Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Freetown and Brasilia

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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Freetown

🇸🇱 Sierra Leone

$1,778

/mo nomad

Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$916

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Freetown and in Brasilia

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 Brasilia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Freetown $1,778
Brasilia $916

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

Freetown $1,510
Brasilia $1,514

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

Freetown $1,242
Brasilia $2,112

Living in Freetown is roughly 94% more expensive than in Brasilia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.06 SLL 47.0K

$8.44 R$45.15

-75.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.83 SLL 909.3K

$36.71 R$196

8.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 SLL 251.9K

$7.98 R$42.72

38.35%

Cappuccino

$2.79 SLL 63.6K

$2.53 R$13.51

10.28%

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

$1.81 SLL 41.4K

$1.42 R$7.60

27.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 SLL 20.3K

$1.00 R$5.36

-11.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 SLL 52.6K

$2.20 R$11.77

5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 SLL 79.6K

$3.76 R$20.10

-7.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 SLL 54.4K

$1.02 R$5.45

133.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 SLL 14.4K

$1.95 R$10.45

-67.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 SLL 28.8K

$1.24 R$6.64

1.61%

Eggs

$1.85 SLL 42.2K

$2.27 R$12.17

-18.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.19 SLL 164.1K

$11.17 R$59.8

-35.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 SLL 227.6K

$3.86 R$20.68

158.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.35 SLL 122.2K

$8.58 R$45.90

-37.65%

Apples (1kg)

$6.80 SLL 155.3K

$2.31 R$12.34

194.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 SLL 66.6K

$1.38 R$7.38

111.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.68 SLL 15.6K

$1.26 R$6.73

-46.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 SLL 112.2K

$1.52 R$8.14

223.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 SLL 44.6K

$1.11 R$5.95

75.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 SLL 36.4K

$0.98 R$5.22

63.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$4.04

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 SLL 25.3K

$0.93 R$5.00

19.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 SLL 69.2K

$2.36 R$12.65

28.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 SLL 183.0K

$7.67 R$41.04

4.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 SLL 35.2K

$1.24 R$6.64

24.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 SLL 46.4K

$2.36 R$12.60

-13.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 SLL 9,496

$0.73 R$3.90

-42.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 R$159

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 SLL 10.9K

$1.01 R$5.43

-52.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 SLL 11.0K

$0.86 R$4.59

-44.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 R$30.89

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 SLL 30.8K

$1.25 R$6.68

8.00%

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

$11.8K SLL 268.7M

$22.0K R$117.5K

-46.37%

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

$25.1K SLL 572.2M

$31.9K R$170.4K

-21.30%

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

$59.2 SLL 1.4M

$92.1 R$493

-35.76%

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

$10.10 SLL 230.5K

$11.85 R$63.4

-14.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.9 SLL 1.3M

$20.93 R$112

166.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.47 R$163

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.29 R$141

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 R$39.95

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

$764 R$4,091

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K R$84.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.09 SLL 230.3K

$52.6 R$282

-80.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.10 R$225

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.05 SLL 457.7K

$79.4 R$425

-74.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.9 SLL 1.2M

$83.6 R$447

-39.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$942 SLL 21.5M

$517 R$2,767

82.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 SLL 28.3M

$242 R$1,292

413.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,508 SLL 80.1M

$1,156 R$6,188

203.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$580 R$3,102

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,398 R$12.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 R$8,979

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,332 SLL 30.4M

$784 R$4,197

69.82%

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 Freetown: October 25, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Freetown

–

Brasilia

$242 26.4%

Groceries & Markets

Freetown

–

Brasilia

$201 21.9%

Eating Out

Freetown

–

Brasilia

$150 16.4%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Freetown

–

Brasilia

$125 13.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Freetown

–

Brasilia

$116 12.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Freetown

–

Brasilia

$45 5%

Getting Around

Freetown

–

Brasilia

$38 4.1%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $942 in Freetown and $517 in Brasilia. 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: $40 in Freetown vs $37 in Brasilia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $259 vs $201 per month, with Brasilia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇱 Freetown

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🕒 Local time

11:18 11:18 AM

08:18 8:18 AM

3 h behind Freetown

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

951,000 Capital

2,817,381 Capital

💱 Currency

Sierra Leonean Leone SLL Le

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 SLL = 4.38 USD

100,000 SLL = 3.94 EUR

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to SLL – Sierra Leonean Leone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇱 Sierra Leonean Leone (Le)

Sierra Leonean Leone exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 22,828 SLL (100,000 SLL = 4.38 USD). 1 EUR = 25,407 SLL (100,000 SLL = 3.94 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.96 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

USD to SLL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Freetown Brasilia 4,670 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Freetown
Brasilia

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 Brasilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Freetown and Brasilia differ by about 94% in total monthly costs ($1,778 vs $916 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 70% higher in Freetown, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $942 in Freetown versus $517 in Brasilia. 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 $1,778 per month in Freetown versus $916 in Brasilia – a 94% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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.