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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $767 per month in Malacca vs $1,921 in Freetown, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,160 per month in Malacca vs $1,684 in Freetown, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,554 per month in Malacca vs $1,446 in Freetown, rent included.

Malacca is about 60% 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

$3.58 MYR 14.67

$3.09 SLL 70.3K

15.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.93 MYR 77.5

$32.00 SLL 728.5K

-40.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.61 MYR 18.86

$9.94 SLL 226.4K

-53.62%

Cappuccino

$2.86 MYR 11.72

$1.70 SLL 38.7K

68.24%

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

$0.81 MYR 3.30

$1.04 SLL 23.8K

-22.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 MYR 1.97

$0.86 SLL 19.6K

-44.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 MYR 8.52

$1.47 SLL 33.5K

41.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MYR 12.83

$2.80 SLL 63.7K

12.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MYR 5.89

$2.37 SLL 54.1K

-39.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 MYR 3.78

$0.69 SLL 15.8K

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 MYR 5.15

$1.36 SLL 31.0K

-7.35%

Eggs

$1.80 MYR 7.37

$1.99 SLL 45.2K

-9.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.28 MYR 62.6

$7.23 SLL 164.7K

111.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.10 MYR 20.87

$7.52 SLL 171.1K

-32.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 MYR 45.79

$5.28 SLL 120.3K

111.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.80 MYR 15.54

$4.07 SLL 92.6K

-6.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MYR 6.15

$1.95 SLL 44.4K

-23.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 MYR 10.58

$0.74 SLL 17.0K

250.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MYR 8.31

$5.03 SLL 114.6K

-59.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 MYR 6.23

$1.94 SLL 44.3K

-21.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 MYR 7.04

$1.59 SLL 36.2K

8.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 MYR 5.19

$0.97 SLL 22.1K

30.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.29

$1.39 SLL 31.6K

-59.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MYR 17.60

$3.06 SLL 69.8K

40.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 MYR 57.0

$7.63 SLL 173.6K

82.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 MYR 8.21

$1.12 SLL 25.5K

78.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 MYR 12.33

$2.00 SLL 45.5K

50.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 MYR 1.99

$0.48 SLL 11.0K

2.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.82 MYR 48.36

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 MYR 5.94

$0.79 SLL 17.9K

83.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 MYR 4.09

$1.23 SLL 27.9K

-18.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.85 MYR 23.96

$4.91 SLL 111.9K

19.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 MYR 2.05

$1.31 SLL 29.8K

-61.83%

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

$35.3K MYR 144.3K

$12.0K SLL 273.4M

193.54%

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

$38.6K MYR 157.9K

$25.3K SLL 576.5M

52.38%

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

$46.02 MYR 188

$147 SLL 3.3M

-68.66%

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

$8.96 MYR 36.68

$10.02 SLL 228.2K

-10.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.15 MYR 127

$100 SLL 2.3M

-68.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.80 MYR 68.8

$49.34 SLL 1.1M

-65.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.93 MYR 48.84

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MYR 20.17

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

$185 MYR 758

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,959 MYR 28.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.0 MYR 270

$9.98 SLL 227.1K

561.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.99 MYR 77.7

$7.94 SLL 180.7K

139.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MYR 304

$20.15 SLL 458.7K

268.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.25 MYR 161

$50.3 SLL 1.1M

-21.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$328 MYR 1,340

$810 SLL 18.4M

-59.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$186 MYR 759

$1,268 SLL 28.9M

-85.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$718 MYR 2,938

$2,089 SLL 47.6M

-65.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$283 MYR 1,156

$101 SLL 2.3M

180.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,069 MYR 8,467

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,157 MYR 4,734

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$899 MYR 3,677

$1,308 SLL 29.8M

-31.29%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Freetown: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $328 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 46% 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 – $253 in Malacca vs $234 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: $767 in Malacca, $1,921 in Freetown – roughly 150% apart. Freetown costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,151 per month in Malacca and $2,882 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 $767 in Malacca and $1,921 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 $767, than in Freetown at $1,921. 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 $767 in Malacca to $1,921 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.