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

Name: Sierra Leone
Address: SL

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $366 in India versus $1,734 in Sierra Leone.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $581 in India versus $1,429 in Sierra Leone.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $795 in India versus $1,124 in Sierra Leone.

Living in India costs about 79% less than in Sierra Leone on average.

India (73% below) and Sierra Leone (26% above) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in India: monthly costs span $228 to $810, compared to $1,734–$1,734 in Sierra Leone. City choice carries more weight in India.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.15 ₹205

$2.01 SLL 46.0K

6.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.42 ₹996

$39.80 SLL 908.4K

-73.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.59 ₹343

$10.91 SLL 249.1K

-67.09%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ₹160

$2.34 SLL 53.4K

-28.63%

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

$0.39 ₹37.26

$1.27 SLL 29.1K

-69.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₹15.92

$0.72 SLL 16.5K

-76.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 ₹179

$1.84 SLL 41.9K

1.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₹304

$3.35 SLL 76.4K

-5.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.64 ₹61.1

$2.41 SLL 55.0K

-73.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 ₹42.66

$0.64 SLL 14.5K

-29.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.63 ₹59.9

$1.28 SLL 29.2K

-50.78%

Eggs

$0.87 ₹83.5

$1.83 SLL 41.8K

-52.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.62 ₹442

$7.01 SLL 160.0K

-34.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.86 ₹273

$10.13 SLL 231.3K

-71.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.17 SLL 118.0K

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 ₹186

$3.92 SLL 89.4K

-50.26%

Banana (1kg)

$0.67 ₹64.3

$2.02 SLL 46.1K

-66.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 ₹94.3

$0.73 SLL 16.7K

35.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 ₹48.45

$5.15 SLL 117.5K

-90.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.35 ₹33.23

$1.95 SLL 44.6K

-82.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 ₹39.69

$1.64 SLL 37.5K

-74.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₹41.87

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.80

$1.33 SLL 30.3K

-76.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 ₹491

$3.03 SLL 69.2K

69.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.58 ₹724

$7.42 SLL 169.3K

2.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 ₹160

$1.19 SLL 27.1K

40.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₹266

$2.10 SLL 47.9K

32.86%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.36 ₹512

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₹23.64

$0.44 SLL 10.1K

-43.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.53 ₹815

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 ₹89.4

$0.48 SLL 11.0K

95.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹25.96

$0.52 SLL 11.9K

-48.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 ₹153

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ₹107

$1.27 SLL 29.0K

-11.81%

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

$12.4K ₹1.2M

$12.1K SLL 275.8M

2.99%

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

$20.2K ₹1.9M

$25.4K SLL 580.1M

-20.63%

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

$37.28 ₹3,562

$60.2 SLL 1.4M

-38.07%

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

$3.49 ₹334

$17.49 SLL 399.2K

-80.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.20 ₹688

$50.3 SLL 1.1M

-85.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.69 ₹1,403

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.31 ₹698

Cinema Ticket

$3.08 ₹294

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

$59.1 ₹5,646

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,693 ₹161.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.25 ₹2,221

$10.12 SLL 230.9K

129.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.03 ₹2,296

$7.79 SLL 177.8K

208.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.99 ₹3,917

$20.03 SLL 457.3K

104.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.46 ₹2,911

$50.1 SLL 1.1M

-39.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$143 ₹13.7K

$922 SLL 21.1M

-84.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$93.2 ₹8,902

$1,271 SLL 29.0M

-92.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$332 ₹31.7K

$3,464 SLL 79.1M

-90.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 ₹20.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,203 ₹115.0K

$1,100 SLL 25.1M

9.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$643 ₹61.5K

$1,079 SLL 24.6M

-40.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$441 ₹42.1K

$1,347 SLL 30.7M

-67.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.93

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

Last update for India: September 5, 2026

Last update for Sierra Leone: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $121 in India, $939 in Sierra Leone. Capital cities: $272 in Delhi vs $939 in Freetown.

National salary averages: $410 in India, $1,337 in Sierra Leone. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 676% higher in Sierra Leone.

Dining out costs 290% more in Sierra Leone.

Salaries are 226% higher in Sierra Leone, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.

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

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

At $519 per month in India and $1,734 in Sierra Leone, there's a 234% 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 India: 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 India across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In India, $1,000 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: India wins on affordability; Sierra Leone may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.