Cost of Living inKenema, Sierra Leone
Image credit: dorothy.voorhees
Purchasing Power vs. United States
Based on GDP per capita (PPP). Sierra Leone: $3,099/capita.
How Far Your Money Goes
Prices are 40% higher than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Using the country-level NYC comparison for now. We do not have a defensible city-level aggregate cost index for this city yet.
Income Category
Happiness
3.3 / 10
#138 globally
GDP per Capita
City Population
Child Education
Public-schooling rules and international-school pricing are not sourced for Sierra Leone yet. Quality, expat-access, instruction language, and tuition will appear here once verified.
Childcare & Domestic Help
Nanny, housekeeper, and driver pricing is not yet sourced for Kenema. We publish this section only when we can tie it to local job-board, agency, or country fallback evidence.
Getting Around
Neighborhood mobility profiles are rolling out city by city.Kenema is still missing a verified walkability, transit, airport, and rideshare profile.
Healthcare
System strength, outcome signals, facility coverage, and self-pay visibility in Sierra Leone.
Method: country metrics come from public system indicators, facility coverage reflects mapped providers we can inventory, direct pricing only reflects observed self-pay pages, and relative care cost can fall back to broad cost-of-living healthcare indices. Sparse pricing does not imply sparse healthcare availability.
Healthcare system
LimitedCoverage looks thinner, doctor staffing is lighter, and hospital capacity looks tighter weigh on this rating.
Public care
LimitedPublic coverage looks thinner, public funding looks lighter, and patients still shoulder a meaningful share of costs weigh on this rating.
Private care
LimitedThe tracked private-style network still looks thin and self-pay pricing transparency is still sparse weigh on this rating.
UHC coverage
48/100
2023
Physicians
0.13/1k
2022
Hospital beds
0.40/1k
2006
Out of pocket
54%
2023
Outcome signals
Life expectancy
62.0 yrs
2024
Maternal mortality
354/100k
2023
Neonatal mortality
28.3/1k
2024
International patient readiness
LimitedPrice transparency is still sparse and headline outcomes are less reassuring weigh on this rating.
Pricing transparency
LimitedPublished self-pay prices are scarce and few facilities expose web pages we can verify weigh on this rating.
Facility coverage
Self-pay pricing visibility
No verified self-pay prices are published for the tracked facilities in Sierra Leone yet.
This usually reflects low online price transparency rather than a lack of healthcare providers.
Notable facilities
System metrics: World Bank WDI · Updated 2026-06-01
Safety & Governance
Street Safety
Source: Numbeo where a city row is matched; otherwise World Bank WGI and country-level safety context.
Political Stability
World Bank WGI scale: -2.5 to +2.5.
Wages by Sector
| Sector | Median |
|---|---|
| Administrative & Support Services | — |
| Agriculture & Farming | — |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | — |
| Construction | — |
| Education | — |
| Finance & Insurance | — |
| Healthcare & Social Work | — |
| Hospitality & Food Service | — |
| Information & Technology | — |
| Manufacturing | — |
| Mining & Quarrying | — |
| Other Services | — |
| Professional & Scientific Services | — |
| Public Administration & Defence | — |
| Retail & Wholesale Trade | — |
| Transport & Logistics | — |
| Utilities | — |
2018 annual wages in Kenema, Sierra Leone · Source: ILO ILOSTAT (national)
Price Comparison vs. US
Visa Information (US passport)
Short-stay entry
US passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival.
Quick comparison FAQ
Structured from the deltas already shown on this page — no invented facts, no extra data sources.
How far does your money go in Kenema compared with the US?
Your money goes about 4.7x further in Kenema than in the US, based on the current PPP estimate. We are using the country-level cost index for Sierra Leone here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
Is Kenema cheaper or more expensive overall than New York City?
Kenema is more expensive overall than New York City — overall living costs are about 40% more expensive than the global benchmark (New York City) for Kenema. We are using the country-level cost index for Sierra Leone here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
How does rent in Kenema compare with New York City?
Rent in Kenema is about 27% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City). We are using the country-level cost index for Sierra Leone here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
How expensive are groceries and restaurants in Kenema?
Groceries in Kenema are about 9% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City), and restaurant prices are about 9% cheaper than the same benchmark. We are using the country-level cost index for Sierra Leone here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
About Kenema
Kenema is the third-largest city in Sierra Leone and the administrative capital of the Eastern Province, with roughly 143,000 residents. It sits inland from Freetown along the country's main road and rail corridor toward the Liberian border, functioning as a trading hub for diamonds, timber, and cocoa from the surrounding Eastern Province forests. The Kenema diamond market has been central to the country's gem economy for decades, with associated artisanal mining activity in the surrounding districts. Mende is the dominant local language alongside Krio, with English as the official language of government and education. Climate is tropical with a long rainy season from May through October and consistently warm temperatures. Infrastructure remains limited and the city's 2014 role as a Lassa fever and Ebola treatment center reflects its regional medical importance.
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