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: $880 in Brasilia versus $1,931 in Freetown.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,446 in Brasilia versus $1,686 in Freetown.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,011 in Brasilia versus $1,441 in Freetown.

Living in Brasilia costs roughly 54% less than in Freetown, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brasilia is 34% below, Freetown is 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.19 R$35.88

$2.97 SLL 73.3K

142.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.72 R$198

$31.92 SLL 787.6K

24.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.24 R$31.13

$9.86 SLL 243.4K

-36.71%

Cappuccino

$1.88 R$9.37

$1.75 SLL 43.3K

7.43%

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

$1.16 R$5.81

$1.00 SLL 24.8K

16.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R$4.37

$0.91 SLL 22.5K

-4.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 R$9.10

$1.54 SLL 37.9K

18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 R$16.38

$2.78 SLL 68.5K

17.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 R$4.64

$2.47 SLL 60.9K

-62.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 R$8.09

$0.68 SLL 16.8K

138.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.02

$1.36 SLL 33.5K

3.68%

Eggs

$2.10 R$10.47

$1.97 SLL 48.5K

6.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.29 R$46.36

$7.04 SLL 173.7K

31.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 R$16.51

$7.58 SLL 186.9K

-56.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.85 R$34.19

$5.13 SLL 126.5K

33.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 R$9.98

$4.11 SLL 101.3K

-51.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 R$6.70

$2.02 SLL 49.8K

-33.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.06

$0.74 SLL 18.2K

64.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 R$8.34

$4.99 SLL 123.0K

-66.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.12

$2.02 SLL 49.9K

-39.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.49

$1.66 SLL 41.0K

-21.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 R$3.71

$1.01 SLL 25.0K

-26.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 R$3.07

$1.42 SLL 35.0K

-57.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.18 R$10.88

$2.96 SLL 72.9K

-26.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.10 R$50.4

$7.72 SLL 190.6K

30.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 R$5.55

$1.12 SLL 27.7K

-0.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 R$11.74

$2.00 SLL 49.4K

17.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 R$5.12

$0.44 SLL 10.9K

134.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.64 R$218

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 R$4.71

$0.73 SLL 18.1K

28.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 R$3.94

$1.24 SLL 30.5K

-36.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 R$29.03

$5.06 SLL 124.7K

15.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 R$5.67

$1.32 SLL 32.5K

-13.64%

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

$25.4K R$126.6K

$11.9K SLL 292.6M

113.97%

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

$28.2K R$140.9K

$24.7K SLL 609.6M

14.28%

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

$69.9 R$349

$143 SLL 3.5M

-51.06%

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

$13.04 R$65.1

$10.13 SLL 249.9K

28.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.00 R$99.8

$99.4 SLL 2.5M

-79.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.95 R$124

$50.7 SLL 1.3M

-50.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.77 R$109

Cinema Ticket

$7.00 R$34.91

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

$488 R$2,435

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K R$74.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 R$290

$9.96 SLL 245.8K

482.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.98 R$209

$8.03 SLL 198.2K

422.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.1 R$345

$20.25 SLL 499.7K

241.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.0 R$320

$50.2 SLL 1.2M

27.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$402 R$2,007

$807 SLL 19.9M

-50.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$263 R$1,312

$1,246 SLL 30.7M

-78.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 R$4,881

$2,143 SLL 52.9M

-54.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$564 R$2,813

$98.6 SLL 2.4M

471.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,751 R$13.7K

$3,044 SLL 75.1M

-9.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,816 R$9,060

$1,740 SLL 42.9M

4.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$762 R$3,801

$1,123 SLL 27.7M

-32.15%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Freetown: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $402 in Brasilia and $807 in Freetown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Freetown pays 47% 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: $40.00 in Brasilia vs $32.00 in Freetown. Groceries flip the comparison at $183 vs $235, 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 119% in total monthly costs ($880 vs $1,931 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Freetown earns 47% less. 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: $402 in Brasilia versus $807 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 $40.00 versus $32.00 in Freetown. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $880 per month in Brasilia versus $1,931 in Freetown – a 119% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $880 in Brasilia versus $1,931 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 119% less than in Freetown. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.