Moving to Burkina Faso from Guinea-Bissau

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What to Expect

Considering a move from Guinea-Bissau to Burkina Faso? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Guinea-Bissau to Burkina Faso, and you’d need to navigate life in French.

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Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Burkina Faso compared to Guinea-Bissau.

Is it safe?

Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

GW
30.5
BF
27.8

Burkina Faso performs significantly better than Guinea-Bissau across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

GW
$247
BF
$224
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

GW
2.1
BF
1.5

Burkina Faso generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Guinea-Bissau leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

GW
89.0
BF
84.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

GW
0.2t
BF
0.3t

Guinea-Bissau generally does better on environment, though Burkina Faso leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

GW
0.2
BF
0.1
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

GW
1.5%
BF
7.8%

Guinea-Bissau performs better than Burkina Faso across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

GW
3.2%
BF
5.3%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

GW
$2,400
BF
$2,500

Burkina Faso generally does better on employment & economy, though Guinea-Bissau leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

GW
63.7 yrs
BF
63.4 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

GW
49.0
BF
49.4

Guinea-Bissau generally does better on family life, though Burkina Faso leads in education spending.

Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Bissau Rain: 69.1 in/yr (1756 mm)
90° / 67°F

Avg. annual high / low

Ouagadougou Rain: 29.3 in/yr (744 mm)
95° / 71°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Bissau Ouagadougou
Jan–Mar 92°/67°F (33°/20°C) 96°/67°F (36°/20°C)
Apr–Jun 91°/66°F (33°/19°C) 99°/78°F (37°/26°C)
Jul–Sep 87°/68°F (30°/20°C) 89°/72°F (32°/22°C)
Oct–Dec 90°/69°F (32°/21°C) 95°/67°F (35°/20°C)
View all months
Month Bissau Ouagadougou
Jan 90°/67°F (32.0°/19.4°C) 91°/62°F (32.9°/16.5°C)
Feb 96°/72°F (35.4°/22.0°C) 96°/66°F (35.8°/19.1°C)
Mar 90°/63°F (32.1°/17.1°C) 101°/74°F (38.3°/23.5°C)
Apr 92°/64°F (33.4°/17.7°C) 103°/80°F (39.3°/26.4°C)
May 91°/67°F (33.0°/19.3°C) 100°/79°F (37.7°/26.1°C)
Jun 89°/68°F (31.4°/20.0°C) 94°/75°F (34.7°/24.1°C)
Jul 88°/68°F (30.9°/20.1°C) 90°/73°F (32.1°/22.8°C)
Aug 86°/68°F (30.2°/20.2°C) 88°/72°F (31.1°/22.2°C)
Sep 86°/67°F (30.0°/19.3°C) 90°/72°F (32.5°/22.4°C)
Oct 90°/69°F (32.2°/20.5°C) 96°/73°F (35.6°/23.0°C)
Nov 90°/69°F (32.2°/20.6°C) 97°/67°F (35.9°/19.6°C)
Dec 92°/62°F (33.4°/16.9°C)

Data: Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia da Guiné-Bissau Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia da Guiné-Bissau, Agence Nationale de la Météorologie du Burkina Faso Agence Nationale de la Météorologie du Burkina Faso

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Guinea-Bissau and Burkina Faso. To live, work, or study long-term in Burkina Faso, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Burkina Faso's immigration authority.

Guinea-Bissau passport

Guinea-Bissau passport holder visiting Burkina Faso

Visa Free
Guinea-Bissau passport holders can enter Burkina Faso without a visa.
Burkina Faso passport

Burkina Faso passport holder visiting Guinea-Bissau

Visa Free
Burkina Faso passport holders can enter Guinea-Bissau without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work remotely from Burkina Faso?

Connectivity is usually fine (Burkina Faso: 0.1 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Burkina Faso offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is Burkina Faso safe for expats?

Burkina Faso performs significantly better than Guinea-Bissau across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Burkina Faso compared to Guinea-Bissau?

Burkina Faso generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Guinea-Bissau leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 1.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Burkina Faso, compared to 2.1 in Guinea-Bissau. Burkina Faso scores 40 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Guinea-Bissau: 37).

What's the weather like in Burkina Faso compared to Guinea-Bissau?

The average high temperature in Ouagadougou is 95°F, compared to 90°F in Bissau. Ouagadougou receives around 29.3 in of rainfall per year, while Bissau gets 69.1 in.

What language do they speak in Burkina Faso?

The official language in Burkina Faso is French. In Guinea-Bissau, the official languages are Portuguese and Upper Guinea Creole.

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At a Glance

GW BF
Population 2,026,778 21,935,389
Currency CFA Franc BCEAO (F CFA) CFA Franc BCEAO (F CFA)
Languages Portuguese, Upper Guinea Creole French
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +245 +226
Time zones 1 1