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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $838 in Bissau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,355 in Bissau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,873 in Bissau.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 51% more expensive than in Bissau, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Bissau 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$5.18 F CFA 2,959

123.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$26.21 F CFA 15.0K

79.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$9.30 F CFA 5,307

27.74%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$1.80 F CFA 1,027

121.11%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$1.08 F CFA 616

32.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.89 F CFA 508

-7.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$0.67 F CFA 381

376.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.79 F CFA 1,024

-6.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$0.95 F CFA 540

131.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$2.13 F CFA 1,218

-19.72%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$5.32 F CFA 3,034

-48.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$14.66 F CFA 8,364

-34.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$14.21 F CFA 8,109

-36.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$14.23 F CFA 8,120

-9.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$4.45 F CFA 2,542

-35.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.04 F CFA 594

44.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$4.30 F CFA 2,455

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$0.20 F CFA 116

1030.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$1.39 F CFA 791

42.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$1.44 F CFA 822

38.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$1.34 F CFA 766

-10.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$6.90 F CFA 3,937

50.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.34 F CFA 765

20.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$0.92 F CFA 527

213.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.51 F CFA 291

17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$25.76 F CFA 14.7K

11.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$1.47 F CFA 841

4.76%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$32.1K F CFA 18.3M

-29.80%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$28.3K F CFA 16.2M

-8.03%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$106 F CFA 60.6K

-13.94%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$34.39 F CFA 19.6K

-26.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$45.20 F CFA 25.8K

-30.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$43.95 F CFA 25.1K

52.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

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

$224 MX$3,851

$767 F CFA 437.5K

-70.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$2,334 F CFA 1.3M

81.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$529 F CFA 301.8K

100.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$178 F CFA 101.8K

118.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$877 F CFA 500.2K

145.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$433 F CFA 247.2K

193.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$1,041 F CFA 594.1K

-27.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Bissau: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $529 in Bissau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bissau pays 37% 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 Playa del Carmen vs $26.00 in Bissau. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 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 51% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $838 including rent). Bissau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 37% 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $529 in Bissau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $767 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 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $838 in Bissau versus $1,266 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 51% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.