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: $1,931 in Sierra Leone versus $711 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,686 in Sierra Leone versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,441 in Sierra Leone versus $1,550 in China.

Living in Sierra Leone is roughly 172% more expensive than China on average.

Sierra Leone (44% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Sierra Leone: monthly costs span $1,931 to $1,931, compared to $525–$1,220 in China. City choice carries more weight in Sierra Leone.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.97 SLL 73.3K

$2.75 ¥18.83

8.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 SLL 804.0K

$24.03 ¥165

35.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.95 SLL 245.4K

$4.96 ¥33.95

100.60%

Cappuccino

$1.74 SLL 43.0K

$3.12 ¥21.37

-44.23%

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

$0.96 SLL 23.8K

$0.48 ¥3.26

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 SLL 20.7K

$0.27 ¥1.84

211.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 SLL 36.4K

$0.98 ¥6.73

51.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 SLL 72.1K

$2.15 ¥14.69

35.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 SLL 61.1K

$1.83 ¥12.53

35.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 SLL 16.9K

$1.68 ¥11.54

-59.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 SLL 32.3K

$0.91 ¥6.21

43.96%

Eggs

$1.99 SLL 49.0K

$1.56 ¥10.66

27.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.14 SLL 176.2K

$12.97 ¥88.9

-44.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.60 SLL 187.4K

$3.25 ¥22.23

133.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.23 SLL 128.9K

$10.51 ¥72.0

-50.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 SLL 97.1K

$1.81 ¥12.41

117.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 SLL 48.6K

$1.30 ¥8.90

51.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.73 SLL 18.0K

$1.50 ¥10.26

-51.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 SLL 124.2K

$1.15 ¥7.87

337.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 SLL 50.5K

$0.76 ¥5.20

169.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 SLL 41.1K

$0.89 ¥6.07

86.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 SLL 25.1K

$0.58 ¥3.97

75.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 SLL 34.1K

$0.58 ¥3.95

137.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.88 SLL 46.5K

$3.50 ¥23.95

-46.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.01 SLL 173.0K

$11.55 ¥79.1

-39.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 SLL 35.1K

$0.78 ¥5.31

82.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 SLL 50.2K

$1.61 ¥11.03

26.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 SLL 11.7K

$0.44 ¥3.01

6.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.15 ¥145

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 SLL 18.0K

$1.36 ¥9.35

-46.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 SLL 31.5K

$0.36 ¥2.44

255.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 SLL 123.0K

$6.61 ¥45.28

-24.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 SLL 32.3K

$1.13 ¥7.74

15.93%

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

$12.2K SLL 301.3M

$19.7K ¥135.2K

-38.16%

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

$25.4K SLL 626.3M

$17.1K ¥117.0K

48.59%

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

$146 SLL 3.6M

$50.9 ¥349

185.92%

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

$17.54 SLL 432.7K

$10.03 ¥68.7

74.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.4 SLL 1.9M

$11.33 ¥77.6

565.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 SLL 1.2M

$40.13 ¥275

25.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.97 ¥103

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 ¥41.74

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

$418 ¥2,860

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K ¥118.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.08 SLL 248.6K

$46.40 ¥318

-78.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$8.01 SLL 197.7K

$32.92 ¥226

-75.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$19.73 SLL 486.8K

$71.1 ¥487

-72.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.79 SLL 1.2M

$72.9 ¥499

-31.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$818 SLL 20.2M

$438 ¥3,003

86.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 SLL 31.0M

$259 ¥1,775

385.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,089 SLL 51.5M

$926 ¥6,341

125.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$102 SLL 2.5M

$548 ¥3,754

-81.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,076 SLL 26.6M

$5,047 ¥34.6K

-78.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,080 SLL 26.6M

$2,666 ¥18.3K

-59.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,356 SLL 33.5M

$1,074 ¥7,357

26.23%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for China: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $807 in Sierra Leone, $286 in China. Capital cities: $807 in Freetown vs $886 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,123 in Sierra Leone, $834 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 52% more in Sierra Leone.

Salaries are 35% 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 $873 per month in China and $1,931 in Sierra Leone, there's a 121% 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.