Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Freetown Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Freetown

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $863 in Brasilia versus $1,981 in Freetown.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,429 in Brasilia versus $1,705 in Freetown.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,995 in Brasilia versus $1,429 in Freetown.

Living in Brasilia costs roughly 56% less than in Freetown, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brasilia is 35% below, Freetown is 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.42 R$37.67

$2.96 SLL 67.4K

150.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.98 R$198

$32.56 SLL 741.9K

19.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.14 R$31.14

$9.90 SLL 225.5K

-37.98%

Cappuccino

$1.92 R$9.75

$1.77 SLL 40.3K

8.47%

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

$1.18 R$5.97

$1.00 SLL 22.8K

18.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 R$4.20

$0.93 SLL 21.1K

-10.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 R$9.04

$1.49 SLL 33.9K

19.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 R$16.91

$2.75 SLL 62.6K

21.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 R$4.83

$2.45 SLL 55.8K

-61.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 R$8.27

$0.65 SLL 14.8K

150.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.41

$1.32 SLL 30.1K

10.61%

Eggs

$2.08 R$10.56

$1.99 SLL 45.3K

4.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.40 R$47.71

$7.13 SLL 162.4K

31.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 R$17.20

$7.67 SLL 174.8K

-55.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.71 R$34.05

$5.17 SLL 117.8K

29.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 R$9.77

$4.09 SLL 93.2K

-52.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 R$6.93

$2.02 SLL 46.1K

-32.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.88

$0.69 SLL 15.6K

68.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 R$8.49

$4.88 SLL 111.3K

-65.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.31

$2.01 SLL 45.9K

-38.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.62

$1.65 SLL 37.5K

-20.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 R$3.73

$1.02 SLL 23.2K

-28.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.40

$1.44 SLL 32.9K

-53.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.17 R$11.03

$3.07 SLL 70.0K

-29.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.06 R$40.91

$7.34 SLL 167.3K

9.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 R$5.60

$1.16 SLL 26.4K

-5.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 R$11.59

$2.02 SLL 45.9K

12.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 R$4.93

$0.44 SLL 10.1K

120.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.32 R$220

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 R$4.82

$0.72 SLL 16.4K

31.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 R$4.03

$1.28 SLL 29.2K

-38.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.83 R$29.59

$4.98 SLL 113.5K

17.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 R$5.78

$1.31 SLL 29.9K

-12.98%

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

$25.2K R$127.9K

$12.2K SLL 277.4M

107.12%

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

$29.2K R$148.0K

$25.0K SLL 569.8M

16.61%

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

$71.8 R$364

$145 SLL 3.3M

-50.49%

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

$13.11 R$66.5

$10.15 SLL 231.3K

29.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.49 R$104

$98.8 SLL 2.3M

-79.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.96 R$127

$49.03 SLL 1.1M

-49.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.52 R$109

Cinema Ticket

$7.34 R$37.27

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

$485 R$2,462

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K R$77.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 R$295

$9.97 SLL 227.1K

482.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.02 R$213

$7.96 SLL 181.3K

427.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.7 R$344

$19.68 SLL 448.5K

244.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.3 R$326

$50.2 SLL 1.1M

27.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$400 R$2,031

$808 SLL 18.4M

-50.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 R$1,330

$1,280 SLL 29.2M

-79.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$944 R$4,788

$2,104 SLL 47.9M

-55.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 R$2,825

$99.6 SLL 2.3M

459.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,466 R$12.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,727 R$8,762

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$919 R$4,665

$1,334 SLL 30.4M

-31.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.87

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

Last update for Brasilia: July 27, 2026

Last update for Freetown: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $400 in Brasilia and $808 in Freetown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Freetown pays 45% 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: $39.00 in Brasilia vs $33.00 in Freetown. Groceries flip the comparison at $180 vs $234, with Brasilia cheaper for home cooking.

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

Brasilia and Freetown differ by about 129% in total monthly costs ($863 vs $1,981 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 45% lower in Freetown. 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: $400 in Brasilia versus $808 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 $39.00 versus $33.00 in Freetown. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $863 per month in Brasilia versus $1,981 in Freetown – a 129% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $863 in Brasilia versus $1,981 in Freetown, a $2,000 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.

Expats usually find Brasilia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 129% less than in Freetown. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.