Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sierra Leone and Canada

For one person, living is cheaper in Sierra Leone: $1,821 a month against $2,310 in Canada, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. The total is higher in Canada despite lower rent and utilities.

Sierra Leone
Canada
🇸🇱 Sierra Leone
$1,821
/mo nomad
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,310
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Canada actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,821 per month in Sierra Leone vs $2,310 in Canada, rent included.

  • Sierra Leone $1,821
  • Canada $2,310

A couple spends around $1,538 per month in Sierra Leone vs $3,356 in Canada, rent included.

  • Sierra Leone $1,538
  • Canada $3,356

A family of three spends $1,256 per month in Sierra Leone vs $4,403 in Canada, rent included.

  • Sierra Leone $1,256
  • Canada $4,403

The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($889–$3,737) than in Sierra Leone ($1,778–$1,778), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Sierra Leone is roughly 21% lower than in Canada on average.

Both Sierra Leone and Canada are pricier than the global median – Sierra Leone by 34%, Canada by 70%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sierra Leone
Canada
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.01 SLL 46.0K
$18.16 CA$25.52
-88.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.44 SLL 923.1K
$71.2 CA$100
-43.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.82 SLL 247.0K
$10.81 CA$15.19
0.09%
Cappuccino
$2.58 SLL 59.0K
$3.78 CA$5.31
-31.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 SLL 37.5K
$2.11 CA$2.97
-22.27%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 SLL 18.9K
$1.66 CA$2.33
-50.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.05 SLL 46.8K
$5.62 CA$7.89
-63.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.52 SLL 80.3K
$5.72 CA$8.04
-38.46%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sierra Leone
Canada
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.44 SLL 55.8K
$2.17 CA$3.06
12.44%
White Bread (500g)
$0.68 SLL 15.5K
$2.60 CA$3.66
-73.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.28 SLL 29.3K
$3.65 CA$5.13
-64.93%
Eggs
$1.83 SLL 41.7K
$3.63 CA$5.10
-49.59%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.28 SLL 166.2K
$10.76 CA$15.12
-32.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.85 SLL 224.9K
$11.90 CA$16.72
-17.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.20 SLL 118.7K
$15.42 CA$21.67
-66.28%
Apples (1kg)
$7.17 SLL 163.7K
$4.03 CA$5.66
77.92%
Banana (1kg)
$2.93 SLL 66.8K
$1.38 CA$1.95
112.32%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.74 SLL 16.9K
$3.88 CA$5.44
-80.93%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.08 SLL 116.0K
$4.08 CA$5.74
24.51%
Potato (1kg)
$1.98 SLL 45.2K
$2.57 CA$3.61
-22.96%
Onion (1kg)
$1.62 SLL 36.9K
$2.48 CA$3.48
-34.68%
Lettuce (1 head)
-
$2.65 CA$3.72
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.12 SLL 25.7K
$1.71 CA$2.41
-34.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.06 SLL 69.7K
$14.32 CA$20.12
-78.63%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.90 SLL 180.2K
$13.49 CA$18.95
-41.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.52 SLL 34.6K
$2.84 CA$3.99
-46.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 SLL 44.4K
$3.30 CA$4.64
-40.91%
🚌 Getting Around
Sierra Leone
Canada
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.45 SLL 10.2K
$2.55 CA$3.59
-82.35%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$71.9 CA$101
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.49 SLL 11.1K
$3.18 CA$4.47
-84.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.52 SLL 11.9K
$1.54 CA$2.16
-66.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$26.69 CA$37.50
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 SLL 31.0K
$1.24 CA$1.75
9.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$12.2K SLL 277.8M
$27.9K CA$39.2K
-56.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2K SLL 574.9M
$21.1K CA$29.6K
19.54%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sierra Leone
Canada
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$60.6 SLL 1.4M
$147 CA$207
-58.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.71 SLL 404.4K
$41.80 CA$58.7
-57.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.3 SLL 1.2M
$60.2 CA$84.6
-13.18%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sierra Leone
Canada
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$39.01 CA$54.8
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.06 CA$26.78
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$11.21 CA$15.75
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sierra Leone
Canada
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$721 CA$1,013
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$14.8K CA$20.9K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sierra Leone
Canada
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$10.02 SLL 228.8K
$55.3 CA$77.7
-81.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$38.95 CA$54.7
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$20.12 SLL 459.3K
$87.4 CA$123
-76.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$50.1 SLL 1.1M
$101 CA$142
-50.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sierra Leone
Canada
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$918 SLL 21.0M
$1,290 CA$1,813
-28.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,281 SLL 29.2M
$1,130 CA$1,588
13.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,505 SLL 80.0M
$2,036 CA$2,861
72.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,731 CA$2,432
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,099 SLL 25.1M
$4,769 CA$6,700
-76.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,092 SLL 24.9M
$3,730 CA$5,240
-70.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sierra Leone
Canada
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,317 SLL 30.1M
$3,070 CA$4,313
-57.08%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
4.87
-

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

Last update for Sierra Leone: October 26, 2026

Last update for Canada: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sierra Leone
$1.3K
Canada
$1.1K 11.8% $151
Groceries & Markets
Sierra Leone
$262 *
Canada
$371 41.5% $109
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sierra Leone
$131
Canada
$249 91% $119
Eating Out
Sierra Leone
$107
Canada
$278 160% $171
Clothing & Footwear
Sierra Leone
$36 *
Canada
$127 253% $91
Getting Around
Sierra Leone
$4.9 *
Canada
$93 1802% $88
Sport & Entertainment
Sierra Leone
- *
Canada
$61

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 $1,250 in Canada. For reference, capital cities sit at $942 in Freetown and $1,434 in Ottawa.

Average salary: $1,332 in Sierra Leone vs $2,968 in Canada. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 33% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 60% more in Canada.

Salaries are about 2.2 times higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Canada.

Good to know
🇸🇱 Sierra Leone
🇨🇦 Canada
🕒 Local time
11:17 11:17 AM
07:17 7:17 AM
4 h behind Sierra Leone
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
7,557,212
36,991,981
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

Sierra Leonean Leone exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 22,828 SLL (100,000 SLL = 4.38 USD). 1 EUR = 25,407 SLL (100,000 SLL = 3.94 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.712 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sierra Leone Canada 7,200 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sierra Leone
  • Canada

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 Canada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Canada more expensive than Sierra Leone?
Sierra Leone is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 21% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Canada: a central one-bedroom averages $1,250 versus $942 in Sierra Leone.
Should I move to Canada 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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