Cost of Living Comparison Between Sierra Leone and South Africa Cost of Living Comparison Between Sierra Leone and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,981 per month in Sierra Leone vs $1,019 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,705 per month in Sierra Leone vs $1,583 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,429 per month in Sierra Leone vs $2,146 in South Africa, rent included.

The cost of living in Sierra Leone is about 94% higher than in South Africa on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Sierra Leone sits 49% above the global median, while South Africa is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Sierra Leone ($1,981–$1,981) than in South Africa ($804–$1,358), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.08 SLL 70.0K

$8.89 R 148

-65.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.57 SLL 741.6K

$39.93 R 665

-18.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.83 SLL 223.9K

$4.90 R 81.7

100.61%

Cappuccino

$1.74 SLL 39.7K

$2.03 R 33.88

-14.29%

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

$0.92 SLL 20.9K

$1.04 R 17.26

-11.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 SLL 19.2K

$0.74 R 12.32

13.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.54 SLL 35.1K

$2.29 R 38.17

-32.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 SLL 66.0K

$2.56 R 42.69

13.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 SLL 55.3K

$1.07 R 17.74

127.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.66 SLL 14.9K

$1.04 R 17.27

-36.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 SLL 30.0K

$1.56 R 25.96

-15.38%

Eggs

$2.00 SLL 45.5K

$2.22 R 37.05

-9.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.25 SLL 165.0K

$7.93 R 132

-8.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.59 SLL 172.8K

$4.57 R 76.1

66.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.22 SLL 118.8K

$6.63 R 110

-21.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 SLL 93.0K

$1.50 R 25.03

172.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 SLL 46.2K

$1.47 R 24.46

38.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.73 SLL 16.6K

$1.45 R 24.11

-49.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.12 SLL 116.6K

$1.57 R 26.14

226.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 SLL 46.4K

$1.20 R 19.97

70.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 SLL 36.5K

$1.28 R 21.38

25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 SLL 23.3K

$1.03 R 17.23

-0.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 SLL 32.6K

$0.93 R 15.54

53.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 SLL 44.5K

$2.94 R 48.96

-33.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 SLL 174.9K

$5.14 R 85.7

49.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 SLL 33.5K

$1.36 R 22.67

8.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 SLL 46.6K

$1.66 R 27.66

22.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 SLL 10.7K

$1.63 R 27.22

-71.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.21 R 736

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 SLL 17.7K

$1.15 R 19.18

-32.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 SLL 28.2K

$1.10 R 18.30

12.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 SLL 113.2K

$4.77 R 79.5

4.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 SLL 30.6K

$1.25 R 20.81

8.00%

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

$12.1K SLL 276.0M

$21.0K R 350.4K

-42.38%

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

$25.0K SLL 569.7M

$23.4K R 390.4K

6.77%

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

$144 SLL 3.3M

$114 R 1,892

26.36%

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

$17.64 SLL 401.7K

$32.92 R 548

-46.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 SLL 1.7M

$40.72 R 678

83.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.6 SLL 1.2M

$31.49 R 525

60.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.52 R 159

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 R 115

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

$188 R 3,124

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,300 R 71.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$9.90 SLL 225.5K

$49.97 R 832

-80.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$8.16 SLL 185.8K

$30.67 R 511

-73.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$19.97 SLL 454.7K

$94.3 R 1,571

-78.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.58 SLL 1.1M

$79.9 R 1,331

-37.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 SLL 18.9M

$444 R 7,398

87.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,251 SLL 28.5M

$374 R 6,231

234.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 SLL 47.9M

$902 R 15.0K

133.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$101 SLL 2.3M

$720 R 12.0K

-86.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,086 SLL 24.7M

$1,102 R 18.4K

-1.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,095 SLL 24.9M

$756 R 12.6K

44.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,333 SLL 30.3M

$1,494 R 24.9K

-10.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

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

Last update for Sierra Leone: July 28, 2026

Last update for South Africa: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $808 in Sierra Leone vs $367 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $808 in Freetown and $399 in Pretoria.

Average salary: $1,334 in Sierra Leone vs $1,498 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 120% higher in Sierra Leone.

Salaries are 12% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

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 South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

South Africa is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 83% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Sierra Leone, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Sierra Leone consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in South Africa, contributing to the overall 83% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in South Africa, but in Sierra Leone it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

South Africa is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.