Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Freetown and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Freetown: $1,778 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Freetown

🇸🇱 Sierra Leone

$1,778

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Freetown and in Lisbon

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

A single person spends $1,778 per month in Freetown vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

Freetown $1,778
Lisbon $2,210

A couple spends around $1,510 per month in Freetown vs $3,275 in Lisbon, rent included.

Freetown $1,510
Lisbon $3,275

A family of three spends $1,242 per month in Freetown vs $4,341 in Lisbon, rent included.

Freetown $1,242
Lisbon $4,341

Freetown is about 20% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Freetown and Lisbon sit above the global median – Freetown by 31%, Lisbon by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.06 SLL 46.9K

$16.65 €14.93

-87.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.83 SLL 908.7K

$61.7 €55.4

-35.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 SLL 251.8K

$11.36 €10.19

-2.82%

Cappuccino

$2.79 SLL 63.6K

$2.97 €2.66

-6.06%

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

$1.81 SLL 41.4K

$2.29 €2.05

-20.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 SLL 20.3K

$1.74 €1.56

-48.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 SLL 52.6K

$3.40 €3.05

-32.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 SLL 79.5K

$3.31 €2.97

5.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 SLL 54.4K

$1.16 €1.04

105.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 SLL 14.4K

$1.91 €1.71

-67.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 SLL 28.8K

$1.51 €1.36

-16.56%

Eggs

$1.85 SLL 42.2K

$4.02 €3.61

-53.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.19 SLL 164.0K

$12.94 €11.61

-44.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 SLL 227.4K

$7.77 €6.97

28.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.35 SLL 122.1K

$17.76 €15.93

-69.88%

Apples (1kg)

$6.80 SLL 155.2K

$2.30 €2.07

195.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 SLL 66.6K

$1.73 €1.55

68.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.68 SLL 15.6K

$1.86 €1.67

-63.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 SLL 112.1K

$2.59 €2.32

89.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 SLL 44.5K

$1.82 €1.63

7.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 SLL 36.4K

$1.97 €1.77

-18.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 SLL 25.3K

$0.72 €0.65

54.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 SLL 69.2K

$6.58 €5.91

-53.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 SLL 182.9K

$5.61 €5.03

42.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 SLL 35.2K

$1.36 €1.22

13.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 SLL 46.4K

$2.14 €1.92

-5.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 SLL 9,489

$2.33 €2.09

-81.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.08

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 SLL 10.9K

$3.85 €3.45

-87.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 SLL 11.0K

$1.07 €0.96

-55.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.77

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 SLL 30.7K

$2.20 €1.97

-38.64%

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

$11.8K SLL 268.6M

$34.2K €30.7K

-65.57%

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

$25.1K SLL 571.9M

$38.7K €34.7K

-35.27%

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

$59.2 SLL 1.4M

$161 €145

-63.29%

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

$10.10 SLL 230.4K

$18.41 €16.51

-45.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.9 SLL 1.3M

$32.74 €29.37

70.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.96

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.13

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.61

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

$668 €599

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.09 SLL 230.2K

$102 €91.5

-90.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.89

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.05 SLL 457.4K

$98.5 €88.4

-79.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.9 SLL 1.2M

$124 €111

-58.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$942 SLL 21.5M

$1,608 €1,443

-41.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 SLL 28.3M

$1,190 €1,067

4.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,508 SLL 80.0M

$2,812 €2,523

24.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,806

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,032

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,104

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,332 SLL 30.4M

$1,575 €1,413

-15.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Freetown: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Freetown

–

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Groceries & Markets

Freetown

–

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Eating Out

Freetown

–

Lisbon

$243 11%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Freetown

–

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Freetown

–

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Freetown

–

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Getting Around

Freetown

–

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $942 in Freetown versus $1,608 in Lisbon. 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 18% higher in Lisbon, 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 in Freetown versus $62 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $259 vs $272 – making Freetown the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇱 Freetown

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

06:27 6:27 AM

Same time as Freetown

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

951,000 Capital

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Sierra Leonean Leone SLL Le

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 SLL = 4.38 USD

100,000 SLL = 3.94 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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 = 22,813 SLL (100,000 SLL = 4.38 USD). 1 EUR = 25,390 SLL (100,000 SLL = 3.94 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.897 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

USD to SLL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Freetown Lisbon 3,390 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Freetown
Lisbon

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,778 in Freetown, $2,210 in Lisbon – roughly 24% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,667 per month in Freetown and $3,315 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Freetown, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $942 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Freetown and $62 in Lisbon. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,778 in Freetown and $2,210 in Lisbon. That’s a gap of about 24%.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,778 in Freetown and $2,210 in Lisbon, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,778 in Freetown to $2,210 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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