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 $1,970 per month in Sierra Leone vs $1,019 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,723 per month in Sierra Leone vs $1,585 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,475 per month in Sierra Leone vs $2,150 in South Africa, rent included.

Sierra Leone costs about 93% more than South Africa on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Sierra Leone sits 47% 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 ($1,970–$1,970) than South Africa ($806–$1,361), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Sierra Leone.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 SLL 67.3K

$8.88 R 144

-66.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.79 SLL 744.5K

$39.40 R 637

-16.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 SLL 224.7K

$4.92 R 79.6

101.02%

Cappuccino

$1.71 SLL 38.8K

$2.00 R 32.28

-14.50%

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

$0.97 SLL 22.0K

$1.03 R 16.58

-5.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 SLL 18.0K

$0.75 R 12.15

5.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.52 SLL 34.5K

$2.26 R 36.50

-32.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 SLL 63.2K

$2.47 R 40.00

12.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.47 SLL 56.0K

$1.08 R 17.42

128.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 SLL 15.8K

$1.04 R 16.78

-33.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 SLL 30.6K

$1.57 R 25.45

-14.01%

Eggs

$2.06 SLL 46.8K

$2.28 R 36.86

-9.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.21 SLL 163.6K

$7.73 R 125

-6.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.46 SLL 169.4K

$4.56 R 73.8

63.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.38 SLL 122.1K

$6.72 R 109

-19.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 SLL 89.7K

$1.50 R 24.31

163.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 SLL 44.8K

$1.41 R 22.87

39.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.73 SLL 16.5K

$1.51 R 24.38

-51.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.01 SLL 113.9K

$1.52 R 24.51

229.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 SLL 46.8K

$1.26 R 20.44

63.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 SLL 37.6K

$1.30 R 20.95

27.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 SLL 22.4K

$1.09 R 17.62

-10.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 SLL 32.3K

$0.99 R 15.99

43.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.87 SLL 42.5K

$2.98 R 48.20

-37.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.57 SLL 172.0K

$5.12 R 82.9

47.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SLL 32.7K

$1.32 R 21.37

9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 SLL 48.0K

$1.65 R 26.68

28.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 SLL 10.7K

$1.71 R 27.60

-72.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.13 R 730

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 SLL 16.6K

$1.11 R 17.93

-34.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 SLL 29.0K

$1.11 R 17.91

15.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 SLL 111.6K

$4.70 R 76.1

4.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 SLL 30.7K

$1.28 R 20.74

5.47%

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

$12.2K SLL 276.9M

$20.8K R 335.8K

-41.30%

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

$24.6K SLL 559.4M

$23.5K R 379.4K

4.97%

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

$145 SLL 3.3M

$111 R 1,792

30.41%

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

$17.83 SLL 404.9K

$32.41 R 524

-44.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.7 SLL 1.7M

$41.64 R 673

81.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 SLL 1.2M

$31.24 R 505

63.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.78 R 158

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 R 110

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

$189 R 3,048

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,394 R 71.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$9.90 SLL 224.8K

$49.42 R 799

-79.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.97 SLL 181.0K

$30.39 R 491

-73.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.39 SLL 462.9K

$94.1 R 1,522

-78.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.29 SLL 1.1M

$79.4 R 1,283

-37.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$808 SLL 18.3M

$444 R 7,171

82.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,250 SLL 28.4M

$368 R 5,948

239.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 SLL 47.5M

$880 R 14.2K

137.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$98.3 SLL 2.2M

$714 R 11.5K

-86.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,106 SLL 25.1M

$1,061 R 17.2K

4.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,098 SLL 24.9M

$782 R 12.6K

40.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,319 SLL 29.9M

$1,505 R 24.3K

-12.42%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for South Africa: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $832 in Sierra Leone vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $832 in Freetown and $764 in Cape Town.

Average salary: $1,327 in Sierra Leone vs $1,501 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 126% higher in Sierra Leone.

Salaries are 13% 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 82% 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 82% 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.