Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Freetown

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenos Aires: $1,685 a month against $1,818 in Freetown, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Freetown outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Freetown
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Freetown Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Freetown

🇸🇱 Sierra Leone

$1,818

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires 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 Buenos Aires and in Freetown actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $1,818 in Freetown.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Freetown $1,818

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $1,527 in Freetown.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Freetown $1,527

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $1,235 in Freetown.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Freetown $1,235

Living in Buenos Aires costs roughly 7% less than in Freetown, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buenos Aires 26% above, Freetown 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$2.05 SLL 46.9K

813.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$40.07 SLL 915.6K

60.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$11.02 SLL 251.7K

16.88%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$2.82 SLL 64.5K

41.13%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$1.88 SLL 42.9K

9.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$0.87 SLL 19.8K

78.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$2.30 SLL 52.5K

66.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$3.47 SLL 79.3K

32.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$2.49 SLL 56.9K

-42.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$0.65 SLL 14.7K

278.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$1.33 SLL 30.3K

22.56%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$1.80 SLL 41.0K

60.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$6.99 SLL 159.7K

52.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$10.13 SLL 231.4K

-1.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$5.34 SLL 122.0K

157.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$7.05 SLL 161.1K

-60.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$2.95 SLL 67.3K

-26.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$0.69 SLL 15.8K

110.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$4.90 SLL 112.0K

-59.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$2.05 SLL 46.7K

-39.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$1.67 SLL 38.1K

-23.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$1.15 SLL 26.3K

50.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$3.06 SLL 69.9K

36.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$7.83 SLL 179.0K

-25.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$1.60 SLL 36.7K

30.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$1.93 SLL 44.2K

43.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$0.45 SLL 10.3K

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$0.52 SLL 12.0K

211.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

$0.49 SLL 11.2K

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$1.34 SLL 30.7K

1.49%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$12.1K SLL 276.2M

131.71%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

$25.0K SLL 571.5M

38.06%

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$58.9 SLL 1.3M

265.93%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$9.88 SLL 225.8K

159.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$54.4 SLL 1.2M

-42.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$9.90 SLL 226.2K

1133.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$19.77 SLL 451.7K

491.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$49.66 SLL 1.1M

181.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$919 SLL 21.0M

-16.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$1,253 SLL 28.6M

-59.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$3,520 SLL 80.4M

-54.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$1,349 SLL 30.8M

-29.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Freetown: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Freetown

$1.3K 69.9% 148% $748

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Freetown

$263 * 14.7% 7.6% $22

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Freetown

$113 6.3% 59.6% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Freetown

$123 6.9% 54.8% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Freetown

$36 * 2% 83.3% $179

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Freetown

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Freetown

$4.8 * 0.3% 87% $32

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $919 in Freetown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Freetown pays 41% 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: $64.0 in Buenos Aires vs $40.00 in Freetown for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $263 per month, with Freetown cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇸🇱 Freetown

🕒 Local time

03:10 3:10 AM

06:10 6:10 AM

3 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

951,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Sierra Leonean Leone SLL Le

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

100,000 SLL = 4.38 USD

100,000 SLL = 3.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SLL, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

Sierra Leonean Leone exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 22,848 SLL (100,000 SLL = 4.38 USD). 1 EUR = 25,626 SLL (100,000 SLL = 3.9 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Freetown 6,740 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
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

Buenos Aires vs Freetown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Freetown differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $1,818 including rent). Buenos Aires is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 41% 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: $763 in Buenos Aires versus $919 in Freetown. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Buenos Aires – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $40.00 in Freetown. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,685 per month in Buenos Aires versus $1,818 in Freetown – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $1,818 in Freetown, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buenos Aires but tight or insufficient in Freetown. The gap between the two cities makes Buenos Aires 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, Buenos Aires 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 Buenos Aires gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Freetown. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.