Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Freetown and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $1,818 in Freetown, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Freetown outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

97

Cost of Living Index in Freetown
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Freetown Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Freetown

🇸🇱 Sierra Leone

$1,818

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Freetown and in Budapest

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

A single person spends $1,818 per month in Freetown vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Freetown $1,818
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $1,527 per month in Freetown vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Freetown $1,527
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $1,235 per month in Freetown vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Freetown $1,235
Budapest $3,489

Freetown costs about 12% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Freetown and Budapest sit above the global median – Freetown by 36%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.05 SLL 46.9K

$13.99 Ft 4,551

-85.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.07 SLL 915.6K

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-33.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 SLL 251.7K

$9.96 Ft 3,241

10.64%

Cappuccino

$2.82 SLL 64.5K

$3.38 Ft 1,100

-16.57%

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

$1.88 SLL 42.9K

$2.13 Ft 692

-11.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 SLL 19.8K

$1.87 Ft 608

-53.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 SLL 52.5K

$3.75 Ft 1,221

-38.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 SLL 79.3K

$3.57 Ft 1,162

-2.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.49 SLL 56.9K

$1.13 Ft 368

120.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 SLL 14.7K

$1.84 Ft 599

-64.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 SLL 30.3K

$2.39 Ft 777

-44.35%

Eggs

$1.80 SLL 41.0K

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-53.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.99 SLL 159.7K

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-38.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.13 SLL 231.4K

$6.74 Ft 2,192

50.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.34 SLL 122.0K

$14.69 Ft 4,780

-63.65%

Apples (1kg)

$7.05 SLL 161.1K

$1.84 Ft 597

283.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.95 SLL 67.3K

$2.01 Ft 653

46.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.69 SLL 15.8K

$2.36 Ft 767

-70.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.90 SLL 112.0K

$3.77 Ft 1,226

29.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 SLL 46.7K

$0.96 Ft 313

113.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 SLL 38.1K

$1.03 Ft 334

62.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 SLL 26.3K

$0.66 Ft 216

74.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 SLL 69.9K

$7.96 Ft 2,591

-61.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 SLL 179.0K

$6.01 Ft 1,954

30.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 SLL 36.7K

$1.30 Ft 421

23.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 SLL 44.2K

$2.08 Ft 676

-7.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 SLL 10.3K

$1.50 Ft 489

-70.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.52 SLL 12.0K

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-84.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 SLL 11.2K

$1.30 Ft 424

-62.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 SLL 30.7K

$1.81 Ft 591

-25.97%

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

$12.1K SLL 276.2M

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

-58.78%

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

$25.0K SLL 571.5M

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-26.67%

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

$58.9 SLL 1.3M

$170 Ft 55.3K

-65.33%

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

$9.88 SLL 225.8K

$23.98 Ft 7,802

-58.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 SLL 1.2M

$23.42 Ft 7,621

132.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$9.90 SLL 226.2K

$101 Ft 33.0K

-90.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$19.77 SLL 451.7K

$113 Ft 36.7K

-82.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.66 SLL 1.1M

$119 Ft 38.6K

-58.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 SLL 21.0M

$805 Ft 262.0K

14.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 SLL 28.6M

$629 Ft 204.7K

99.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,520 SLL 80.4M

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

127.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,349 SLL 30.8M

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

-17.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

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

Last update for Freetown: October 5, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Freetown

$1.3K 69.9%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 49.8% $624

Groceries & Markets

Freetown

$263 * 14.7%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 1.9% $4.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Freetown

$123 6.9%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 76.4% $94

Eating Out

Freetown

$113 6.3%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 98.9% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Freetown

$36 * 2%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 374% $133

Getting Around

Freetown

$4.8 * 0.3%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 812% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Freetown

- * 0%

Budapest

$85 5.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $919 in Freetown versus $805 in Budapest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 21% higher in Budapest, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Freetown versus $60.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $263 in Freetown vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇱 Freetown

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

04:55 4:55 AM

06:55 6:55 AM

2 h ahead of Freetown

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

951,000 Capital

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Sierra Leonean Leone SLL Le

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 SLL = 4.38 USD

100,000 SLL = 3.9 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇱 Sierra Leonean Leone (Le)

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).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to SLL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Freetown Budapest 5,300 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Freetown
Budapest

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 Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Freetown is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,728 per month in Freetown and $2,432 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Budapest, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 2% more in Freetown, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Freetown and $60.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,621, than in Freetown at $1,818. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Freetown it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Budapest – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Freetown makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.