Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Freetown Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Freetown

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,227 per month in Lisbon vs $1,931 in Freetown, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,305 per month in Lisbon vs $1,686 in Freetown, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,384 per month in Lisbon vs $1,441 in Freetown, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 15% more than Freetown, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Lisbon and Freetown sit above the global median – Lisbon by 66%, Freetown by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$2.97 SLL 73.3K

444.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$31.92 SLL 787.6K

102.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$9.86 SLL 243.4K

5.27%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$1.75 SLL 43.3K

58.29%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$1.00 SLL 24.8K

125.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.91 SLL 22.5K

72.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$1.54 SLL 37.9K

126.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$2.78 SLL 68.5K

43.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$2.47 SLL 60.9K

-56.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.68 SLL 16.8K

155.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.36 SLL 33.5K

27.94%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$1.97 SLL 48.5K

61.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$7.04 SLL 173.7K

90.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$7.58 SLL 186.9K

5.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$5.13 SLL 126.5K

213.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$4.11 SLL 101.3K

-44.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$2.02 SLL 49.8K

-14.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$0.74 SLL 18.2K

162.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$4.99 SLL 123.0K

-49.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.02 SLL 49.9K

-9.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.66 SLL 41.0K

22.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.01 SLL 25.0K

96.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.42 SLL 35.0K

-40.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$2.96 SLL 72.9K

131.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$7.72 SLL 190.6K

-25.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.12 SLL 27.7K

22.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$2.00 SLL 49.4K

45.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.44 SLL 10.9K

418.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$0.73 SLL 18.1K

458.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.24 SLL 30.5K

-33.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$5.06 SLL 124.7K

261.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.32 SLL 32.5K

52.27%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$11.9K SLL 292.6M

197.41%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$24.7K SLL 609.6M

55.78%

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

$145 €124

$143 SLL 3.5M

1.81%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$10.13 SLL 249.9K

106.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$99.4 SLL 2.5M

-59.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$50.7 SLL 1.3M

-3.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

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

$607 €519

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$9.96 SLL 245.8K

950.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$8.03 SLL 198.2K

409.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$20.25 SLL 499.7K

362.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$50.2 SLL 1.2M

136.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$807 SLL 19.9M

98.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$1,246 SLL 30.7M

-0.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$2,143 SLL 52.9M

42.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$98.6 SLL 2.4M

1986.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$3,044 SLL 75.1M

153.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$1,740 SLL 42.9M

145.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$1,123 SLL 27.7M

41.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Freetown: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,604 in Lisbon versus $807 in Freetown. 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 41% 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 $65.0 in Lisbon versus $32.00 in Freetown. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $271 vs $235 – making Freetown the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Lisbon vs Freetown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon, $1,931 in Freetown – roughly 15% apart. Lisbon costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,341 per month in Lisbon and $2,896 in Freetown. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Lisbon and $32.00 in Freetown. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,227 in Lisbon and $1,931 in Freetown. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Freetown, where all-in costs run around $1,931, than in Lisbon at $2,227. In Freetown it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,931 in Freetown to $2,227 in Lisbon. 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 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.