Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Freetown and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Freetown: $1,818 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Freetown
🇸🇱 Sierra Leone
$1,818
/mo nomad
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,704
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Freetown and in Austin, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,818 in Freetown versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

  • Freetown $1,818
  • Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,527 in Freetown versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

  • Freetown $1,527
  • Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,235 in Freetown versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

  • Freetown $1,235
  • Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Freetown costs roughly 33% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Freetown 36% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Freetown
Austin, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.05 SLL 46.9K
$20.22 $20.22
-89.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.07 SLL 915.6K
$85.0 $85.0
-52.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.02 SLL 251.7K
$12.35 $12.35
-10.77%
Cappuccino
$2.82 SLL 64.5K
$5.47 $5.47
-48.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.88 SLL 42.9K
$3.82 $3.82
-50.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 SLL 19.8K
$2.50 $2.50
-65.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.30 SLL 52.5K
$8.06 $8.06
-71.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.47 SLL 79.3K
$8.99 $8.99
-61.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Freetown
Austin, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.49 SLL 56.9K
$1.13 $1.13
120.35%
White Bread (500g)
$0.65 SLL 14.7K
$3.78 $3.78
-82.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 SLL 30.3K
$3.25 $3.25
-59.08%
Eggs
$1.80 SLL 41.0K
$4.14 $4.14
-56.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.99 SLL 159.7K
$13.08 $13.08
-46.56%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.13 SLL 231.4K
$14.31 $14.31
-29.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.34 SLL 122.0K
$15.96 $15.96
-66.54%
Apples (1kg)
$7.05 SLL 161.1K
$4.38 $4.38
60.96%
Banana (1kg)
$2.95 SLL 67.3K
$1.45 $1.45
103.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.69 SLL 15.8K
$4.54 $4.54
-84.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.90 SLL 112.0K
$4.19 $4.19
16.95%
Potato (1kg)
$2.05 SLL 46.7K
$2.63 $2.63
-22.05%
Onion (1kg)
$1.67 SLL 38.1K
$2.36 $2.36
-29.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
-
$1.76 $1.76
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.15 SLL 26.3K
$2.16 $2.16
-46.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.06 SLL 69.9K
$9.81 $9.81
-68.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.83 SLL 179.0K
$14.72 $14.72
-46.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.60 SLL 36.7K
$2.78 $2.78
-42.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 SLL 44.2K
$3.48 $3.48
-44.54%
🚌 Getting Around
Freetown
Austin, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.45 SLL 10.3K
$1.49 $1.49
-69.80%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$40.51 $40.51
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.52 SLL 12.0K
$2.67 $2.67
-80.52%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.49 SLL 11.2K
$1.58 $1.58
-68.99%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$35.29 $35.29
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 SLL 30.7K
$0.99 $0.99
35.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$12.1K SLL 276.2M
$35.8K $35.8K
-66.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.0K SLL 571.5M
$27.2K $27.2K
-7.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Freetown
Austin, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$58.9 SLL 1.3M
$219 $219
-73.13%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.88 SLL 225.8K
$58.0 $58.0
-82.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54.4 SLL 1.2M
$68.4 $68.4
-20.39%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Freetown
Austin, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$57.9 $57.9
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$14.82 $14.82
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$14.13 $14.13
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Freetown
Austin, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$1,509 $1,509
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$21.5K $21.5K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Freetown
Austin, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$9.90 SLL 226.2K
$51.7 $51.7
-80.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$44.05 $44.05
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$19.77 SLL 451.7K
$85.1 $85.1
-76.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$49.66 SLL 1.1M
$105 $105
-52.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Freetown
Austin, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$919 SLL 21.0M
$1,932 $1,932
-52.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,253 SLL 28.6M
$1,272 $1,272
-1.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,520 SLL 80.4M
$3,670 $3,670
-4.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,525 $2,525
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,617 $7,617
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,199 $3,199
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Freetown
Austin, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,349 SLL 30.8M
$5,105 $5,105
-73.57%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
6.79
-

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

Last update for Freetown: October 5, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Freetown
$1.3K
Austin, TX
$1.3K 1.6% $19
Groceries & Markets
Freetown
$263 *
Austin, TX
$403 53.4% $140
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Freetown
$123
Austin, TX
$346 181% $222
Eating Out
Freetown
$113
Austin, TX
$348 209% $235
Clothing & Footwear
Freetown
$36 *
Austin, TX
$129 261% $93
Getting Around
Freetown
$4.8 *
Austin, TX
$57 1098% $52
Sport & Entertainment
Freetown
- *
Austin, TX
$86

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 $919 in Freetown and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 278% 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 Freetown vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $263 vs $403 per month, with Freetown cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇸🇱 Freetown
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🕒 Local time
04:02 4:02 AM
23:02 11:02 PM
5 h behind Freetown
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
951,000 Capital
974,447
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to SLL – Sierra Leonean Leone Converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Freetown Austin, TX 9,010 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Freetown
  • Austin, TX

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
Freetown vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Freetown or Austin, TX?
Freetown wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Freetown the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Freetown or in Austin, TX?
On paper, salaries run 278% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Freetown compared to Austin, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $919 in Freetown versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Freetown compared to Austin, TX?
All in, you'll spend $1,818 per month in Freetown versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Are groceries more expensive in Freetown or in Austin, TX?
Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Freetown or in Austin, TX?
At $1,818 in Freetown versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Freetown but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Freetown the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Freetown or Austin, TX?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Freetown gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Freetown vs other spots: cost of living compared

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