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

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

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

Living in Freetown is roughly 119% more expensive than Brasilia, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.97 SLL 73.5K

$7.19 R$35.81

-58.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.92 SLL 790.3K

$39.72 R$198

-19.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.86 SLL 244.2K

$6.24 R$31.07

58.01%

Cappuccino

$1.75 SLL 43.4K

$1.88 R$9.35

-6.91%

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

$1.00 SLL 24.8K

$1.16 R$5.80

-13.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 SLL 22.5K

$0.87 R$4.36

4.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.54 SLL 38.1K

$1.82 R$9.08

-15.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 SLL 68.7K

$3.28 R$16.35

-15.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.47 SLL 61.1K

$0.93 R$4.63

165.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 SLL 16.9K

$1.62 R$8.07

-58.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 SLL 33.6K

$1.41 R$7.01

-3.55%

Eggs

$1.97 SLL 48.7K

$2.10 R$10.45

-6.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.04 SLL 174.3K

$9.29 R$46.27

-24.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.58 SLL 187.6K

$3.31 R$16.48

129.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.13 SLL 126.9K

$6.85 R$34.12

-25.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 SLL 101.7K

$2.00 R$9.96

105.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 SLL 50.0K

$1.34 R$6.69

50.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.74 SLL 18.2K

$1.22 R$6.05

-39.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.99 SLL 123.4K

$1.67 R$8.33

198.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 SLL 50.1K

$1.23 R$6.11

64.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 SLL 41.1K

$1.30 R$6.48

27.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 SLL 25.0K

$0.74 R$3.70

36.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 SLL 35.1K

$0.61 R$3.06

132.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.96 SLL 73.2K

$2.18 R$10.85

35.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.72 SLL 191.2K

$10.10 R$50.3

-23.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 SLL 27.8K

$1.11 R$5.54

0.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 SLL 49.5K

$2.35 R$11.72

-14.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 SLL 11.0K

$1.03 R$5.11

-57.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.64 R$217

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 SLL 18.2K

$0.94 R$4.70

-22.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 SLL 30.6K

$0.79 R$3.93

56.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.06 SLL 125.2K

$5.82 R$28.97

-13.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 SLL 32.7K

$1.14 R$5.66

15.79%

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

$11.9K SLL 293.6M

$25.4K R$126.4K

-53.26%

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

$24.7K SLL 611.7M

$28.2K R$140.6K

-12.49%

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

$143 SLL 3.5M

$69.9 R$348

104.35%

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

$10.13 SLL 250.8K

$13.04 R$64.9

-22.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$99.4 SLL 2.5M

$20.00 R$99.6

396.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 SLL 1.3M

$24.95 R$124

103.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.77 R$108

Cinema Ticket

$7.00 R$34.84

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

$488 R$2,430

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K R$74.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$9.96 SLL 246.7K

$58.1 R$289

-82.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$8.03 SLL 198.9K

$41.98 R$209

-80.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.25 SLL 501.4K

$69.1 R$344

-70.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.2 SLL 1.2M

$64.0 R$319

-21.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$807 SLL 20.0M

$402 R$2,003

100.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 SLL 30.9M

$263 R$1,309

373.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,143 SLL 53.1M

$978 R$4,871

119.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$98.6 SLL 2.4M

$564 R$2,808

-82.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,044 SLL 75.4M

$2,751 R$13.7K

10.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,740 SLL 43.1M

$1,816 R$9,042

-4.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,123 SLL 27.8M

$762 R$3,794

47.38%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $807 in Freetown and $402 in Brasilia. 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: $32.00 in Freetown vs $40.00 in Brasilia. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $183, 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 119% in total monthly costs ($1,931 vs $880 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Freetown pays 47% 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: $807 in Freetown versus $402 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 $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 $1,931 per month in Freetown versus $880 in Brasilia – 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.