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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $888 in Bissau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,408 in Bissau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,929 in Bissau.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 45% more expensive than Bissau, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Bissau 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$5.17 F CFA 2,897

130.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$26.26 F CFA 14.7K

62.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$9.45 F CFA 5,301

12.06%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.73 F CFA 972

109.25%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.05 F CFA 587

40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.92 F CFA 514

2.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$0.69 F CFA 385

347.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.77 F CFA 995

-19.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.94 F CFA 530

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$2.10 F CFA 1,178

-22.38%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$5.33 F CFA 2,991

-50.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$14.60 F CFA 8,186

-43.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$14.09 F CFA 7,903

-41.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$14.22 F CFA 7,974

-21.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$4.48 F CFA 2,514

-40.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.03 F CFA 579

45.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$4.38 F CFA 2,456

-54.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$0.16 F CFA 87.2

1200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.38 F CFA 771

29.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.39 F CFA 781

56.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.28 F CFA 720

-18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$6.99 F CFA 3,919

45.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.30 F CFA 729

33.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$0.86 F CFA 482

190.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.55 F CFA 307

-5.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$25.12 F CFA 14.1K

7.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.52 F CFA 850

-16.45%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$32.2K F CFA 18.1M

-4.24%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$29.2K F CFA 16.4M

-20.02%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$109 F CFA 61.0K

-24.63%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$34.37 F CFA 19.3K

-34.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$45.85 F CFA 25.7K

-35.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$44.39 F CFA 24.9K

16.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

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

$198 MX$3,462

$761 F CFA 426.6K

-73.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$2,338 F CFA 1.3M

125.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$442 F CFA 248.0K

117.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$228 F CFA 128.1K

103.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$742 F CFA 416.3K

115.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$474 F CFA 265.8K

155.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$1,062 F CFA 595.7K

-32.16%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Bissau: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $442 in Bissau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bissau pays 47% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $26.00 in Bissau. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $305, 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 45% in total monthly costs ($1,287 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 47% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $442 in Bissau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $761 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 $888 in Bissau versus $1,287 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 45% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.