Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sierra Leone and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Sierra Leone: $1,821 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Sierra Leone
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Sierra Leone Living Index
131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
Learn more

United States Living Index

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🇸🇱 Sierra Leone

$1,821

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sierra Leone and in the United States

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sierra Leone and in the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,821 per month in Sierra Leone vs $2,734 in the United States, rent included.

Sierra Leone $1,821
United States $2,734

A couple spends around $1,538 per month in Sierra Leone vs $3,985 in the United States, rent included.

Sierra Leone $1,538
United States $3,985

A family of three spends $1,256 per month in Sierra Leone vs $5,235 in the United States, rent included.

Sierra Leone $1,256
United States $5,235

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in Sierra Leone ($1,778–$1,778), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Sierra Leone is roughly 33% lower than in the United States on average.

Both Sierra Leone and the United States are pricier than the global median – Sierra Leone by 34%, the United States by 101%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.01 SLL 46.0K

$20.03 $20.03

-89.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 SLL 923.1K

$80.0 $80.0

-49.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 SLL 247.0K

$11.80 $11.80

-8.31%

Cappuccino

$2.58 SLL 59.0K

$5.55 $5.55

-53.51%

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

$1.64 SLL 37.5K

$2.66 $2.66

-38.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 SLL 18.9K

$2.17 $2.17

-61.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 SLL 46.8K

$6.12 $6.12

-66.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 SLL 80.3K

$7.94 $7.94

-55.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 SLL 55.8K

$1.04 $1.04

134.62%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 SLL 15.5K

$3.59 $3.59

-81.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 SLL 29.3K

$4.52 $4.52

-71.68%

Eggs

$1.83 SLL 41.7K

$4.28 $4.28

-57.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.28 SLL 166.2K

$13.22 $13.22

-44.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 SLL 224.9K

$12.60 $12.60

-21.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.20 SLL 118.7K

$17.60 $17.60

-70.45%

Apples (1kg)

$7.17 SLL 163.7K

$5.30 $5.30

35.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.93 SLL 66.8K

$1.69 $1.69

73.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.74 SLL 16.9K

$4.44 $4.44

-83.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 SLL 116.0K

$4.77 $4.77

6.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 SLL 45.2K

$2.97 $2.97

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 SLL 36.9K

$3.15 $3.15

-48.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 SLL 25.7K

$2.35 $2.35

-52.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 SLL 69.7K

$10.98 $10.98

-72.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 SLL 180.2K

$15.05 $15.05

-47.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 SLL 34.6K

$2.06 $2.06

-26.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 SLL 44.4K

$3.79 $3.79

-48.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 SLL 10.2K

$1.94 $1.94

-76.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 SLL 11.1K

$3.58 $3.58

-86.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 SLL 11.9K

$1.88 $1.88

-72.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 SLL 31.0K

$1.02 $1.02

33.33%

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

$12.2K SLL 277.8M

$28.8K $28.8K

-57.68%

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

$25.2K SLL 574.9M

$26.2K $26.2K

-3.91%

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

$60.6 SLL 1.4M

$218 $218

-72.22%

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

$17.71 SLL 404.4K

$62.5 $62.5

-71.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.3 SLL 1.2M

$74.5 $74.5

-29.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

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

$1,489 $1,489

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.02 SLL 228.8K

$54.3 $54.3

-81.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.12 SLL 459.3K

$94.1 $94.1

-78.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.1 SLL 1.1M

$114 $114

-55.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$918 SLL 21.0M

$1,659 $1,659

-44.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 SLL 29.2M

$1,348 $1,348

-4.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,505 SLL 80.0M

$2,682 $2,682

30.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,099 SLL 25.1M

$3,283 $3,283

-66.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,092 SLL 24.9M

$2,482 $2,482

-56.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,317 SLL 30.1M

$4,296 $4,296

-69.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

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

Last update for Sierra Leone: October 26, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Sierra Leone

$1.3K 70.3%

United States

$1.3K 49.3% 5.2% $67

Groceries & Markets

Sierra Leone

$262 * 14.4%

United States

$415 15.2% 58.5% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sierra Leone

$131 7.2%

United States

$355 13% 172% $224

Eating Out

Sierra Leone

$107 5.9%

United States

$328 12% 207% $221

Clothing & Footwear

Sierra Leone

$36 * 2%

United States

$137 5% 280% $101

Getting Around

Sierra Leone

$4.9 * 0.3%

United States

$80 2.9% 1538% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Sierra Leone

- * 0%

United States

$71 2.6%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $942 in Sierra Leone vs $1,620 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $942 in Freetown and $2,768 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $1,332 in Sierra Leone vs $4,549 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 72% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 88% more in the United States.

Salaries are about 3.4 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇸🇱 Sierra Leone

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

06:26 6:26 AM

02:26 2:26 AM

4 h behind Sierra Leone

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,557,212

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Sierra Leonean Leone SLL Le

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 SLL = 4.38 USD

100,000 SLL = 3.94 EUR

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to SLL – Sierra Leonean Leone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇱 Sierra Leonean Leone (Le)

Sierra Leonean Leone exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 22,828 SLL (100,000 SLL = 4.38 USD). 1 EUR = 25,407 SLL (100,000 SLL = 3.94 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

USD to SLL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sierra Leone United States 8,000 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Sierra Leone
United States

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sierra Leone is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 33% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 versus $942 in Sierra Leone.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Sierra Leone, but in the United States it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Sierra Leone is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.