Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bissau Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bissau

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $891 in Bissau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,418 in Bissau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,945 in Bissau.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 41% more expensive than in Bissau, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Bissau 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$5.35 F CFA 3,039

119.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$26.81 F CFA 15.2K

56.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$9.64 F CFA 5,472

9.02%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.72 F CFA 974

108.72%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.04 F CFA 591

45.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.84 F CFA 476

9.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$0.69 F CFA 392

328.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.80 F CFA 1,023

-22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.94 F CFA 536

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$2.14 F CFA 1,214

-27.10%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$5.24 F CFA 2,978

-50.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$14.29 F CFA 8,110

-41.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$14.20 F CFA 8,062

-41.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$14.35 F CFA 8,145

-24.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$4.29 F CFA 2,438

-36.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.04 F CFA 590

45.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$4.54 F CFA 2,576

-58.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$0.19 F CFA 109

1052.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.40 F CFA 793

32.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.40 F CFA 792

59.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$1.28 F CFA 727

-14.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$6.97 F CFA 3,955

49.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.36 F CFA 773

22.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$0.90 F CFA 509

190.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.51 F CFA 289

5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$26.02 F CFA 14.8K

0.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.53 F CFA 867

-14.38%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$32.0K F CFA 18.2M

-6.80%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$29.4K F CFA 16.7M

-20.79%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$108 F CFA 61.2K

-24.57%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$34.27 F CFA 19.5K

-34.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$44.80 F CFA 25.4K

-32.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$44.80 F CFA 25.4K

18.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

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

$201 MX$3,474

$765 F CFA 434.5K

-73.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$2,293 F CFA 1.3M

125.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$438 F CFA 248.7K

123.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$231 F CFA 131.4K

103.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$736 F CFA 417.7K

124.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$473 F CFA 268.5K

154.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$1,051 F CFA 596.8K

-35.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Bissau: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $438 in Bissau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bissau pays 55% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Bissau. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $306, with Playa del Carmen 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

Playa del Carmen vs Bissau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Bissau differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $891 including rent). Bissau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 55% lower in Bissau. 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $438 in Bissau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $765 in Bissau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 22% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $891 in Bissau versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bissau but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. 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 41% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.