Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Freetown

For one person, living is cheaper in Brasilia: $916 a month against $1,778 in Freetown, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Freetown outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index

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Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$916

/mo nomad

Freetown

🇸🇱 Sierra Leone

$1,778

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brasilia and in Freetown

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $916 in Brasilia versus $1,778 in Freetown.

Brasilia $916
Freetown $1,778

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,514 in Brasilia versus $1,510 in Freetown.

Brasilia $1,514
Freetown $1,510

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,112 in Brasilia versus $1,242 in Freetown.

Brasilia $2,112
Freetown $1,242

Living in Brasilia costs roughly 48% less than in Freetown, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brasilia is 33% below, Freetown is 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.44 R$45.87

$2.06 SLL 47.0K

309.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.71 R$200

$39.83 SLL 909.5K

-7.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 R$43.40

$11.04 SLL 252.0K

-27.72%

Cappuccino

$2.53 R$13.73

$2.79 SLL 63.6K

-9.32%

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

$1.42 R$7.72

$1.81 SLL 41.4K

-21.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 R$5.45

$0.89 SLL 20.3K

12.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 R$11.96

$2.31 SLL 52.6K

-4.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 R$20.42

$3.49 SLL 79.6K

7.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 R$5.54

$2.38 SLL 54.4K

-57.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 R$10.62

$0.63 SLL 14.4K

209.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.74

$1.26 SLL 28.8K

-1.59%

Eggs

$2.27 R$12.36

$1.85 SLL 42.3K

22.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 R$60.8

$7.19 SLL 164.2K

55.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.86 R$21.01

$9.97 SLL 227.6K

-61.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.58 R$46.64

$5.35 SLL 122.2K

60.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 R$12.53

$6.80 SLL 155.3K

-66.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 R$7.50

$2.92 SLL 66.7K

-52.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.83

$0.68 SLL 15.6K

85.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 R$8.27

$4.92 SLL 112.2K

-69.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 R$6.04

$1.95 SLL 44.6K

-43.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 R$5.30

$1.60 SLL 36.4K

-38.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$4.11

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 R$5.08

$1.11 SLL 25.3K

-16.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 R$12.85

$3.03 SLL 69.3K

-22.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 R$41.69

$8.02 SLL 183.1K

-4.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 R$6.74

$1.54 SLL 35.2K

-19.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 R$12.81

$2.03 SLL 46.4K

16.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 R$3.96

$0.42 SLL 9,498

73.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 R$162

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 R$5.52

$0.48 SLL 10.9K

110.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 R$4.66

$0.48 SLL 11.0K

79.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 R$31.38

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R$6.78

$1.35 SLL 30.8K

-7.41%

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

$22.0K R$119.4K

$11.8K SLL 268.8M

86.48%

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

$31.9K R$173.2K

$25.1K SLL 572.4M

27.07%

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

$92.1 R$501

$59.2 SLL 1.4M

55.66%

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

$11.85 R$64.4

$10.10 SLL 230.6K

17.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.93 R$114

$55.9 SLL 1.3M

-62.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.47 R$166

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.29 R$143

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 R$40.59

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

$764 R$4,156

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K R$85.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 R$286

$10.09 SLL 230.4K

421.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.10 R$229

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 R$432

$20.05 SLL 457.8K

296.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.6 R$454

$50.9 SLL 1.2M

64.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$517 R$2,811

$942 SLL 21.5M

-45.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 R$1,313

$1,240 SLL 28.3M

-80.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,156 R$6,287

$3,508 SLL 80.1M

-67.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$580 R$3,151

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,398 R$13.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 R$9,123

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$784 R$4,264

$1,332 SLL 30.4M

-41.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

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

Last update for Brasilia: October 24, 2026

Last update for Freetown: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brasilia

$242 26.4%

Freetown

–

Groceries & Markets

Brasilia

$201 21.9%

Freetown

–

Eating Out

Brasilia

$150 16.4%

Freetown

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brasilia

$125 13.6%

Freetown

–

Clothing & Footwear

Brasilia

$116 12.7%

Freetown

–

Sport & Entertainment

Brasilia

$45 5%

Freetown

–

Getting Around

Brasilia

$38 4.1%

Freetown

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $517 in Brasilia and $942 in Freetown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Freetown pays 70% 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: $37 in Brasilia vs $40 in Freetown for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $259 per month, with Brasilia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🇸🇱 Freetown

🕒 Local time

11:25 11:25 AM

14:25 2:25 PM

3 h ahead of Brasilia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,817,381 Capital

951,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Sierra Leonean Leone SLL Le

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.184 USD

1 BRL = 0.165 EUR

100,000 SLL = 4.38 USD

100,000 SLL = 3.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SLL, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.44 BRL (1 BRL = 0.184 USD). 1 EUR = 6.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.165 EUR).

Sierra Leonean Leone exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 22,833 SLL (100,000 SLL = 4.38 USD). 1 EUR = 25,480 SLL (100,000 SLL = 3.92 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Brasilia Freetown 4,670 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Brasilia
Freetown

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

Brasilia vs Freetown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $916 in Brasilia and $1,778 in Freetown, so Brasilia is about 48% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 41% lower in Brasilia. 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: $517 in Brasilia versus $942 in Freetown. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Brasilia – a meal for two runs $37 versus $40 in Freetown. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $916 per month in Brasilia versus $1,778 in Freetown – Brasilia is about 48% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $916 in Brasilia versus $1,778 in Freetown, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Brasilia but tight or insufficient in Freetown. The gap between the two cities makes Brasilia 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.

It comes down to priorities – Brasilia wins on affordability, Freetown on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.