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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,970 in Freetown versus $860 in Brasilia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,723 in Freetown versus $1,410 in Brasilia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,475 in Freetown versus $1,961 in Brasilia.

Living in Freetown is roughly 129% more expensive than Brasilia, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Freetown is 47% above, Brasilia is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.97 SLL 67.5K

$7.02 R$35.53

-57.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.35 SLL 734.6K

$38.85 R$197

-16.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.18 SLL 231.1K

$6.40 R$32.41

59.06%

Cappuccino

$1.77 SLL 40.1K

$1.94 R$9.80

-8.76%

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

$1.05 SLL 23.8K

$1.15 R$5.85

-8.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 SLL 19.2K

$0.86 R$4.36

-1.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 SLL 33.4K

$1.78 R$9.01

-17.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 SLL 61.2K

$3.19 R$16.14

-15.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.47 SLL 56.0K

$0.99 R$5.00

149.49%

White Bread (500g)

$0.64 SLL 14.5K

$1.66 R$8.39

-61.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 SLL 30.4K

$1.49 R$7.52

-10.07%

Eggs

$2.04 SLL 46.3K

$2.01 R$10.19

1.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.28 SLL 165.4K

$8.99 R$45.53

-19.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.32 SLL 166.3K

$3.30 R$16.68

121.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.13 SLL 116.4K

$6.64 R$33.61

-22.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 SLL 89.4K

$2.02 R$10.23

95.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 SLL 46.0K

$1.40 R$7.09

45.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.69 SLL 15.8K

$1.20 R$6.09

-42.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.01 SLL 113.9K

$1.62 R$8.19

209.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 SLL 46.1K

$1.29 R$6.54

57.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 SLL 37.9K

$1.31 R$6.61

27.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 SLL 22.4K

$0.81 R$4.09

20.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 SLL 31.2K

$0.62 R$3.16

122.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.02 SLL 68.5K

$2.17 R$10.99

39.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.51 SLL 170.5K

$8.67 R$43.91

-13.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 SLL 26.2K

$1.06 R$5.37

8.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 SLL 45.5K

$2.25 R$11.41

-11.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 SLL 10.7K

$1.01 R$5.12

-53.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.27 R$224

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 SLL 17.5K

$1.00 R$5.08

-23.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 SLL 29.1K

$0.81 R$4.08

58.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.14 SLL 116.8K

$5.71 R$28.91

-9.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 SLL 31.0K

$1.14 R$5.78

19.30%

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

$11.8K SLL 268.2M

$24.8K R$125.7K

-52.43%

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

$25.2K SLL 572.2M

$28.6K R$144.7K

-11.83%

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

$147 SLL 3.3M

$69.8 R$353

110.51%

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

$9.82 SLL 223.0K

$13.07 R$66.2

-24.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$102 SLL 2.3M

$20.51 R$104

395.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.6 SLL 1.1M

$24.95 R$126

102.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.00 R$111

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 R$36.86

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

$491 R$2,485

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K R$78.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.13 SLL 230.1K

$59.0 R$299

-82.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.82 SLL 177.5K

$41.13 R$208

-80.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$19.62 SLL 445.6K

$67.9 R$344

-71.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.12 SLL 1.1M

$63.8 R$323

-22.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 SLL 18.9M

$414 R$2,093

101.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 SLL 28.1M

$259 R$1,311

378.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 SLL 48.1M

$954 R$4,831

122.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$99.4 SLL 2.3M

$552 R$2,794

-81.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,480 R$12.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,683 R$8,520

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,327 SLL 30.1M

$929 R$4,705

42.82%

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 Freetown: June 7, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $832 in Freetown and $414 in Brasilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Freetown pays 43% 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: $32.00 in Freetown vs $39.00 in Brasilia. Groceries flip the comparison at $233 vs $180, 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

Freetown vs Brasilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Freetown and Brasilia differ by about 129% in total monthly costs ($1,970 vs $860 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Freetown pays 43% more on average, 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: $832 in Freetown versus $414 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 $39.00 versus $32.00 in Freetown. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,970 per month in Freetown versus $860 in Brasilia – a 129% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $860 in Brasilia versus $1,970 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.