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: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $899 in Bissau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,407 in Bissau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,916 in Bissau.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 44% more expensive than Bissau, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Bissau 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$5.45 F CFA 3,074

115.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$26.65 F CFA 15.0K

56.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$9.44 F CFA 5,329

10.28%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$1.78 F CFA 1,006

102.81%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$1.08 F CFA 610

35.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.84 F CFA 472

15.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$0.69 F CFA 389

323.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.79 F CFA 1,010

-20.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$1.00 F CFA 566

90.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$2.10 F CFA 1,183

-25.24%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$5.31 F CFA 2,999

-50.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$14.74 F CFA 8,322

-42.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$14.00 F CFA 7,902

-38.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$14.36 F CFA 8,107

-23.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$4.50 F CFA 2,541

-40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$1.04 F CFA 589

45.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$4.48 F CFA 2,530

-57.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$0.16 F CFA 87.5

1256.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$1.39 F CFA 783

34.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$1.44 F CFA 814

54.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$1.28 F CFA 723

-16.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$6.97 F CFA 3,932

47.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$1.38 F CFA 778

21.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$0.86 F CFA 486

194.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$0.51 F CFA 289

7.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

$25.18 F CFA 14.2K

4.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.54 F CFA 868

-14.29%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$32.4K F CFA 18.3M

-6.93%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$29.3K F CFA 16.5M

-20.17%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$106 F CFA 59.6K

-22.92%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$34.21 F CFA 19.3K

-34.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$45.02 F CFA 25.4K

-33.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$44.06 F CFA 24.9K

17.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

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

$202 MX$3,471

$756 F CFA 426.5K

-73.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$2,344 F CFA 1.3M

126.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$435 F CFA 245.6K

118.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$234 F CFA 132.1K

104.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$727 F CFA 410.3K

122.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$476 F CFA 268.4K

157.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$1,025 F CFA 578.7K

-34.36%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Bissau: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $435 in Bissau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bissau pays 52% 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 $254 vs $307, 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 44% in total monthly costs ($1,294 vs $899 including rent). Bissau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Bissau earns 52% 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: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $435 in Bissau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $202 in Playa del Carmen versus $756 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 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $899 in Bissau versus $1,294 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 44% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.