Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Liberia

For one person, living is cheaper in Liberia: $1,263 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

United States
Liberia
🇺🇸 United States
$2,734
/mo nomad
🇱🇷 Liberia
$1,263
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Liberia

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

A single person spends $2,734 per month in the United States vs $1,263 in Liberia, rent included.

  • United States $2,734
  • Liberia $1,263

A couple spends around $3,985 per month in the United States vs $1,869 in Liberia, rent included.

  • United States $3,985
  • Liberia $1,869

A family of three spends $5,235 per month in the United States vs $2,474 in Liberia, rent included.

  • United States $5,235
  • Liberia $2,474

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in Liberia ($1,286–$1,286), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the United States is about 116% higher than in Liberia on average.

The United States sits 101% above the global median, while Liberia is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
United States
Liberia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.03 $20.03
$7.42 LRD 1,256
169.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$80.0 $80.0
-
-
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.80 $11.80
$9.82 LRD 1,664
20.16%
Cappuccino
$5.55 $5.55
$3.05 LRD 516
81.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66 $2.66
$1.96 LRD 332
35.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 $2.17
$2.03 LRD 343
6.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.12 $6.12
$2.06 LRD 348
197.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.94 $7.94
$2.98 LRD 505
166.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
United States
Liberia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$2.13 LRD 361
-51.17%
White Bread (500g)
$3.59 $3.59
$1.83 LRD 309
96.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.52 $4.52
$5.17 LRD 876
-12.57%
Eggs
$4.28 $4.28
$3.70 LRD 626
15.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.22 $13.22
$7.55 LRD 1,279
75.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.60 $12.60
$11.86 LRD 2,009
6.24%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.60 $17.60
$13.74 LRD 2,327
28.09%
Apples (1kg)
$5.30 $5.30
$1.62 LRD 273
227.16%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 $1.69
$8.37 LRD 1,417
-79.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.44 $4.44
$10.49 LRD 1,776
-57.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.77 $4.77
$10.93 LRD 1,851
-56.36%
Potato (1kg)
$2.97 $2.97
$2.14 LRD 363
38.79%
Onion (1kg)
$3.15 $3.15
$10.56 LRD 1,788
-70.17%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.20 $2.20
$4.63 LRD 784
-52.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.98 LRD 336
18.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.98 $10.98
$5.10 LRD 863
115.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.05 $15.05
$6.84 LRD 1,159
120.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.06 $2.06
$2.52 LRD 426
-18.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.79 $3.79
$3.45 LRD 584
9.86%
🚌 Getting Around
United States
Liberia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.94 $1.94
$2.92 LRD 495
-33.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$59.4 $59.4
$12.38 LRD 2,097
379.73%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.58 $3.58
$2.01 LRD 340
78.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.88 $1.88
$1.84 LRD 311
2.17%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.84 $29.84
$24.51 LRD 4,151
21.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.02 $1.02
$1.27 LRD 214
-19.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.8K $28.8K
$19.7K LRD 3.3M
46.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.2K $26.2K
$15.3K LRD 2.6M
71.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
United States
Liberia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$218 $218
$151 LRD 25.6K
44.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$62.5 $62.5
$22.79 LRD 3,858
174.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$74.5 $74.5
$180 LRD 30.5K
-58.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
United States
Liberia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.86 $41.86
$63.6 LRD 10.8K
-34.13%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.81 $22.81
$10.12 LRD 1,714
125.40%
Cinema Ticket
$14.70 $14.70
$4.96 LRD 840
196.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
United States
Liberia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,489 $1,489
$99.5 LRD 16.8K
1396.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.3K $25.3K
$990 LRD 167.7K
2449.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
United States
Liberia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.3 $54.3
$25.49 LRD 4,317
113.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.71 $42.71
$32.57 LRD 5,515
31.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.1 $94.1
$54.0 LRD 9,151
74.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$114 $114
$93.8 LRD 15.9K
21.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
United States
Liberia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,659 $1,659
$247 LRD 41.8K
572.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,348 $1,348
$94.1 LRD 15.9K
1332.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,682 $2,682
$659 LRD 111.6K
307.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,169 $2,169
$266 LRD 45.0K
716.36%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,283 $3,283
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,482 $2,482
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
United States
Liberia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,296 $4,296
$697 LRD 118.0K
516.50%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.55
0
-

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for Liberia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
United States
$1.3K
Liberia
$94 93% $1.3K
Groceries & Markets
United States
$415
Liberia
$456 9.8% $41
Monthly Utilities & Internet
United States
$355
Liberia
$354 0.3% $1.1
Eating Out
United States
$328
Liberia
$158 52% $170
Clothing & Footwear
United States
$137
Liberia
$93 32.4% $44
Getting Around
United States
$80
Liberia
$35 56% $45
Sport & Entertainment
United States
$71
Liberia
$73 3.1% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,620 in the United States vs $250 in Liberia. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,768 in Washington, DC and $250 in Monrovia.

Average salary: $4,549 in the United States vs $691 in Liberia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 548% higher in the United States.

Public transport is 215% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 6.6 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know
🇺🇸 United States
🇱🇷 Liberia
🕒 Local time
08:12 8:12 AM
12:12 12:12 PM
4 h ahead of the United States
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
340,110,988
5,214,030
Exchange rates and currency converter

LRD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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

Liberian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 169 LRD (1,000 LRD = 5.91 USD). 1 EUR = 188 LRD (1,000 LRD = 5.31 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • United States Liberia 8,360 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • United States
  • Liberia

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
United States vs Liberia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is cheaper: Liberia or the United States?
Liberia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 54% lower on average.
Is rent more expensive in Liberia or in the United States?
Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 versus $250 in Liberia.
Which country is better for expats: Liberia or the United States?
Liberia is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

United States vs other spots: cost of living compared

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