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.
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
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Sierra Leone
Canada
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.01SLL 46.0K
$18.16CA$25.52
-88.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.44SLL 923.1K
$71.2CA$100
-43.21%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.82SLL 247.0K
$10.81CA$15.19
0.09%
Cappuccino
$2.58SLL 59.0K
$3.78CA$5.31
-31.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64SLL 37.5K
$2.11CA$2.97
-22.27%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83SLL 18.9K
$1.66CA$2.33
-50.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.05SLL 46.8K
$5.62CA$7.89
-63.52%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.52SLL 80.3K
$5.72CA$8.04
-38.46%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sierra Leone
Canada
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.44SLL 55.8K
$2.17CA$3.06
12.44%
White Bread(500g)
$0.68SLL 15.5K
$2.60CA$3.66
-73.85%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.28SLL 29.3K
$3.65CA$5.13
-64.93%
Eggs
$1.83SLL 41.7K
$3.63CA$5.10
-49.59%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$7.28SLL 166.2K
$10.76CA$15.12
-32.34%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$9.85SLL 224.9K
$11.90CA$16.72
-17.23%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$5.20SLL 118.7K
$15.42CA$21.67
-66.28%
Apples(1kg)
$7.17SLL 163.7K
$4.03CA$5.66
77.92%
Banana(1kg)
$2.93SLL 66.8K
$1.38CA$1.95
112.32%
Oranges(1kg)
$0.74SLL 16.9K
$3.88CA$5.44
-80.93%
Tomato(1kg)
$5.08SLL 116.0K
$4.08CA$5.74
24.51%
Potato(1kg)
$1.98SLL 45.2K
$2.57CA$3.61
-22.96%
Onion(1kg)
$1.62SLL 36.9K
$2.48CA$3.48
-34.68%
Lettuce(1 head)
-
$2.65CA$3.72
-
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.12SLL 25.7K
$1.71CA$2.41
-34.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.06SLL 69.7K
$14.32CA$20.12
-78.63%
Wine(Bottle)
$7.90SLL 180.2K
$13.49CA$18.95
-41.44%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.52SLL 34.6K
$2.84CA$3.99
-46.48%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95SLL 44.4K
$3.30CA$4.64
-40.91%
🚌 Getting Around
Sierra Leone
Canada
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.45SLL 10.2K
$2.55CA$3.59
-82.35%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$71.9CA$101
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.49SLL 11.1K
$3.18CA$4.47
-84.59%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.52SLL 11.9K
$1.54CA$2.16
-66.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
-
$26.69CA$37.50
-
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.36SLL 31.0K
$1.24CA$1.75
9.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$12.2KSLL 277.8M
$27.9KCA$39.2K
-56.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2KSLL 574.9M
$21.1KCA$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)
$60.6SLL 1.4M
$147CA$207
-58.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.71SLL 404.4K
$41.80CA$58.7
-57.63%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.3SLL 1.2M
$60.2CA$84.6
-13.18%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sierra Leone
Canada
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
-
$39.01CA$54.8
-
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.06CA$26.78
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$11.21CA$15.75
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sierra Leone
Canada
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
-
$721CA$1,013
-
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
-
$14.8KCA$20.9K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sierra Leone
Canada
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$10.02SLL 228.8K
$55.3CA$77.7
-81.87%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$38.95CA$54.7
-
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$20.12SLL 459.3K
$87.4CA$123
-76.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$50.1SLL 1.1M
$101CA$142
-50.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sierra Leone
Canada
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$918SLL 21.0M
$1,290CA$1,813
-28.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,281SLL 29.2M
$1,130CA$1,588
13.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$3,505SLL 80.0M
$2,036CA$2,861
72.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
-
$1,731CA$2,432
-
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,099SLL 25.1M
$4,769CA$6,700
-76.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,092SLL 24.9M
$3,730CA$5,240
-70.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sierra Leone
Canada
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,317SLL 30.1M
$3,070CA$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.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Sierra Leone
$1.3K 70.3%
Canada
$1.1K 48.9% ↓ 11.8%$151
🛒Groceries & Markets
Sierra Leone
$262 * 14.4%
Canada
$371 16.1% ↑ 41.5%$109
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sierra Leone
$131 7.2%
Canada
$249 10.8% ↑ 91%$119
🍽Eating Out
Sierra Leone
$107 5.9%
Canada
$278 12% ↑ 160%$171
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Sierra Leone
$36 * 2%
Canada
$127 5.5% ↑ 253%$91
🚌Getting Around
Sierra Leone
$4.9 * 0.3%
Canada
$93 4% ↑ 1802%$88
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Sierra Leone
- * 0%
Canada
$61 2.7%
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Sierra Leone
- * 0%
Canada
-1.7K 39.3%
🛒Groceries & Markets
Sierra Leone
-617 * 49.1%
Canada
-847 19.2% ↑ 37.3%-230
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sierra Leone
-148 11.8%
Canada
-291 6.6% ↑ 96.4%-143
🍽Eating Out
Sierra Leone
-400 31.8%
Canada
-918 20.9% ↑ 130%-518
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Sierra Leone
-80 * 6.4%
Canada
-283 6.4% ↑ 253%-203
🚌Getting Around
Sierra Leone
-11 * 0.9%
Canada
-191 4.3% ↑ 1690%-180
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Sierra Leone
- * 0%
Canada
-142 3.2%
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.
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