Cost of Living Comparison Between Sierra Leone and United Kingdom Cost of Living Comparison Between Sierra Leone and United Kingdom

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,970 per month in Sierra Leone vs $2,363 in United Kingdom, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,723 per month in Sierra Leone vs $3,474 in United Kingdom, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,475 per month in Sierra Leone vs $4,584 in United Kingdom, rent included.

Sierra Leone is roughly 17% cheaper than United Kingdom on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Sierra Leone and United Kingdom are pricier than the global median – Sierra Leone by 47%, United Kingdom by 76%.

Sierra Leone has a wider regional cost range ($1,970$1,970) than United Kingdom ($1,675$3,930), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Sierra Leone.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sierra Leone
United Kingdom
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.96 SLL 67.3K
$20.18 £15.00
-85.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.79 SLL 744.5K
$86.9 £64.6
-62.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.89 SLL 224.7K
$10.31 £7.67
-4.07%
Cappuccino
$1.71 SLL 38.8K
$4.67 £3.47
-63.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.97 SLL 22.0K
$2.45 £1.82
-60.41%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.79 SLL 18.0K
$1.75 £1.30
-54.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.52 SLL 34.5K
$6.61 £4.92
-77.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 SLL 63.2K
$6.31 £4.70
-55.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sierra Leone
United Kingdom
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.47 SLL 56.0K
$1.65 £1.23
49.70%
White Bread (500g)
$0.69 SLL 15.8K
$1.72 £1.28
-59.88%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.35 SLL 30.6K
$2.29 £1.71
-41.05%
Eggs
$2.06 SLL 46.8K
$4.14 £3.08
-50.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.21 SLL 163.6K
$9.97 £7.41
-27.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.46 SLL 169.4K
$8.88 £6.60
-15.99%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.38 SLL 122.1K
$14.15 £10.52
-61.98%
Apples (1kg)
$3.95 SLL 89.7K
$2.97 £2.21
33.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.97 SLL 44.8K
$1.68 £1.25
17.26%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.73 SLL 16.5K
$2.85 £2.12
-74.39%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.01 SLL 113.9K
$3.41 £2.53
46.92%
Potato (1kg)
$2.06 SLL 46.8K
$1.66 £1.24
24.10%
Onion (1kg)
$1.66 SLL 37.6K
$1.53 £1.13
8.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.98 SLL 22.4K
$1.16 £0.86
-15.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.42 SLL 32.3K
$1.51 £1.12
-5.96%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.87 SLL 42.5K
$20.73 £15.41
-90.98%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.57 SLL 172.0K
$10.85 £8.07
-30.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.44 SLL 32.7K
$2.83 £2.10
-49.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12 SLL 48.0K
$3.31 £2.46
-35.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Sierra Leone
United Kingdom
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.47 SLL 10.7K
$3.19 £2.37
-85.27%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$94.8 £70.5
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.73 SLL 16.6K
$5.46 £4.06
-86.63%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.28 SLL 29.0K
$1.53 £1.14
-16.34%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.91 SLL 111.6K
$26.66 £19.83
-81.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 SLL 30.7K
$1.91 £1.42
-29.32%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$12.2K SLL 276.9M
$38.2K £28.4K
-68.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.6K SLL 559.4M
$41.1K £30.5K
-40.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sierra Leone
United Kingdom
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$145 SLL 3.3M
$327 £243
-55.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.83 SLL 404.9K
$17.50 £13.01
1.89%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$75.7 SLL 1.7M
$42.25 £31.41
79.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sierra Leone
United Kingdom
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.0 SLL 1.2M
$45.93 £34.15
10.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$15.90 £11.82
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$13.46 £10.01
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sierra Leone
United Kingdom
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$1,735 £1,290
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$20.7K £15.4K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sierra Leone
United Kingdom
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$9.90 SLL 224.8K
$89.5 £66.5
-88.94%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$7.97 SLL 181.0K
$44.65 £33.19
-82.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$20.39 SLL 462.9K
$104 £77.1
-80.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$49.29 SLL 1.1M
$102 £75.7
-51.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sierra Leone
United Kingdom
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$808 SLL 18.3M
$1,418 £1,055
-43.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,250 SLL 28.4M
$1,139 £847
9.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,093 SLL 47.5M
$2,313 £1,720
-9.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$98.3 SLL 2.2M
$1,837 £1,366
-94.65%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,106 SLL 25.1M
$5,858 £4,355
-81.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,098 SLL 24.9M
$4,550 £3,383
-75.86%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sierra Leone
United Kingdom
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,319 SLL 29.9M
$3,230 £2,402
-59.18%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
5.75
-

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

Last update for Sierra Leone: June 9, 2026

Last update for United Kingdom: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $832 in Sierra Leone vs $1,265 in United Kingdom. For reference, capital cities sit at $832 in Freetown and $3,031 in London.

Average salary: $1,327 in Sierra Leone vs $3,192 in United Kingdom. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 52% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 163% more in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 141% higher in United Kingdom, giving United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sierra Leone more expensive than United Kingdom?
Sierra Leone is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 42% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in United Kingdom, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but United Kingdom consistently has higher rents.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Sierra Leone, contributing to the overall 42% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget in Sierra Leone or United Kingdom?
$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Sierra Leone, but in United Kingdom it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Should I move to Sierra Leone or United Kingdom?
Sierra Leone 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.

Sierra Leone vs other spots: cost of living compared

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