Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sierra Leone and Australia

For one person, living is cheaper in Sierra Leone: $1,821 a month against $2,626 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Sierra Leone
Australia
🇸🇱 Sierra Leone
$1,821
/mo nomad
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,626
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sierra Leone and in Australia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sierra Leone and in Australia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,821 per month in Sierra Leone vs $2,626 in Australia, rent included.

  • Sierra Leone $1,821
  • Australia $2,626

A couple spends around $1,538 per month in Sierra Leone vs $3,810 in Australia, rent included.

  • Sierra Leone $1,538
  • Australia $3,810

A family of three spends $1,256 per month in Sierra Leone vs $4,994 in Australia, rent included.

  • Sierra Leone $1,256
  • Australia $4,994

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,068–$3,303) than in Sierra Leone ($1,778–$1,778), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Sierra Leone is roughly 31% lower than in Australia on average.

Both Sierra Leone and Australia are pricier than the global median – Sierra Leone by 34%, Australia by 93%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sierra Leone
Australia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.01 SLL 46.0K
$17.65 A$25.19
-88.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.44 SLL 923.3K
$85.2 A$122
-52.54%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.82 SLL 247.0K
$11.09 A$15.83
-2.43%
Cappuccino
$2.58 SLL 59.0K
$3.90 A$5.56
-33.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 SLL 37.5K
$2.85 A$4.07
-42.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 SLL 18.9K
$2.31 A$3.30
-64.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.05 SLL 46.8K
$7.53 A$10.75
-72.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.52 SLL 80.3K
$8.59 A$12.25
-59.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sierra Leone
Australia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.44 SLL 55.8K
$1.76 A$2.51
38.64%
White Bread (500g)
$0.68 SLL 15.5K
$2.81 A$4.01
-75.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.28 SLL 29.3K
$2.24 A$3.20
-42.86%
Eggs
$1.83 SLL 41.7K
$5.02 A$7.17
-63.55%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.28 SLL 166.3K
$9.87 A$14.08
-26.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.85 SLL 224.9K
$9.32 A$13.30
5.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.20 SLL 118.7K
$14.86 A$21.21
-65.01%
Apples (1kg)
$7.17 SLL 163.7K
$3.82 A$5.45
87.70%
Banana (1kg)
$2.93 SLL 66.8K
$2.92 A$4.17
0.34%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.74 SLL 16.9K
$3.13 A$4.47
-76.36%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.08 SLL 116.0K
$4.81 A$6.86
5.61%
Potato (1kg)
$1.98 SLL 45.2K
$2.80 A$4.00
-29.29%
Onion (1kg)
$1.62 SLL 36.9K
$2.38 A$3.40
-31.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
-
$2.37 A$3.39
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.12 SLL 25.7K
$1.65 A$2.36
-32.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.06 SLL 69.8K
$39.13 A$55.9
-92.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.90 SLL 180.3K
$13.93 A$19.88
-43.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.52 SLL 34.6K
$4.96 A$7.07
-69.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 SLL 44.4K
$5.17 A$7.38
-62.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Sierra Leone
Australia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.45 SLL 10.2K
$2.42 A$3.45
-81.40%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$94.6 A$135
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.49 SLL 11.1K
$3.49 A$4.99
-85.96%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.52 SLL 11.9K
$1.60 A$2.28
-67.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$39.84 A$56.9
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 SLL 31.0K
$1.39 A$1.98
-2.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$12.2K SLL 277.9M
$30.0K A$42.8K
-59.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2K SLL 575.0M
$25.8K A$36.8K
-2.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sierra Leone
Australia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$60.6 SLL 1.4M
$205 A$293
-70.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.71 SLL 404.4K
$28.33 A$40.44
-37.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.3 SLL 1.2M
$58.8 A$83.9
-11.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sierra Leone
Australia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$55.7 A$79.4
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.57 A$27.94
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$15.38 A$21.95
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sierra Leone
Australia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$2,145 A$3,062
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$18.3K A$26.2K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sierra Leone
Australia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$10.02 SLL 228.9K
$78.3 A$112
-87.20%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$56.3 A$80.3
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$20.12 SLL 459.4K
$115 A$164
-82.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$50.1 SLL 1.1M
$123 A$176
-59.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sierra Leone
Australia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$918 SLL 21.0M
$1,591 A$2,271
-42.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,281 SLL 29.2M
$1,293 A$1,845
-0.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,505 SLL 80.0M
$2,524 A$3,603
38.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,005 A$2,862
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,099 SLL 25.1M
$8,751 A$12.5K
-87.45%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,092 SLL 24.9M
$6,260 A$8,935
-82.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sierra Leone
Australia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,317 SLL 30.1M
$3,984 A$5,686
-66.93%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
5.93
-

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

Last update for Sierra Leone: October 26, 2026

Last update for Australia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sierra Leone
$1.3K
Australia
$1.3K 0.9% $12
Groceries & Markets
Sierra Leone
$262 *
Australia
$374 42.8% $112
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sierra Leone
$131
Australia
$292 124% $162
Eating Out
Sierra Leone
$107
Australia
$297 178% $190
Clothing & Footwear
Sierra Leone
$36 *
Australia
$168 365% $132
Getting Around
Sierra Leone
$4.9 *
Australia
$116 2267% $111
Sport & Entertainment
Sierra Leone
- *
Australia
$86

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $942 in Sierra Leone vs $1,383 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $942 in Freetown and $1,749 in Canberra.

Average salary: $1,332 in Sierra Leone vs $3,874 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 47% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 110% more in Australia.

Salaries are about 2.9 times higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know
🇸🇱 Sierra Leone
🇦🇺 Australia
🕒 Local time
23:53 11:53 PM
10:53 10:53 AM
11 h ahead of Sierra Leone
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
7,557,212
26,473,055
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to SLL – Sierra Leonean Leone Converter

Sierra Leonean Leone exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 22,833 SLL (100,000 SLL = 4.38 USD). 1 EUR = 25,592 SLL (100,000 SLL = 3.91 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.701 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.625 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sierra Leone Australia 16,540 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sierra Leone
  • Australia

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Sierra Leone vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Australia more expensive than Sierra Leone?
Sierra Leone is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 31% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,383 versus $942 in Sierra Leone.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget in Australia or in Sierra Leone?
$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Sierra Leone, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Should I move to Australia or to Sierra Leone?
Sierra Leone is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Sierra Leone vs other spots: cost of living compared

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