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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,268 per month in Lisbon vs $1,734 in Freetown, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,348 per month in Lisbon vs $1,429 in Freetown, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,429 per month in Lisbon vs $1,124 in Freetown, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 31% more than Freetown, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Lisbon and Freetown sit above the global median – Lisbon by 64%, Freetown by 26%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$2.02 SLL 46.1K

768.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$39.33 SLL 897.6K

63.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$11.11 SLL 253.7K

4.86%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.43 SLL 55.4K

34.16%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.35 SLL 30.8K

84.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.73 SLL 16.7K

128.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$1.96 SLL 44.8K

77.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$2.97 SLL 67.7K

20.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$2.48 SLL 56.7K

-52.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.63 SLL 14.3K

209.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.31 SLL 29.9K

19.08%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$1.83 SLL 41.8K

119.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$7.11 SLL 162.4K

86.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$9.94 SLL 227.0K

-15.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$5.23 SLL 119.3K

248.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$3.94 SLL 89.9K

-41.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.96 SLL 44.6K

-11.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$0.72 SLL 16.5K

168.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$5.15 SLL 117.5K

-48.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$2.03 SLL 46.3K

-6.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.58 SLL 36.1K

33.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.33 SLL 30.2K

-39.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$2.92 SLL 66.7K

140.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$7.59 SLL 173.3K

-22.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.22 SLL 27.9K

11.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.08 SLL 47.6K

3.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.42 SLL 9,547

466.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$0.48 SLL 10.9K

772.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.48 SLL 11.0K

129.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.33 SLL 30.4K

69.17%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$11.9K SLL 271.2M

190.08%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$25.4K SLL 579.1M

64.04%

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

$171 €147

$60.0 SLL 1.4M

184.61%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$9.98 SLL 227.8K

90.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

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

$699 €603

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$9.87 SLL 225.4K

959.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$7.97 SLL 181.8K

501.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$20.24 SLL 462.1K

403.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$49.74 SLL 1.1M

157.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$939 SLL 21.4M

76.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$1,257 SLL 28.7M

-2.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$3,545 SLL 80.9M

-17.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$1,337 SLL 30.5M

21.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Freetown: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,661 in Lisbon versus $939 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 21% 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 $64.0 in Lisbon versus $39.00 in Freetown. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $281 vs $241 – 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: $2,268 in Lisbon, $1,734 in Freetown – roughly 31% apart. Lisbon costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,402 per month in Lisbon and $2,602 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 $64.0 in Lisbon and $39.00 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 $2,268 in Lisbon and $1,734 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 $1,734, than in Lisbon at $2,268. 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 $1,734 in Freetown to $2,268 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.