Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Guinea-Bissau

Name: Guinea-Bissau
Address: GW

For one person, living is cheaper in Guinea-Bissau: $822 a month against $1,203 in South Africa, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in South Africa
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South Africa Living Index

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🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,203

/mo nomad

🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau

$822

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in South Africa and in Guinea-Bissau

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in South Africa and in Guinea-Bissau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,203 in South Africa versus $822 in Guinea-Bissau.

South Africa $1,203
Guinea-Bissau $822

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,893 in South Africa versus $1,318 in Guinea-Bissau.

South Africa $1,893
Guinea-Bissau $1,318

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,583 in South Africa versus $1,815 in Guinea-Bissau.

South Africa $2,583
Guinea-Bissau $1,815

Internal cost variation is higher in South Africa: monthly costs span $618 to $1,556, compared to $826–$826 in Guinea-Bissau. City choice carries more weight in South Africa.

Living in South Africa is roughly 46% more expensive than in Guinea-Bissau on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: South Africa 12% lower, Guinea-Bissau 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 R 178

$5.14 F CFA 3,028

107.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.66 R 694

$25.96 F CFA 15.3K

60.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 R 96.6

$9.33 F CFA 5,491

-37.83%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R 39.29

$1.69 F CFA 993

39.64%

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

$1.12 R 18.59

$1.04 F CFA 612

7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R 15.02

$0.89 F CFA 523

1.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 R 40.26

$0.66 F CFA 386

266.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 R 51.0

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 R 19.61

$1.74 F CFA 1,024

-32.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.86

$0.92 F CFA 544

22.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.95

$1.99 F CFA 1,171

-12.56%

Eggs

$2.57 R 42.87

$5.23 F CFA 3,081

-50.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.43 R 140

$14.79 F CFA 8,712

-43.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.12 R 85.3

$13.42 F CFA 7,905

-61.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.59 R 127

$13.51 F CFA 7,957

-43.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.57

$4.38 F CFA 2,577

-59.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.94

$1.00 F CFA 588

74.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.48

$4.28 F CFA 2,521

-58.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 R 29.31

$0.19 F CFA 110

826.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.85

$1.34 F CFA 786

11.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.41

$1.35 F CFA 794

8.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 R 20.55

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 R 18.28

$1.25 F CFA 736

-12.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 R 54.1

Wine (Bottle)

$5.00 R 83.3

$6.91 F CFA 4,071

-27.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 R 24.94

$1.26 F CFA 742

19.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 R 32.31

$0.83 F CFA 491

133.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 R 24.62

$0.50 F CFA 293

196.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.3 R 988

$25.81 F CFA 15.2K

129.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 R 18.24

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R 16.49

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.46 R 124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 R 23.80

$1.47 F CFA 867

-2.72%

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

$35.3K R 588.3K

$31.9K F CFA 18.8M

10.53%

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

$32.4K R 540.5K

$29.3K F CFA 17.3M

10.61%

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

$133 R 2,212

$104 F CFA 61.5K

27.08%

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

$34.83 R 580

$35.44 F CFA 20.9K

-1.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.76 R 663

$45.34 F CFA 26.7K

-12.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.09 R 551

$41.81 F CFA 24.6K

-20.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.65 R 194

Cinema Ticket

$7.18 R 120

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

$224 R 3,734

$772 F CFA 454.6K

-70.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,462 R 91.0K

$2,264 F CFA 1.3M

141.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 R 903

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.13 R 569

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R 1,701

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 R 1,475

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 R 8,202

$508 F CFA 299.4K

-3.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$398 R 6,628

$170 F CFA 100.2K

133.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$946 R 15.8K

$866 F CFA 510.2K

9.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$827 R 13.8K

$418 F CFA 246.4K

97.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,099 R 18.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$769 R 12.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,502 R 25.0K

$1,029 F CFA 606.2K

45.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.23

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

Last update for South Africa: October 26, 2026

Last update for Guinea-Bissau: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

South Africa

$398 33.1%

Guinea-Bissau

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Africa

$207 17.2%

Guinea-Bissau

–

Groceries & Markets

South Africa

$196 16.3%

Guinea-Bissau

–

Eating Out

South Africa

$157 13.1%

Guinea-Bissau

–

Clothing & Footwear

South Africa

$126 10.4%

Guinea-Bissau

–

Getting Around

South Africa

$71 5.9%

Guinea-Bissau

–

Sport & Entertainment

South Africa

$47 4%

Guinea-Bissau

–

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $422 in South Africa, $501 in Guinea-Bissau. Capital cities: $450 in Pretoria vs $501 in Bissau.

National salary averages: $1,488 in South Africa, $1,046 in Guinea-Bissau. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 19% higher in Guinea-Bissau.

Dining out costs 56% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 135% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 42% higher in South Africa.

Good to know

🇿🇦 South Africa

🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau

🕒 Local time

14:13 2:13 PM

12:13 12:13 PM

2 h behind South Africa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,027,503

1,861,283

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 16.66 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6 USD). 1 EUR = 18.55 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 589 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD). 1 EUR = 655 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

South Africa Guinea-Bissau 6,390 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

South Africa
Guinea-Bissau

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

South Africa vs Guinea-Bissau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $822 per month in Guinea-Bissau and $1,203 in South Africa, there’s a 46% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Overall, Guinea-Bissau is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.

In Guinea-Bissau, $1,200 covers most cities easily; in South Africa it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you’re after: Guinea-Bissau wins on affordability; South Africa may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.