 972

73.41%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.05 F CFA 587

-29.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.92 F CFA 514

-59.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$0.69 F CFA 385

253.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.77 F CFA 995

27.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.94 F CFA 530

95.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.10 F CFA 1,178

6.67%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$5.33 F CFA 2,991

-56.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$14.60 F CFA 8,186

34.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$14.09 F CFA 7,903

-74.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$14.22 F CFA 7,974

-7.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$4.48 F CFA 2,514

-24.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.03 F CFA 579

59.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$4.38 F CFA 2,456

-44.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.16 F CFA 87.2

1168.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.38 F CFA 771

13.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.39 F CFA 781

7.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.28 F CFA 720

-61.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$6.99 F CFA 3,919

170.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.30 F CFA 729

36.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$0.86 F CFA 482

219.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.55 F CFA 307

154.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$25.12 F CFA 14.1K

-54.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.52 F CFA 850

-11.18%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$32.2K F CFA 18.1M

-15.70%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$29.2K F CFA 16.4M

12.93%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$109 F CFA 61.0K

14.86%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$34.37 F CFA 19.3K

-60.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$45.85 F CFA 25.7K

-59.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$44.39 F CFA 24.9K

38.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$761 F CFA 426.6K

-8.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$2,338 F CFA 1.3M

566.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$442 F CFA 248.0K

39.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$228 F CFA 128.1K

95.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$742 F CFA 416.3K

175.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$474 F CFA 265.8K

214.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,062 F CFA 595.7K

-50.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Bissau: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $442 in Bissau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bissau pays 103% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $26.00 in Bissau. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $305, with Phuket 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

Phuket vs Bissau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Bissau differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($1,232 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 103% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $442 in Bissau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $761 in Bissau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $888 in Bissau versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bissau but tight or insufficient in Phuket. 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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Bissau are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bissau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.