Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Sierra Leone

Name: Sierra Leone
Address: SL

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.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
Learn more

United States Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Sierra Leone
Learn more

Sierra Leone Living Index

Jump to prices

🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇸🇱 Sierra Leone

$1,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Sierra Leone actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 the United States is about 50% higher than in Sierra Leone on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$2.01 SLL 46.0K

896.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$40.44 SLL 923.1K

97.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$10.82 SLL 247.0K

9.06%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$2.58 SLL 59.0K

115.12%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$1.64 SLL 37.5K

62.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.83 SLL 18.9K

161.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$2.05 SLL 46.8K

198.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$3.52 SLL 80.3K

125.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.44 SLL 55.8K

-57.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$0.68 SLL 15.5K

427.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.28 SLL 29.3K

253.12%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$1.83 SLL 41.7K

133.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$7.28 SLL 166.2K

81.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$9.85 SLL 224.9K

27.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$5.20 SLL 118.7K

238.46%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$7.17 SLL 163.7K

-26.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.93 SLL 66.8K

-42.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$0.74 SLL 16.9K

500.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$5.08 SLL 116.0K

-6.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.98 SLL 45.2K

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.62 SLL 36.9K

94.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.12 SLL 25.7K

109.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$3.06 SLL 69.7K

258.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$7.90 SLL 180.2K

90.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.52 SLL 34.6K

35.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$1.95 SLL 44.4K

94.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.45 SLL 10.2K

331.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$0.49 SLL 11.1K

630.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$0.52 SLL 11.9K

261.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.36 SLL 31.0K

-25.00%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$12.2K SLL 277.8M

136.27%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.2K SLL 574.9M

4.07%

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

$218 $218

$60.6 SLL 1.4M

259.91%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$17.71 SLL 404.4K

252.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$52.3 SLL 1.2M

42.41%

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)

$54.3 $54.3

$10.02 SLL 228.8K

442.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$20.12 SLL 459.3K

367.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$50.1 SLL 1.1M

126.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$918 SLL 21.0M

80.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$1,281 SLL 29.2M

5.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$3,505 SLL 80.0M

-23.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$1,099 SLL 25.1M

198.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$1,092 SLL 24.9M

127.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$1,317 SLL 30.1M

226.11%

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 the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sierra Leone: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Sierra Leone

$1.3K 70.3% 5% $67

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Sierra Leone

$262 * 14.4% 36.9% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Sierra Leone

$131 7.2% 63.2% $224

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Sierra Leone

$107 5.9% 67.5% $221

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Sierra Leone

$36 * 2% 73.7% $101

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Sierra Leone

$4.9 * 0.3% 93.9% $75

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Sierra Leone

- * 0% 100%

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

Cost Breakdown

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

Average salary: $4,549 in the United States vs $1,332 in Sierra Leone. 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

🇺🇸 United States

🇸🇱 Sierra Leone

🕒 Local time

07:19 7:19 AM

11:19 11:19 AM

4 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

7,557,212

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Sierra Leonean Leone SLL Le

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

100,000 SLL = 4.38 USD

100,000 SLL = 3.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SLL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇸🇱 Sierra Leonean Leone (Le)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

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).

SLL to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

United States
Sierra Leone

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 Sierra Leone: 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.