Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Sierra Leone Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Sierra Leone

Name: Sierra Leone
Address: SL

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $719 in China versus $1,724 in Sierra Leone.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,147 in China versus $1,431 in Sierra Leone.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,574 in China versus $1,138 in Sierra Leone.

Living in China costs about 58% less than in Sierra Leone on average.

China (47% below) and Sierra Leone (26% above) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $455 to $1,219, compared to $1,724–$1,724 in Sierra Leone. City choice carries more weight in China.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.58

$2.05 SLL 46.7K

42.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.23 ¥149

$39.26 SLL 896.1K

-43.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.13 ¥34.34

$10.78 SLL 246.1K

-52.41%

Cappuccino

$2.99 ¥20.03

$2.43 SLL 55.5K

23.05%

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

$0.52 ¥3.50

$1.29 SLL 29.4K

-59.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.87

$0.72 SLL 16.5K

-61.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 ¥7.04

$1.84 SLL 41.9K

-42.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.17

$3.39 SLL 77.5K

-33.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 ¥12.11

$2.43 SLL 55.5K

-25.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.23

$0.64 SLL 14.6K

162.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.05

$1.32 SLL 30.2K

-31.82%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.43

$1.82 SLL 41.6K

-14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 ¥88.7

$7.06 SLL 161.1K

87.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.49 ¥23.40

$9.83 SLL 224.4K

-64.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥75.2

$5.13 SLL 117.1K

118.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ¥12.43

$3.93 SLL 89.8K

-52.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.47

$2.02 SLL 46.1K

-37.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.22

$0.69 SLL 15.8K

121.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.45

$5.07 SLL 115.7K

-75.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.91

$2.05 SLL 46.8K

-64.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.89

$1.67 SLL 38.1K

-47.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.33

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$1.31 SLL 30.0K

-55.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 ¥24.84

$2.96 SLL 67.6K

25.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 ¥79.0

$7.35 SLL 167.8K

60.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥5.69

$1.17 SLL 26.8K

-27.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ¥11.19

$2.01 SLL 45.8K

-16.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.41 SLL 9,421

-29.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.67 ¥152

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 ¥10.07

$0.49 SLL 11.1K

206.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.32

$0.51 SLL 11.7K

-31.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.29 ¥48.84

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥8.18

$1.26 SLL 28.9K

-3.17%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$11.8K SLL 270.3M

60.43%

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

$17.4K ¥116.2K

$24.7K SLL 564.5M

-29.84%

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

$54.0 ¥362

$59.6 SLL 1.4M

-9.38%

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

$8.41 ¥56.4

$17.34 SLL 395.8K

-51.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.82 ¥72.5

$49.78 SLL 1.1M

-78.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.41 ¥271

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.63 ¥98.0

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ¥44.18

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

$452 ¥3,025

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K ¥128.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.23 ¥296

$9.86 SLL 225.1K

348.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.46 ¥238

$7.82 SLL 178.5K

353.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.7 ¥500

$20.28 SLL 462.9K

268.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.6 ¥527

$49.15 SLL 1.1M

59.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 ¥2,642

$937 SLL 21.4M

-57.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$243 ¥1,630

$1,279 SLL 29.2M

-80.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 ¥5,660

$3,455 SLL 78.9M

-75.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$481 ¥3,221

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,609 ¥30.9K

$1,070 SLL 24.4M

330.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,327 ¥15.6K

$1,098 SLL 25.1M

111.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,060 ¥7,100

$1,345 SLL 30.7M

-21.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

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

Last update for China: September 14, 2026

Last update for Sierra Leone: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $294 in China, $917 in Sierra Leone. Capital cities: $985 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $917 in Freetown.

National salary averages: $867 in China, $1,311 in Sierra Leone. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 212% higher in Sierra Leone.

Dining out costs 90% more in Sierra Leone.

Salaries are 51% higher in Sierra Leone, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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

China vs Sierra Leone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $837 per month in China and $1,724 in Sierra Leone, there's a 106% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Sierra Leone is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Sierra Leone it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; Sierra Leone may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.