Dated evidence. Local context. Your planning assumptions.
01 · COST OF LIVING
Compare the cost of your next chapter
Observed market prices and your planning assumptions, kept distinct. Build a monthly comparison across counties and West African cities.
Planning scenario: WFP observed staples plus clearly illustrative defaults (other food LRD 12,000, rent LRD 36,000/month or 9,000/night, fare LRD 150/trip). Defaults are identical for every county — they are not county prices.
Basket & trip assumptions (monthly basis)
Starting quantities are TL planning assumptions, not consumption statistics. Adjust them to your household.
Your local quotes (LRD) — override missing data per county
Record whether a figure is an asking quote or a rent actually paid — they are not the same.
Montserrado
Greetings from Duala · monitored markets, not countywideFoodLRD 17,077scenario · WFP monitored-market basket + illustrative other-food amount (LRD 12,000)Imported rice (25 kg): LRD 2600 · 2026-08-15 · Duala / Red Light; Palm oil (gallon): LRD 1333.2 · 2026-08-15 · DualaAccommodationLRD 36,000scenario · Illustrative monthly defaultTransportLRD 6,600scenario · 44 trips × LRD 150 (illustrative fare)Subtotal (3 of 3)LRD 59,677Bong
Greetings from Gbarnga · monitored markets, not countywideFoodLRD 16,961scenario · WFP monitored-market basket + illustrative other-food amount (LRD 12,000)Imported rice (25 kg): LRD 2600 · 2026-08-15 · Gbarnga; Palm oil (gallon): LRD 1216.5 · 2026-08-15 · GbarngaAccommodationLRD 36,000scenario · Illustrative monthly defaultTransportLRD 6,600scenario · 44 trips × LRD 150 (illustrative fare)Subtotal (3 of 3)LRD 59,561Nimba
Greetings from Bahn · monitored markets, not countywideFoodLRD 17,069scenario · WFP monitored-market basket + illustrative other-food amount (LRD 12,000)Imported rice (25 kg): LRD 2615.56 · 2026-08-15 · Bahn / Ganta / Saclepea / Sanniquellie; Palm oil (gallon): LRD 1302.94 · 2026-08-15 · Bahn / Ganta / SanniquellieAccommodationLRD 36,000scenario · Illustrative monthly defaultTransportLRD 6,600scenario · 44 trips × LRD 150 (illustrative fare)Subtotal (3 of 3)LRD 59,669
Subtotal of the selected categories only — not a total cost of living. Utilities, school fees, health, communications and taxes are excluded. USD values use your exchange assumption, not a live rate.
| County | Imported rice / 25 kg | Palm oil / gallon | Cassava / 25 kg | Petrol / gallon | Rice month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BomiGbah, Tubmanburg | 2,6832026-08 | 1,283.122026-08 | 1,2542026-08 | 946.252026-08 | 2026-08-15 |
| BongGbarnga | 2,6002026-08 | 1,216.52026-08 | 1,5752026-08 | 881.52026-08 | 2026-08-15 |
| GbarpoluBopolu | 2,983.52026-08 | 1,5002026-08 | 8002026-08 | 1,195.672026-08 | 2026-08-15 |
| Grand BassaBuchanan | 2,7422026-07 | 1,100.332026-06 | 1,5332026-07 | 863.52026-07 | 2026-07-15 |
| Grand Cape MountBo Waterside | 2,512.752026-08 | 1,3002026-08 | 1,095.752026-08 | 1,0002026-08 | 2026-08-15 |
| Grand GedehToe Town, Zwedru | 2,722.162026-08 | 1,6642026-08 | 1,838.842026-08 | 954.342026-08 | 2026-08-15 |
| Grand KruBarclayville | 3,2782026-08 | 7502026-08 | 7672026-08 | 1,2002026-08 | 2026-08-15 |
| LofaFoya, Voinjama | 2,943.622026-08 | 1,287.52026-08 | 1,3002026-08 | 1,035.122026-08 | 2026-08-15 |
| MargibiKakata | 2,5832026-08 | 999.752026-08 | 958.252026-08 | 888.252026-08 | 2026-08-15 |
| MarylandHarper, Pleebo | 3,041.752026-08 | 1,2002026-08 | 1,208.342026-08 | 1,078.212026-08 | 2026-08-15 |
| MontserradoDuala, Red Light | 2,6002026-08 | 1,333.22026-08 | 1,406.62026-08 | 885.72026-08 | 2026-08-15 |
| NimbaBahn, Ganta, Saclepea, Sanniquellie | 2,615.562026-08 | 1,302.942026-08 | 1,189.752026-08 | 970.442026-08 | 2026-08-15 |
| River GeeFish Town | 3,1002026-08 | 1,4252026-08 | 7002026-08 | 1,2002026-08 | 2026-08-15 |
| RivercessCestos City, Yarkpah Town | 2,970.752026-08 | 1,3502026-08 | 879.122026-08 | 1,0482026-08 | 2026-08-15 |
| SinoeGreenville | 3,033.252026-08 | 1,191.752026-08 | 1,3252026-08 | 1,2002026-08 | 2026-08-15 |
Each value is the simple mean of WFP retail prices in that county’s monitored markets for the latest month available for that commodity — a monitored-market summary, not a representative countywide average. Months differ by county and commodity (e.g. Grand Bassa: rice July 2026, palm oil June 2026). Commodity benchmarks, not a full food budget. National average imported rice was LRD 2,842 per 25 kg in June 2026 (LRD 2,886 in May; LRD 3,679 in June 2025). Observed Source: WFP Liberia Market Monitoring Bulletin, June 2026 (ReliefWeb) (opens in new tab)
| Country · city | Cost of living index | Rent index | Groceries index | Your quote: food + rent + transport (USD/month) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LiberiaMonrovia (city, not country average) | Not in verified snapshot | Not in verified snapshot | Not in verified snapshot | |
| Sierra LeoneFreetown (city, not country average) | Not in verified snapshot | Not in verified snapshot | Not in verified snapshot | |
| GuineaConakry (city, not country average) | Not in verified snapshot | Not in verified snapshot | Not in verified snapshot | |
| Côte d’IvoireAbidjan (city, not country average) | 45.2 | 22.3 | 41.3 | |
| GhanaAccra (city, not country average) | 36.6 | 11.4 | 42.4 | |
| SenegalDakar (city, not country average) | Not in verified snapshot | Not in verified snapshot | Not in verified snapshot | |
| NigeriaLagos (city, not country average) | Not in verified snapshot | Not in verified snapshot | Not in verified snapshot |
Indices are relative scores, not money amounts; they are never combined with the LRD/USD budget above and no other currencies are converted. Enter your own USD quotes to compare cities on a like-for-like monthly basis.