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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,926 in Sierra Leone versus $452 in Egypt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,681 in Sierra Leone versus $726 in Egypt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,435 in Sierra Leone versus $1,000 in Egypt.

Living in Sierra Leone is roughly 326% more expensive than Egypt on average.

Sierra Leone (44% above) and Egypt (66% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Sierra Leone: monthly costs span $1,926 to $1,926, compared to $314$703 in Egypt. City choice carries more weight in Sierra Leone.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sierra Leone
Egypt
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.05 SLL 75.2K
$4.05 E£210
-24.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$31.86 SLL 786.0K
$19.98 E£1,039
59.46%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.98 SLL 246.3K
$4.86 E£253
105.35%
Cappuccino
$1.70 SLL 41.9K
$1.45 E£75.3
17.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 SLL 22.2K
$0.35 E£18.28
157.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 SLL 19.2K
$0.12 E£6.48
550.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.52 SLL 37.4K
$1.40 E£73.0
8.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 SLL 69.3K
$2.98 E£155
-5.70%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sierra Leone
Egypt
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.44 SLL 60.3K
$0.91 E£47.31
168.13%
White Bread (500g)
$0.66 SLL 16.2K
$0.62 E£32.16
6.45%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.37 SLL 33.8K
$0.66 E£34.56
107.58%
Eggs
$2.03 SLL 50.0K
$1.46 E£75.8
39.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.93 SLL 171.1K
$3.24 E£168
113.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.60 SLL 187.6K
$4.23 E£220
79.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.21 SLL 128.5K
$8.55 E£444
-39.06%
Apples (1kg)
$3.93 SLL 96.9K
$1.52 E£79.3
158.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.97 SLL 48.7K
$0.56 E£29.17
251.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.73 SLL 18.0K
$0.47 E£24.70
55.32%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.90 SLL 120.8K
$0.38 E£19.50
1189.47%
Potato (1kg)
$1.97 SLL 48.5K
$0.45 E£23.24
337.78%
Onion (1kg)
$1.66 SLL 40.9K
$0.41 E£21.46
304.88%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.01 SLL 25.0K
$0.22 E£11.39
359.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.43 SLL 35.2K
$0.20 E£10.54
615.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.96 SLL 48.4K
$1.94 E£101
1.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.77 SLL 191.6K
$6.70 E£348
15.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.47 SLL 36.3K
$1.31 E£68.2
12.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13 SLL 52.5K
$1.96 E£102
8.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Sierra Leone
Egypt
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.45 SLL 11.0K
$0.27 E£14.00
66.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$5.99 E£312
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.78 SLL 19.4K
$0.42 E£21.76
85.71%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.23 SLL 30.4K
$0.29 E£14.89
324.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.95 SLL 122.2K
$1.24 E£64.7
299.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 SLL 32.2K
$0.33 E£17.36
296.97%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$12.0K SLL 295.0M
$34.3K E£1.8M
-65.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.9K SLL 613.7M
$31.2K E£1.6M
-20.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sierra Leone
Egypt
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$143 SLL 3.5M
$21.22 E£1,103
575.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.75 SLL 437.9K
$6.97 E£363
154.66%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$74.4 SLL 1.8M
$11.72 E£610
534.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sierra Leone
Egypt
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.1 SLL 1.2M
$14.86 E£773
237.28%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$6.87 E£357
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$2.88 E£150
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sierra Leone
Egypt
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$85.8 E£4,464
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$1,911 E£99.3K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sierra Leone
Egypt
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$9.95 SLL 245.5K
$25.73 E£1,338
-61.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$8.23 SLL 203.0K
$44.59 E£2,318
-81.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$19.69 SLL 485.8K
$108 E£5,612
-81.76%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$50.1 SLL 1.2M
$51.8 E£2,695
-3.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sierra Leone
Egypt
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$820 SLL 20.2M
$162 E£8,431
405.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,261 SLL 31.1M
$99.6 E£5,178
1165.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,087 SLL 51.5M
$320 E£16.7K
551.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$101 SLL 2.5M
$194 E£10.1K
-47.84%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,081 SLL 51.3M
$739 E£38.4K
181.65%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,332 SLL 32.9M
$445 E£23.2K
199.10%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sierra Leone
Egypt
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,150 SLL 28.4M
$139 E£7,207
729.58%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
16.38
-

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

Last update for Sierra Leone: April 20, 2026

Last update for Egypt: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $817 in Sierra Leone, $183 in Egypt. Capital cities: $817 in Freetown vs $208 in Cairo.

National salary averages: $1,138 in Sierra Leone, $141 in Egypt. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 346% higher in Sierra Leone.

Dining out costs 100% more in Sierra Leone.

Salaries are 707% higher in Sierra Leone, giving Sierra Leone 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 Egypt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Egypt and Sierra Leone?
At $509 per month in Egypt and $1,926 in Sierra Leone, there's a 279% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Egypt 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.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent in Sierra Leone beats Egypt across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget in Egypt or Sierra Leone?
In Egypt, $1,000 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.
Should I move to Egypt or Sierra Leone?
It depends on what you're after. Egypt wins on affordability; Sierra Leone may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

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