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 $1,926 per month in Sierra Leone vs $1,021 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,681 per month in Sierra Leone vs $1,594 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,435 per month in Sierra Leone vs $2,167 in South Africa, rent included.

Sierra Leone costs about 89% more than South Africa on average — the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Sierra Leone sits 44% above the global median, while South Africa is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Sierra Leone has a wider regional cost range ($1,926–$1,926) than South Africa ($804–$1,352), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Sierra Leone.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 SLL 75.2K

$9.20 R 152

-66.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.86 SLL 786.0K

$38.46 R 633

-17.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.98 SLL 246.3K

$5.11 R 84.2

95.30%

Cappuccino

$1.70 SLL 41.9K

$2.03 R 33.38

-16.26%

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

$0.90 SLL 22.2K

$0.95 R 15.60

-5.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 SLL 19.2K

$0.79 R 13.06

-1.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.52 SLL 37.4K

$2.31 R 37.97

-34.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 SLL 69.3K

$2.46 R 40.48

14.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 SLL 60.3K

$1.08 R 17.77

125.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.66 SLL 16.2K

$0.96 R 15.85

-31.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 SLL 33.8K

$1.60 R 26.41

-14.37%

Eggs

$2.03 SLL 50.0K

$2.32 R 38.28

-12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.93 SLL 171.1K

$7.48 R 123

-7.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.60 SLL 187.6K

$4.57 R 75.2

66.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.21 SLL 128.5K

$6.56 R 108

-20.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.93 SLL 96.9K

$1.58 R 26.06

148.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 SLL 48.7K

$1.45 R 23.90

35.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.73 SLL 18.0K

$1.50 R 24.78

-51.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.90 SLL 120.8K

$1.55 R 25.45

216.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 SLL 48.5K

$1.26 R 20.83

56.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 SLL 40.9K

$1.29 R 21.23

28.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 SLL 25.0K

$1.07 R 17.64

-5.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 SLL 35.2K

$0.90 R 14.87

58.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.96 SLL 48.4K

$2.92 R 48.11

-32.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 SLL 191.6K

$4.99 R 82.2

55.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 SLL 36.3K

$1.39 R 22.87

5.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 SLL 52.5K

$1.68 R 27.62

26.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 SLL 11.0K

$1.72 R 28.32

-73.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.17 R 744

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 SLL 19.4K

$1.11 R 18.27

-29.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 SLL 30.4K

$1.06 R 17.48

16.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.95 SLL 122.2K

$4.84 R 79.8

2.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 SLL 32.2K

$1.24 R 20.47

5.65%

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

$12.0K SLL 295.0M

$21.0K R 346.4K

-43.16%

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

$24.9K SLL 613.7M

$24.1K R 396.6K

3.31%

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

$143 SLL 3.5M

$112 R 1,846

27.82%

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

$17.75 SLL 437.9K

$31.87 R 525

-44.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.4 SLL 1.8M

$40.80 R 672

82.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 SLL 1.2M

$31.46 R 518

59.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.71 R 160

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 R 110

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

$192 R 3,159

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,306 R 70.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$9.95 SLL 245.5K

$49.12 R 809

-79.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$8.23 SLL 203.0K

$30.89 R 509

-73.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$19.69 SLL 485.8K

$93.2 R 1,535

-78.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.1 SLL 1.2M

$78.6 R 1,295

-36.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$820 SLL 20.2M

$451 R 7,426

81.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 SLL 31.1M

$366 R 6,033

244.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,087 SLL 51.5M

$888 R 14.6K

135.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$101 SLL 2.5M

$709 R 11.7K

-85.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,081 SLL 51.3M

$1,148 R 18.9K

81.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,332 SLL 32.9M

$807 R 13.3K

65.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,150 SLL 28.4M

$1,467 R 24.2K

-21.63%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for South Africa: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $817 in Sierra Leone vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $817 in Freetown and $762 in Cape Town.

Average salary: $1,138 in Sierra Leone vs $1,458 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 122% higher in Sierra Leone.

Salaries are 28% higher in South Africa, giving South Africa 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 South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

South Africa is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 79% 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 79% 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.