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

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,724 in Sierra Leone versus $719 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,431 in Sierra Leone versus $1,147 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,138 in Sierra Leone versus $1,574 in China.

Living in Sierra Leone is roughly 140% more expensive than in China on average.

Sierra Leone (26% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Sierra Leone: monthly costs span $1,724 to $1,724, compared to $455–$1,219 in China. City choice carries more weight in Sierra Leone.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.05 SLL 46.7K

$2.92 ¥19.58

-29.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.26 SLL 896.1K

$22.23 ¥149

76.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.78 SLL 246.1K

$5.13 ¥34.34

110.14%

Cappuccino

$2.43 SLL 55.5K

$2.99 ¥20.03

-18.73%

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

$1.29 SLL 29.4K

$0.52 ¥3.50

148.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 SLL 16.5K

$0.28 ¥1.87

157.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 SLL 41.9K

$1.05 ¥7.04

75.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 SLL 77.5K

$2.26 ¥15.17

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 SLL 55.5K

$1.81 ¥12.11

34.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.64 SLL 14.6K

$1.68 ¥11.23

-61.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 SLL 30.2K

$0.90 ¥6.05

46.67%

Eggs

$1.82 SLL 41.6K

$1.56 ¥10.43

16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.06 SLL 161.1K

$13.24 ¥88.7

-46.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 SLL 224.4K

$3.49 ¥23.40

181.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.13 SLL 117.1K

$11.23 ¥75.2

-54.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.93 SLL 89.8K

$1.86 ¥12.43

111.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 SLL 46.1K

$1.26 ¥8.47

60.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.69 SLL 15.8K

$1.53 ¥10.22

-54.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.07 SLL 115.7K

$1.26 ¥8.45

302.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 SLL 46.8K

$0.73 ¥4.91

180.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 SLL 38.1K

$0.88 ¥5.89

89.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.33

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 SLL 30.0K

$0.58 ¥3.88

125.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.96 SLL 67.6K

$3.71 ¥24.84

-20.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.35 SLL 167.8K

$11.80 ¥79.0

-37.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 SLL 26.8K

$0.85 ¥5.69

37.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 SLL 45.8K

$1.67 ¥11.19

20.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 SLL 9,421

$0.29 ¥1.93

41.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.67 ¥152

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 SLL 11.1K

$1.50 ¥10.07

-67.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 SLL 11.7K

$0.35 ¥2.32

45.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.29 ¥48.84

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 SLL 28.9K

$1.22 ¥8.18

3.28%

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

$11.8K SLL 270.3M

$19.0K ¥127.2K

-37.67%

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

$24.7K SLL 564.5M

$17.4K ¥116.2K

42.52%

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

$59.6 SLL 1.4M

$54.0 ¥362

10.36%

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

$17.34 SLL 395.8K

$8.41 ¥56.4

106.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.78 SLL 1.1M

$10.82 ¥72.5

360.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.41 ¥271

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.63 ¥98.0

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ¥44.18

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

$452 ¥3,025

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K ¥128.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$9.86 SLL 225.1K

$44.23 ¥296

-77.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.82 SLL 178.5K

$35.46 ¥238

-77.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.28 SLL 462.9K

$74.7 ¥500

-72.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.15 SLL 1.1M

$78.6 ¥527

-37.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$937 SLL 21.4M

$394 ¥2,642

137.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,279 SLL 29.2M

$243 ¥1,630

425.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,455 SLL 78.9M

$845 ¥5,660

308.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$481 ¥3,221

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,070 SLL 24.4M

$4,609 ¥30.9K

-76.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,098 SLL 25.1M

$2,327 ¥15.6K

-52.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,345 SLL 30.7M

$1,060 ¥7,100

26.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

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

Last update for Sierra Leone: September 12, 2026

Last update for China: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $917 in Sierra Leone, $294 in China. Capital cities: $917 in Freetown vs $985 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,311 in Sierra Leone, $867 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 212% higher in Sierra Leone.

Dining out costs 90% more in Sierra Leone.

Salaries are 51% 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

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

At $837 per month in China and $1,724 in Sierra Leone, there's a 106% 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.