---
title: "Cotonou vs Freetown for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/cotonou-vs-freetown
description: "Under balanced weights Freetown edges it, 33 to 32, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Cotonou is stronger on internet; Freetown on climate, safety. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Cotonou vs Freetown for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Freetown edges it, 33 to 32, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Cotonou is stronger on internet; Freetown on climate, safety. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Climate.** Freetown leads on climate, 58 to 42, against Cotonou. Comfortable months: 5 vs 7.
- **Internet.** Cotonou leads on internet, 30 to 18, against Freetown. Measured download: 4.6 Mbps vs 2.1 Mbps.
- **Safety.** Freetown leads on safety, 60 to 50, against Cotonou. Homicides per 100,000: 5.8 vs 2.22.

Where they are close: within five points on air quality, healthcare, visa ease, getting there & around.

**Pick Cotonou if you want** faster internet (4.6 Mbps measured).

**Pick Freetown if you want** the safer country figures; a longer comfortable season (7 months against 5).

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Cotonou | Freetown | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | no data | no data | — |
| Safety | 50 | 60 | Freetown |
| Healthcare | 36 | 39 | Freetown |
| Internet | 30 | 18 | Cotonou |
| Visa ease | 32 | 34 | Freetown |
| Getting there & around | 7 | 7 | Freetown |
| Climate | 42 | 58 | Freetown |
| Air quality | 40 | 44 | Freetown |
| Quality of life | 15 | 5 | Cotonou |

## Cost

| Metric | Cotonou | Freetown | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | no data | no data | — |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Cotonou | Freetown | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 5.8 | 2.22 | Freetown |
| Political stability (0–100) | 58.6 | 58.8 | Freetown |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 38 | 48 | Freetown |
| Life expectancy | 65 yrs | 62.4 yrs | Cotonou |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Cotonou | Freetown | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 4.6 Mbps | 2.1 Mbps | Cotonou |
| Upload | 1.9 Mbps | 1.5 Mbps | Cotonou |

## Visa

| Metric | Cotonou | Freetown | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | e-visa required | visa on arrival | Freetown |
| Entry, EU passport | e-visa required | visa on arrival | Freetown |
| Entry, UK passport | e-visa required | visa on arrival | Freetown |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Cotonou | Freetown | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 13 | 14 | Freetown |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Cotonou | Freetown | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 7 | Freetown |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 31.9 µg/m³ | 30.3 µg/m³ | Freetown |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Cotonou or Freetown?

We lack a monthly cost figure for one of the two cities.

### Is Cotonou or Freetown safer?

Freetown scores higher on safety (60 vs 50), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Cotonou or Freetown?

Cotonou: a measured median of 4.6 Mbps versus 2.1 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Cotonou](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/cotonou) · [Freetown](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/freetown). 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.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/cotonou-vs-freetown