Cost of Living Comparison Between Malacca and Freetown Cost of Living Comparison Between Malacca and Freetown

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $760 per month in Malacca vs $1,932 in Freetown, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,153 per month in Malacca vs $1,692 in Freetown, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,546 per month in Malacca vs $1,451 in Freetown, rent included.

Malacca is about 61% cheaper than Freetown, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Malacca sits 43% below the global median, while Freetown is 44% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.59 MYR 14.25

$2.99 SLL 68.1K

20.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.74 MYR 74.3

$32.02 SLL 729.2K

-41.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.63 MYR 18.35

$9.86 SLL 224.5K

-53.04%

Cappuccino

$3.00 MYR 11.90

$1.78 SLL 40.5K

68.54%

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

$0.85 MYR 3.37

$1.06 SLL 24.1K

-19.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 MYR 1.81

$0.85 SLL 19.3K

-45.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 MYR 8.22

$1.47 SLL 33.5K

40.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 MYR 12.87

$2.75 SLL 62.6K

17.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 MYR 5.93

$2.36 SLL 53.7K

-36.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 MYR 3.97

$0.64 SLL 14.5K

56.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 MYR 5.10

$1.37 SLL 31.2K

-5.84%

Eggs

$1.80 MYR 7.15

$2.05 SLL 46.8K

-12.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.69 MYR 62.2

$6.92 SLL 157.6K

126.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.03 MYR 19.94

$7.52 SLL 171.2K

-33.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.27 MYR 44.67

$5.13 SLL 116.9K

119.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 MYR 14.22

$3.89 SLL 88.5K

-7.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MYR 5.81

$1.99 SLL 45.2K

-26.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 MYR 10.05

$0.74 SLL 16.9K

243.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 MYR 7.70

$4.92 SLL 112.1K

-60.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 MYR 5.85

$2.03 SLL 46.1K

-27.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 6.97

$1.60 SLL 36.4K

10.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 MYR 5.11

$0.97 SLL 22.1K

32.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MYR 2.04

$1.44 SLL 32.7K

-64.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MYR 16.61

$3.07 SLL 69.9K

36.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.57 MYR 57.8

$7.48 SLL 170.4K

94.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 MYR 8.25

$1.12 SLL 25.6K

85.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MYR 11.59

$2.06 SLL 46.9K

41.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 MYR 1.78

$0.44 SLL 10.1K

2.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.55 MYR 45.80

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.43 MYR 5.67

$0.71 SLL 16.2K

101.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 MYR 3.95

$1.27 SLL 28.9K

-21.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.86 MYR 23.25

$4.94 SLL 112.6K

18.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.47 MYR 1.86

$1.35 SLL 30.6K

-65.19%

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

$34.7K MYR 137.7K

$11.8K SLL 267.9M

195.34%

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

$39.1K MYR 155.2K

$25.3K SLL 576.8M

54.53%

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

$46.04 MYR 183

$147 SLL 3.3M

-68.62%

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

$8.98 MYR 35.60

$9.83 SLL 223.9K

-8.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.41 MYR 125

$102 SLL 2.3M

-69.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.42 MYR 65.1

$49.36 SLL 1.1M

-66.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 MYR 47.19

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MYR 19.58

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

$190 MYR 752

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,049 MYR 28.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.3 MYR 255

$10.06 SLL 229.2K

538.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.57 MYR 73.7

$8.09 SLL 184.2K

129.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.1 MYR 294

$20.15 SLL 458.9K

267.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.98 MYR 159

$49.30 SLL 1.1M

-18.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$331 MYR 1,313

$810 SLL 18.5M

-59.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$189 MYR 751

$1,275 SLL 29.0M

-85.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$697 MYR 2,765

$2,104 SLL 47.9M

-66.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 MYR 1,132

$98.1 SLL 2.2M

191.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,994 MYR 7,905

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$979 MYR 3,881

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$933 MYR 3,699

$1,334 SLL 30.4M

-30.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.07

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

Last update for Malacca: June 1, 2026

Last update for Freetown: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $331 in Malacca versus $810 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 43% 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 $19.00 in Malacca versus $32.00 in Freetown. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Malacca vs $231 in Freetown – so Freetown wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Malacca vs Freetown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $760 in Malacca, $1,932 in Freetown – roughly 154% apart. Freetown costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,141 per month in Malacca and $2,899 in Freetown. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Malacca, 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 $19.00 in Malacca 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 $760 in Malacca and $1,932 in Freetown. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Malacca, where all-in costs run around $760, than in Freetown at $1,932. In Malacca 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 $760 in Malacca to $1,932 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 Malacca. 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.