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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,981 in Freetown.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,705 in Freetown.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,429 in Freetown.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 19% more expensive than in Freetown, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Freetown 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$2.96 SLL 67.4K

479.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$32.56 SLL 741.9K

109.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$9.90 SLL 225.5K

37.78%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.77 SLL 40.3K

57.06%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.00 SLL 22.8K

182.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.93 SLL 21.1K

110.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.49 SLL 33.9K

197.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.75 SLL 62.6K

67.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$2.45 SLL 55.8K

-48.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.65 SLL 14.8K

227.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.32 SLL 30.1K

50.76%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.99 SLL 45.3K

69.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$7.13 SLL 162.4K

165.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$7.67 SLL 174.8K

24.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$5.17 SLL 117.8K

262.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$4.09 SLL 93.2K

-35.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.02 SLL 46.1K

16.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$0.69 SLL 15.6K

202.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$4.88 SLL 111.3K

-44.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$2.01 SLL 45.9K

-2.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.65 SLL 37.5K

9.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.02 SLL 23.2K

48.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$1.44 SLL 32.9K

-38.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$3.07 SLL 70.0K

120.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$7.34 SLL 167.3K

7.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.16 SLL 26.4K

18.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.02 SLL 45.9K

18.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.44 SLL 10.1K

561.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$0.72 SLL 16.4K

536.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.28 SLL 29.2K

59.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$4.98 SLL 113.5K

476.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.31 SLL 29.9K

38.93%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$12.2K SLL 277.4M

222.97%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$25.0K SLL 569.8M

29.87%

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

$187 €162

$145 SLL 3.3M

28.77%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$10.15 SLL 231.3K

119.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$98.8 SLL 2.3M

-63.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$49.03 SLL 1.1M

17.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

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

$725 €628

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$9.97 SLL 227.1K

781.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$7.96 SLL 181.3K

362.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$19.68 SLL 448.5K

425.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$50.2 SLL 1.1M

136.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$808 SLL 18.4M

88.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$1,280 SLL 29.2M

-4.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$2,104 SLL 47.9M

29.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$99.6 SLL 2.3M

1892.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$1,334 SLL 30.4M

79.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Freetown: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $808 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $33.00 in Freetown for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $234 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 19% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,981 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $808 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 $33.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,359 per month in Barcelona versus $1,981 in Freetown – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,981 in Freetown versus $2,359 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 19% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.