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: $1,981 in Sierra Leone versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,705 in Sierra Leone versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,429 in Sierra Leone versus $1,549 in China.

Living in Sierra Leone is roughly 178% more expensive than in China on average.

Sierra Leone (49% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Sierra Leone: monthly costs span $1,981 to $1,981, compared to $533–$1,212 in China. City choice carries more weight in Sierra Leone.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.08 SLL 70.1K

$2.77 ¥18.71

11.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.57 SLL 742.2K

$24.05 ¥162

35.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.83 SLL 224.1K

$4.73 ¥31.91

107.82%

Cappuccino

$1.74 SLL 39.7K

$3.08 ¥20.77

-43.51%

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

$0.92 SLL 20.9K

$0.44 ¥2.99

109.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 SLL 19.2K

$0.29 ¥1.98

189.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.54 SLL 35.2K

$1.01 ¥6.80

52.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 SLL 66.0K

$2.08 ¥14.02

39.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 SLL 55.4K

$1.83 ¥12.38

32.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.66 SLL 15.0K

$1.62 ¥10.94

-59.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 SLL 30.0K

$0.97 ¥6.58

36.08%

Eggs

$2.00 SLL 45.6K

$1.61 ¥10.90

24.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.25 SLL 165.1K

$13.34 ¥90.1

-45.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.59 SLL 173.0K

$3.37 ¥22.74

125.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.22 SLL 118.9K

$10.68 ¥72.1

-51.12%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 SLL 93.1K

$1.81 ¥12.25

125.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 SLL 46.3K

$1.25 ¥8.43

62.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.73 SLL 16.6K

$1.46 ¥9.88

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.12 SLL 116.7K

$1.15 ¥7.73

345.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 SLL 46.5K

$0.73 ¥4.91

179.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 SLL 36.5K

$0.89 ¥5.99

79.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 SLL 23.3K

$0.60 ¥4.05

70.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 SLL 32.6K

$0.53 ¥3.58

169.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 SLL 44.5K

$3.39 ¥22.91

-42.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 SLL 175.0K

$11.73 ¥79.2

-34.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 SLL 33.6K

$0.77 ¥5.22

90.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 SLL 46.6K

$1.63 ¥10.97

25.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 SLL 10.7K

$0.41 ¥2.77

14.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.24 ¥143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 SLL 17.7K

$1.35 ¥9.12

-42.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 SLL 28.2K

$0.36 ¥2.40

244.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 SLL 113.3K

$6.70 ¥45.23

-25.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 SLL 30.7K

$1.18 ¥7.98

14.41%

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

$12.1K SLL 276.2M

$19.8K ¥133.4K

-38.65%

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

$25.0K SLL 570.2M

$16.5K ¥111.6K

51.34%

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

$144 SLL 3.3M

$51.7 ¥349

177.35%

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

$17.64 SLL 402.0K

$10.09 ¥68.1

74.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 SLL 1.7M

$11.38 ¥76.8

554.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.6 SLL 1.2M

$39.24 ¥265

28.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.84 ¥100

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 ¥42.53

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

$414 ¥2,793

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ¥117.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$9.90 SLL 225.7K

$46.77 ¥316

-78.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$8.16 SLL 186.0K

$33.08 ¥223

-75.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$19.97 SLL 455.1K

$70.9 ¥479

-71.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.58 SLL 1.1M

$74.5 ¥503

-33.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 SLL 18.9M

$440 ¥2,971

88.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,251 SLL 28.5M

$253 ¥1,706

395.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 SLL 47.9M

$911 ¥6,150

130.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$101 SLL 2.3M

$531 ¥3,582

-81.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,086 SLL 24.8M

$4,778 ¥32.3K

-77.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,095 SLL 24.9M

$2,403 ¥16.2K

-54.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,333 SLL 30.4M

$1,058 ¥7,140

26.00%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for China: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $808 in Sierra Leone, $287 in China. Capital cities: $808 in Freetown vs $909 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,334 in Sierra Leone, $857 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 182% higher in Sierra Leone.

Dining out costs 57% more in Sierra Leone.

Salaries are 56% 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 $873 per month in China and $1,981 in Sierra Leone, there's a 127% 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.