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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,280 per month in Lisbon vs $1,981 in Freetown, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,294 per month in Lisbon vs $1,705 in Freetown, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,307 per month in Lisbon vs $1,429 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 71%, Freetown by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$2.96 SLL 67.3K

432.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$32.56 SLL 741.3K

94.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$9.90 SLL 225.3K

5.56%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$1.77 SLL 40.3K

64.41%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.00 SLL 22.8K

129.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.93 SLL 21.1K

61.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$1.49 SLL 33.9K

138.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$2.75 SLL 62.5K

44.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$2.45 SLL 55.7K

-55.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.65 SLL 14.8K

170.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.32 SLL 30.0K

28.79%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$1.99 SLL 45.3K

63.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$7.13 SLL 162.2K

85.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$7.67 SLL 174.7K

0.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$5.17 SLL 117.7K

205.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$4.09 SLL 93.1K

-44.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$2.02 SLL 46.1K

-17.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$0.69 SLL 15.6K

192.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$4.88 SLL 111.2K

-49.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$2.01 SLL 45.9K

-10.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$1.65 SLL 37.5K

25.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.02 SLL 23.2K

93.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$1.44 SLL 32.8K

-42.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$3.07 SLL 69.9K

113.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$7.34 SLL 167.1K

-24.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.16 SLL 26.4K

14.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$2.02 SLL 45.9K

49.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

$0.44 SLL 10.1K

415.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$0.72 SLL 16.4K

487.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.28 SLL 29.1K

-33.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$4.98 SLL 113.4K

278.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.31 SLL 29.9K

54.20%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$12.2K SLL 277.2M

187.18%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$25.0K SLL 569.3M

58.53%

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

$148 €129

$145 SLL 3.3M

2.07%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$10.15 SLL 231.1K

102.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$98.8 SLL 2.3M

-60.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

$49.03 SLL 1.1M

-1.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

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

$615 €536

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$9.97 SLL 226.9K

918.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$7.96 SLL 181.1K

428.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$19.68 SLL 448.2K

369.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$50.2 SLL 1.1M

143.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$808 SLL 18.4M

99.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

$1,280 SLL 29.1M

-2.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

$2,104 SLL 47.9M

45.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$99.6 SLL 2.3M

1945.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

$1,334 SLL 30.4M

20.12%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Freetown: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,612 in Lisbon versus $808 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 20% 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 $63.0 in Lisbon versus $33.00 in Freetown. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $234 – 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: $2,280 in Lisbon, $1,981 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 $3,420 per month in Lisbon and $2,972 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 $63.0 in Lisbon and $33.00 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 $2,280 in Lisbon and $1,981 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 $1,981, than in Lisbon at $2,280. 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 $1,981 in Freetown to $2,280 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.