cost
Cost of Living Index
Sierra Leone99.4 / 0
South Africa89.8 / 100
Comparison
Side-by-side data for relocation, travel, hiring, and investment decisions. Values are shown with source-backed metric definitions so trade-offs are easy to compare.
Bars and radar use 0-100 better scores. Tooltips keep the raw source values visible.
Chart summary: South Africa leads Cost of Living Index with 100 out of 100; South Africa leads Safety Index with 100 out of 100; South Africa leads Median Monthly Rent with 100 out of 100; Sierra Leone leads House Price to Income with 100 out of 100. A complete normalized score table follows.
| Metric | Place | Raw value | Normalized score | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | Sierra Leone | 99.4 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Cost of Living Index | South Africa | 89.8 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Safety Index | Sierra Leone | 46.7 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Safety Index | South Africa | 77.3 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Median Monthly Rent | Sierra Leone | $3,481 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Median Monthly Rent | South Africa | $2,607 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Sierra Leone | 13.5x | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | South Africa | 13.9x | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Sierra Leone | $67/mo | 0 out of 100 | 2024 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | South Africa | $522/mo | 100 out of 100 | 2024 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Sierra Leone | 3.1% | 100 out of 100 | 2025 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | South Africa | 32.4% | 0 out of 100 | 2025 | World Bank Open Data |
| Healthcare Access Index | Sierra Leone | 67.1 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Healthcare Access Index | South Africa | 62.5 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Sierra Leone | 73.8 years | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | South Africa | 73.5 years | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
cost
safety
housing
housing
jobs
jobs
health
health
Winner
South Africa wins on 13 of 22 metrics compared to Sierra Leone.
Winner logic counts row wins after applying each metric direction. Exact ties do not count. Methodology
Top trade-offs
Sierra Leone leads housing, jobs, and health; South Africa leads cost, safety, and rent.
cost
Sierra Leone
99.4
South Africa
89.8
safety
Sierra Leone
46.7
South Africa
77.3
housing
Sierra Leone
$3,481
South Africa
$2,607
housing
Sierra Leone
13.5x
South Africa
13.9x
jobs
Sierra Leone
$67/mo
South Africa
$522/mo
jobs
Sierra Leone
3.1%
South Africa
32.4%
health
Sierra Leone
67.1
South Africa
62.5
health
Sierra Leone
73.8 years
South Africa
73.5 years
environment
environment
infrastructure
demographics
Sierra Leone
2.1%
South Africa
1.2%
education
Sierra Leone
67
South Africa
76.2
transport
Sierra Leone
60.2
South Africa
71.3
safety
Sierra Leone
2.2 per 100k
South Africa
43.7 per 100k
safety
Sierra Leone
69.4 per 100k
South Africa
61.0 per 100k
health
Sierra Leone
35.1%
South Africa
13.5%
quality
Sierra Leone
8.1
South Africa
8
housing
Sierra Leone
$12,425/sqm
South Africa
$1,704/sqm
religion
Sierra Leone
37.0%
South Africa
77.3%
religion
Sierra Leone
57.2%
South Africa
76.2%
religion
Sierra Leone
39.3%
South Africa
48.4%
Some city-level values are modeled estimates when official city-level data is unavailable.
Each metric keeps its source, year, last refreshed date, and confidence label visible. Review methodology or Data Sources.