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: $712 in China versus $1,941 in Sierra Leone.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,133 in China versus $1,697 in Sierra Leone.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,553 in China versus $1,452 in Sierra Leone.

Living in China costs about 63% less than in Sierra Leone on average.

China (47% below) and Sierra Leone (46% above) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $521 to $1,202, compared to $1,941–$1,941 in Sierra Leone. City choice carries more weight in China.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.71 ¥18.35

$3.02 SLL 68.7K

-10.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.22 ¥157

$32.44 SLL 737.5K

-28.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 ¥33.84

$9.85 SLL 224.0K

-49.24%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ¥20.88

$1.68 SLL 38.2K

83.33%

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

$0.48 ¥3.25

$0.93 SLL 21.1K

-48.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.97

$0.84 SLL 19.0K

-65.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.00 ¥6.75

$1.54 SLL 34.9K

-35.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ¥14.24

$2.95 SLL 67.2K

-28.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ¥11.82

$2.40 SLL 54.5K

-27.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 ¥11.27

$0.66 SLL 14.9K

153.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.68

$1.30 SLL 29.5K

-23.85%

Eggs

$1.57 ¥10.62

$1.96 SLL 44.5K

-19.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 ¥88.4

$7.22 SLL 164.1K

80.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ¥22.42

$7.65 SLL 173.9K

-56.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.82 ¥73.2

$5.29 SLL 120.3K

104.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ¥12.03

$4.03 SLL 91.6K

-55.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.40

$1.97 SLL 44.7K

-37.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.19

$0.69 SLL 15.6K

117.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ¥8.13

$4.86 SLL 110.6K

-75.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.17

$2.05 SLL 46.5K

-62.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.21

$1.68 SLL 38.1K

-45.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 ¥3.90

$1.02 SLL 23.3K

-43.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.60

$1.36 SLL 31.0K

-61.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.45 ¥23.32

$1.97 SLL 44.8K

75.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 ¥80.9

$7.43 SLL 168.8K

60.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.58

$1.42 SLL 32.4K

-42.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.17

$2.10 SLL 47.8K

-21.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.91

$0.47 SLL 10.8K

-8.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.78 ¥141

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 ¥9.34

$0.77 SLL 17.4K

79.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.22

$1.23 SLL 27.9K

-73.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.74 ¥45.59

$5.05 SLL 114.8K

33.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.66

$1.36 SLL 30.8K

-16.91%

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

$19.6K ¥132.8K

$12.2K SLL 277.4M

60.76%

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

$16.8K ¥113.7K

$24.8K SLL 564.8M

-32.39%

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

$50.7 ¥343

$142 SLL 3.2M

-64.29%

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

$10.12 ¥68.5

$17.31 SLL 393.5K

-41.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.42 ¥77.3

$75.3 SLL 1.7M

-84.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.33 ¥273

$50.3 SLL 1.1M

-19.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.57 ¥98.6

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 ¥43.34

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

$417 ¥2,822

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ¥116.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.55 ¥308

$10.19 SLL 231.6K

347.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.26 ¥218

$7.98 SLL 181.4K

304.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 ¥494

$19.96 SLL 453.7K

265.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.6 ¥498

$49.21 SLL 1.1M

49.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 ¥2,931

$811 SLL 18.4M

-46.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$261 ¥1,768

$1,237 SLL 28.1M

-78.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 ¥6,126

$2,102 SLL 47.8M

-56.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$533 ¥3,606

$100 SLL 2.3M

430.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,965 ¥33.6K

$1,107 SLL 25.2M

348.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,518 ¥17.0K

$1,077 SLL 24.5M

133.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,063 ¥7,194

$1,347 SLL 30.6M

-21.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

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

Last update for China: June 15, 2026

Last update for Sierra Leone: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $287 in China, $827 in Sierra Leone. Capital cities: $886 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $827 in Freetown.

National salary averages: $862 in China, $1,325 in Sierra Leone. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 188% higher in Sierra Leone.

Dining out costs 57% more in Sierra Leone.

Salaries are 54% 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 $862 per month in China and $1,941 in Sierra Leone, there's a 125% 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.