Sierra Leone, Freetown

Country Full Name: Republic of Sierra Leone.

Location: Sierra Leone is in Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia.

Country Climate: Tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April).

Country Terrain: Coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country, upland plateau, mountains in east.

Major Languages: English, Krio (Creole language derived from English) and a range of African languages.

Major Religions: Islam, Christianity.

Population: 0.773 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of Sierra Leone is slowly emerging from a protracted civil war and is showing signs of a successful transition. The country is very rich in minerals and has relied on mining, especially diamonds, for its economic base. The country is among the top 10 diamond producing nations in the world, and mineral exports remain the main foreign currency earner.

Currency: Sierra Leone Leone (SLL).

Inflation: 2% (2011 est.).

Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone.

Freetown is the economic, financial, and cultural centre of Sierra Leone.

The cost of living in Freetown in Sierra Leone is high compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. Freetown in Sierra Leone is currently ranked 178 overall out of 780 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 780 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are very high compared to other places for items such as alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, wine (where alcohol is legally sold) and tobacco related products. There are 62 places that are more expensive, and 717 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are very low compared to other places for items such as business suits, casual clothing, children's clothing, coats, evening wear, footwear, hats, shoe repairs and underwear. There are 696 places that are more expensive, and 83 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are high compared to other places for various communication costs such as call charges, home telephone rental, internet connection, mobile data costs, mobile phone contract and service provider fees. There are 238 places that are more expensive, and 541 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are very high compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 66 places that are more expensive, and 713 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are very high compared to other places for items such as DVD player, fridge freezer, furniture, household equipment, iron, kettle, light bulbs, microwave, television, toaster, vacuum cleaner and washing machine. There are 25 places that are more expensive, and 754 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are very high compared to other places for items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning materials, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs. There are 52 places that are more expensive, and 727 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are average compared to other places for general healthcare, general practitioner consultation rates, healthcare/medical insurance, hospital private ward daily rate and non-prescription medicine. There are 425 places that are more expensive, and 354 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are average compared to other places for items such as accommodation, apartment, flat, house, villa, rent, electricity, household fuels, household gas, water, and local property rates / residential taxes / levies. There are 337 places that are more expensive, and 442 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are very low compared to other places for items such as dry cleaning, general goods, general services, linen, magazines, maid, newspapers, office supplies, postage stamps and stationery. There are 660 places that are more expensive, and 119 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are low compared to other places for items such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer, nappies, pain relief tablets, shampoo, soap, sun block, toilet paper and toothpaste. There are 613 places that are more expensive, and 166 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are very high compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 139 places that are more expensive, and 640 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are low compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a family restaurant (non fast food), 4 star and 5 star hotel rates and take away meal (fast food). There are 615 places that are more expensive, and 164 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are high compared to other places for items such as car hire purchase, car insurance, car lease, car maintenance, car rental, car service, diesel, petrol, tyres and public transport. There are 295 places that are more expensive, and 484 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Freetown in Sierra Leone are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Freetown in Sierra Leone is ranked as extreme hardship with a hardship index of 40%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Freetown in Sierra Leone are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is as at 1 April 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
Salary Purchasing Power Parity Calculator
Cost of Living Index Calculator
Cost of Living Allowance Calculator