Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Freetown and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $1,818 in Freetown, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 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
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Freetown

🇸🇱 Sierra Leone

$1,818

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Freetown and in Istanbul

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

A single person spends $1,818 per month in Freetown vs $1,526 in Istanbul, rent included.

Freetown $1,818
Istanbul $1,526

A couple spends around $1,527 per month in Freetown vs $2,399 in Istanbul, rent included.

Freetown $1,527
Istanbul $2,399

A family of three spends $1,235 per month in Freetown vs $3,272 in Istanbul, rent included.

Freetown $1,235
Istanbul $3,272

Freetown costs about 19% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Freetown and Istanbul sit above the global median – Freetown by 36%, Istanbul by 14%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.05 SLL 46.9K

$11.88 ₺585

-82.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.07 SLL 915.6K

$55.1 ₺2,714

-27.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 SLL 251.7K

$9.14 ₺450

20.57%

Cappuccino

$2.82 SLL 64.5K

$4.24 ₺209

-33.49%

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

$1.88 SLL 42.9K

$1.75 ₺86.0

7.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 SLL 19.8K

$0.54 ₺26.83

61.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 SLL 52.5K

$4.69 ₺231

-50.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 SLL 79.3K

$5.97 ₺294

-41.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.49 SLL 56.9K

$1.26 ₺62.1

97.62%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 SLL 14.7K

$0.95 ₺46.81

-31.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 SLL 30.3K

$2.31 ₺114

-42.42%

Eggs

$1.80 SLL 41.0K

$2.47 ₺122

-27.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.99 SLL 159.7K

$10.55 ₺520

-33.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.13 SLL 231.4K

$5.60 ₺276

80.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.34 SLL 122.0K

$21.21 ₺1,045

-74.82%

Apples (1kg)

$7.05 SLL 161.1K

$1.93 ₺95.1

265.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.95 SLL 67.3K

$2.29 ₺113

28.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.69 SLL 15.8K

$1.28 ₺63.1

-46.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.90 SLL 112.0K

$1.84 ₺90.8

166.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 SLL 46.7K

$0.67 ₺32.86

205.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 SLL 38.1K

$0.59 ₺29.31

183.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 SLL 26.3K

$0.59 ₺29.10

94.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 SLL 69.9K

$2.36 ₺116

29.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 SLL 179.0K

$13.47 ₺664

-41.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 SLL 36.7K

$2.42 ₺119

-33.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 SLL 44.2K

$3.54 ₺174

-45.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 SLL 10.3K

$0.83 ₺40.64

-45.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.52 SLL 12.0K

$1.35 ₺66.6

-61.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 SLL 11.2K

$0.85 ₺42.05

-42.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 SLL 30.7K

$1.47 ₺72.3

-8.84%

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

$12.1K SLL 276.2M

$51.6K ₺2.5M

-76.58%

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

$25.0K SLL 571.5M

$44.4K ₺2.2M

-43.73%

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

$58.9 SLL 1.3M

$89.2 ₺4,395

-33.97%

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

$9.88 SLL 225.8K

$11.60 ₺572

-14.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 SLL 1.2M

$16.10 ₺793

238.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

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

$974 ₺48.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$9.90 SLL 226.2K

$52.7 ₺2,597

-81.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$19.77 SLL 451.7K

$103 ₺5,083

-80.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.66 SLL 1.1M

$96.6 ₺4,759

-48.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 SLL 21.0M

$994 ₺49.0K

-7.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 SLL 28.6M

$629 ₺31.0K

99.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,520 SLL 80.4M

$2,024 ₺99.7K

73.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,349 SLL 30.8M

$1,203 ₺59.3K

12.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

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

Last update for Freetown: October 5, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Freetown

$1.3K 69.9%

Istanbul

$629 41.2% 49.8% $624

Groceries & Markets

Freetown

$263 * 14.7%

Istanbul

$264 17.3% 0.5% $1.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Freetown

$123 6.9%

Istanbul

$117 7.7% 5.1% $6.3

Eating Out

Freetown

$113 6.3%

Istanbul

$218 14.3% 93.3% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Freetown

$36 * 2%

Istanbul

$131 8.6% 268% $96

Getting Around

Freetown

$4.8 * 0.3%

Istanbul

$75 4.9% 1483% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Freetown

- * 0%

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

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 $994 in Istanbul. 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 12% higher in Freetown, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Freetown versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $264 – making Freetown the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇱 Freetown

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

11:21 11:21 AM

14:21 2:21 PM

3 h ahead of Freetown

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

951,000 Capital

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Sierra Leonean Leone SLL Le

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 SLL = 4.38 USD

100,000 SLL = 3.91 EUR

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, 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 = 25,603 SLL (100,000 SLL = 3.91 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.2 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

USD to SLL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Freetown Istanbul 5,510 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Freetown
Istanbul

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 Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,818 in Freetown, $1,526 in Istanbul – roughly 19% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,728 per month in Freetown and $2,289 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Freetown and $55.0 in Istanbul. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,818 in Freetown and $1,526 in Istanbul. That's a gap of about 19%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,526, than in Freetown at $1,818. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Freetown it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Freetown has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,526 in Istanbul to $1,818 in Freetown. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Istanbul. 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.