Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Freetown

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $1,778 in Freetown, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Freetown outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Freetown

🇸🇱 Sierra Leone

$1,778

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Freetown

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Freetown actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $1,778 in Freetown, rent included.

Mexico City $1,608
Freetown $1,778

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $1,510 in Freetown, rent included.

Mexico City $2,549
Freetown $1,510

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $1,242 in Freetown, rent included.

Mexico City $3,490
Freetown $1,242

Mexico City is about 10% cheaper than Freetown, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Mexico City and Freetown sit above the global median – Mexico City by 18%, Freetown by 31%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$200

$2.06 SLL 47.0K

415.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$912

$39.83 SLL 909.5K

21.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$195

$11.04 SLL 252.0K

-6.25%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.6

$2.79 SLL 63.6K

32.26%

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

$1.67 MX$31.44

$1.81 SLL 41.4K

-7.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.87

$0.89 SLL 20.3K

42.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$60.2

$2.31 SLL 52.6K

38.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$100

$3.49 SLL 79.6K

52.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.54

$2.38 SLL 54.4K

-27.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.4

$0.63 SLL 14.4K

382.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.62

$1.26 SLL 28.8K

53.97%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.5

$1.85 SLL 42.3K

56.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$207

$7.19 SLL 164.2K

52.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$9.97 SLL 227.6K

-7.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$285

$5.35 SLL 122.2K

182.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.5

$6.80 SLL 155.3K

-55.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.62

$2.92 SLL 66.7K

-33.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.21

$0.68 SLL 15.6K

198.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.66

$4.92 SLL 112.2K

-53.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.39

$1.95 SLL 44.6K

4.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.95

$1.60 SLL 36.4K

12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.91

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.91

$1.11 SLL 25.3K

14.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$100

$3.03 SLL 69.3K

74.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$304

$8.02 SLL 183.1K

100.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.41

$1.54 SLL 35.2K

28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$80.2

$2.03 SLL 46.4K

109.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.75

$0.42 SLL 9,498

-26.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.66

$0.48 SLL 10.9K

283.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.06

$0.48 SLL 11.0K

10.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.49

$1.35 SLL 30.8K

11.85%

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

$21.8K MX$410.4K

$11.8K SLL 268.8M

84.79%

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

$24.0K MX$452.5K

$25.1K SLL 572.4M

-4.31%

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

$63.0 MX$1,188

$59.2 SLL 1.4M

6.42%

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

$27.39 MX$517

$10.10 SLL 230.6K

171.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$673

$55.9 SLL 1.3M

-36.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,112

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$446

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$121

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

$432 MX$8,142

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$215.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,287

$10.09 SLL 230.4K

576.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$1,002

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,033

$20.05 SLL 457.8K

437.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,212

$50.9 SLL 1.2M

130.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$21.0K

$942 SLL 21.5M

18.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.4K

$1,240 SLL 28.3M

-42.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.8K

$3,508 SLL 80.1M

-26.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$1,332 SLL 30.4M

-28.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Freetown: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Freetown

–

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Freetown

–

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Freetown

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Freetown

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Freetown

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Freetown

–

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Freetown

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $942 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 Freetown. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City versus $40 in Freetown. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $259 – making Freetown the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇸🇱 Freetown

🕒 Local time

04:39 4:39 AM

10:39 10:39 AM

6 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

951,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Sierra Leonean Leone SLL Le

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.3 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

100,000 SLL = 4.38 USD

100,000 SLL = 3.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SLL, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 18.86 MXN (100 MXN = 5.3 USD). 1 EUR = 21.1 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

Sierra Leonean Leone exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 22,833 SLL (100,000 SLL = 4.38 USD). 1 EUR = 25,540 SLL (100,000 SLL = 3.92 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Freetown 9,260 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Freetown

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Mexico City vs Freetown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City, $1,778 in Freetown – Mexico City comes out roughly 10% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $2,667 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $942 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City and $40 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 $1,608 in Mexico City and $1,778 in Freetown. That makes Mexico City about 10% cheaper.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,608 in Mexico City and $1,778 in Freetown, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,608 in Mexico City to $1,778 in Freetown. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Mexico City. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Freetown makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.