Banjul vs Freetown
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Banjul edges it, 36 to 33, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Banjul is stronger on quality of life; Freetown on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Tiny island capital of The Gambia; the beaches and winter-sun scene are 15 km away in Serrekunda
Full Banjul profile →Plan a trip to Banjul →Hilly peninsula capital with fine beaches to the south
Full Freetown profile →Plan a trip to Freetown →Where they differ
- Quality of life. Banjul leads on quality of life, 16 to 5, against Freetown.
- Healthcare. Banjul leads on healthcare, 48 to 39, against Freetown. Health coverage index: 53 vs 48.
- Climate. Banjul leads on climate, 67 to 58, against Freetown. Comfortable months: 8 vs 7.
Where they are close. Within five points on air quality, internet.
Pick Banjul if you want
- stronger healthcare
Pick Freetown if you want
- faster internet (2.1 Mbps measured)
- the safer country figures
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Banjul | Freetown |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | no data | no data |
| Safety | 52 | 60 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 48 ✓ | 39 |
| Internet | 16 | 18 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 42 ✓ | 34 |
| Getting there & around | 12 ✓ | 7 |
| Climate | 67 ✓ | 58 |
| Air quality | 39 | 44 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 16 ✓ | 5 |
Cost
| Metric | Banjul | Freetown |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | no data | no data |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Banjul | Freetown |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 7.9 | 2.22 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 66.2 ✓ | 58.8 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 53 ✓ | 48 |
| Life expectancy | 66.6 yrs ✓ | 62.4 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Banjul | Freetown |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 1.8 Mbps | 2.1 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 1.7 Mbps ✓ | 1.5 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Banjul | Freetown |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days ✓ | visa on arrival |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days ✓ | visa on arrival |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Banjul | Freetown |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 16 ✓ | 14 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 ✓ | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Banjul | Freetown |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 8 ✓ | 7 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 32.5 µg/m³ | 30.3 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Banjul or Freetown?
- We lack a monthly cost figure for one of the two cities.
- Is Banjul or Freetown safer?
- Freetown scores higher on safety (60 vs 52), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Banjul or Freetown?
- Freetown: a measured median of 2.1 Mbps versus 1.8 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.