Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Freetown Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Freetown

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,724 in Freetown.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,431 in Freetown.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,138 in Freetown.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 44% more expensive than in Freetown, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Freetown 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.32

$2.02 SLL 46.0K

827.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$39.55 SLL 902.0K

75.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.99

$10.80 SLL 246.4K

27.50%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.43 SLL 55.5K

27.57%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.35 SLL 30.7K

109.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.74 SLL 16.8K

154.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.96 SLL 44.8K

103.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.96 SLL 67.5K

53.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$2.37 SLL 53.9K

-46.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.63 SLL 14.4K

242.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.32 SLL 30.2K

33.33%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.85 SLL 42.2K

177.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.58

$7.28 SLL 165.9K

145.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$10.19 SLL 232.4K

-5.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.55

$5.35 SLL 122.0K

276.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$3.98 SLL 90.8K

-18.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.01 SLL 45.9K

10.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$0.74 SLL 17.0K

251.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$4.87 SLL 111.0K

-43.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.98 SLL 45.2K

11.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.62 SLL 36.9K

30.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.33 SLL 30.3K

-28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$3.06 SLL 69.8K

139.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$7.59 SLL 173.1K

6.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.24 SLL 28.3K

24.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.02 SLL 46.1K

38.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.41 SLL 9,356

658.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$0.48 SLL 11.0K

581.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.51 SLL 11.7K

190.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.86

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.33 SLL 30.2K

30.08%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$11.8K SLL 269.6M

207.63%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$25.2K SLL 574.9M

21.15%

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

$187 €163

$60.6 SLL 1.4M

208.97%

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

$15.14 €13.19

$10.04 SLL 228.9K

50.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.83

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.73

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.88

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.94

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

$997 €868

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.7

$9.85 SLL 224.5K

840.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.91

$7.78 SLL 177.4K

429.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$19.76 SLL 450.6K

462.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$50.1 SLL 1.1M

149.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,487

$917 SLL 20.9M

86.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,120

$1,273 SLL 29.0M

1.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,235

$3,527 SLL 80.4M

-27.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,692

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,662

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,501

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,046

$1,311 SLL 29.9M

79.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Freetown: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $917 in Freetown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 79% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $40.00 in Freetown for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $241 per month, with Freetown cheaper across the board.

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

Barcelona vs Freetown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Freetown differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,724 including rent). Freetown is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 79% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $917 in Freetown. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Freetown – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,476 per month in Barcelona versus $1,724 in Freetown – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,724 in Freetown versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Freetown but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Freetown 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.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Freetown are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Freetown gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.