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: $1,970 in Sierra Leone versus $713 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,723 in Sierra Leone versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,475 in Sierra Leone versus $1,551 in China.

Living in Sierra Leone is roughly 176% more expensive than China on average.

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

Internal cost variation is higher in Sierra Leone: monthly costs span $1,970 to $1,970, compared to $535–$1,206 in China. City choice carries more weight in Sierra Leone.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 SLL 67.3K

$2.86 ¥19.36

3.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.79 SLL 744.5K

$23.29 ¥158

40.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 SLL 224.7K

$4.83 ¥32.66

104.76%

Cappuccino

$1.71 SLL 38.8K

$3.04 ¥20.52

-43.75%

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

$0.97 SLL 22.0K

$0.45 ¥3.03

115.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 SLL 18.0K

$0.27 ¥1.81

192.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.52 SLL 34.5K

$0.99 ¥6.71

53.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 SLL 63.2K

$2.03 ¥13.74

36.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.47 SLL 56.0K

$1.75 ¥11.86

41.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 SLL 15.8K

$1.67 ¥11.31

-58.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 SLL 30.6K

$0.97 ¥6.56

39.18%

Eggs

$2.06 SLL 46.8K

$1.54 ¥10.45

33.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.21 SLL 163.6K

$13.30 ¥89.9

-45.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.46 SLL 169.4K

$3.21 ¥21.69

132.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.38 SLL 122.1K

$10.79 ¥73.0

-50.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 SLL 89.7K

$1.81 ¥12.27

118.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 SLL 44.8K

$1.31 ¥8.84

50.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.73 SLL 16.5K

$1.50 ¥10.15

-51.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.01 SLL 113.9K

$1.14 ¥7.74

339.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 SLL 46.8K

$0.73 ¥4.90

182.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 SLL 37.6K

$0.87 ¥5.86

90.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 SLL 22.4K

$0.57 ¥3.85

71.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 SLL 32.3K

$0.54 ¥3.63

162.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.87 SLL 42.5K

$3.53 ¥23.88

-47.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.57 SLL 172.0K

$11.71 ¥79.2

-35.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SLL 32.7K

$0.84 ¥5.67

71.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 SLL 48.0K

$1.67 ¥11.29

26.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 SLL 10.7K

$0.41 ¥2.75

14.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.78 ¥141

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 SLL 16.6K

$1.36 ¥9.21

-46.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 SLL 29.0K

$0.33 ¥2.21

287.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 SLL 111.6K

$6.86 ¥46.40

-28.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 SLL 30.7K

$1.12 ¥7.57

20.54%

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

$12.2K SLL 276.9M

$19.2K ¥129.8K

-36.47%

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

$24.6K SLL 559.4M

$16.9K ¥114.4K

45.57%

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

$145 SLL 3.3M

$51.8 ¥350

178.96%

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

$17.83 SLL 404.9K

$9.85 ¥66.6

81.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.7 SLL 1.7M

$11.13 ¥75.3

580.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 SLL 1.2M

$39.10 ¥264

30.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.89 ¥101

Cinema Ticket

$6.25 ¥42.24

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

$404 ¥2,732

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K ¥120.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$9.90 SLL 224.8K

$46.11 ¥312

-78.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.97 SLL 181.0K

$32.27 ¥218

-75.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.39 SLL 462.9K

$72.7 ¥491

-71.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.29 SLL 1.1M

$72.9 ¥493

-32.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$808 SLL 18.3M

$445 ¥3,009

81.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,250 SLL 28.4M

$255 ¥1,727

389.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 SLL 47.5M

$927 ¥6,266

125.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$98.3 SLL 2.2M

$532 ¥3,600

-81.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,106 SLL 25.1M

$4,943 ¥33.4K

-77.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,098 SLL 24.9M

$2,492 ¥16.9K

-55.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,319 SLL 29.9M

$1,057 ¥7,148

24.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

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

Last update for Sierra Leone: June 9, 2026

Last update for China: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $832 in Sierra Leone, $286 in China. Capital cities: $832 in Freetown vs $913 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,327 in Sierra Leone, $862 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 191% higher in Sierra Leone.

Dining out costs 52% more in Sierra Leone.

Salaries are 54% higher in Sierra Leone, giving China stronger purchasing power.

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 $871 per month in China and $1,970 in Sierra Leone, there's a 126% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.