Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Mali

Name: Mali
Address: ML

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $904 in Mali, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Mali despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index

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🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

🇲🇱 Mali

$904

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Mali

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in China and in Mali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $791 in China versus $904 in Mali.

China $791
Mali $904

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,251 in China versus $1,481 in Mali.

China $1,251
Mali $1,481

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,711 in China versus $2,058 in Mali.

China $1,711
Mali $2,058

China ($465–$1,222) and Mali ($86–$894) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in China costs about 12% less than in Mali on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 42% lower, Mali 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 ¥19.76

$8.47 F CFA 4,952

-64.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.09 ¥147

$36.49 F CFA 21.3K

-39.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥34.51

$8.25 F CFA 4,825

-36.97%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.68

$1.71 F CFA 1,002

73.68%

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

$0.48 ¥3.18

$0.89 F CFA 519

-46.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.00

$0.71 F CFA 416

-57.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ¥7.16

$2.34 F CFA 1,368

-53.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.11

$21.20 F CFA 12.4K

-89.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥11.93

$1.94 F CFA 1,137

-7.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.12

$3.80 F CFA 2,224

-55.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.12

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.70

$6.05 F CFA 3,540

-73.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 ¥88.8

$17.84 F CFA 10.4K

-25.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.22

$17.36 F CFA 10.2K

-80.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 ¥75.3

$13.30 F CFA 7,778

-14.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.09

$3.11 F CFA 1,819

-41.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.67

$1.46 F CFA 853

-10.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.86

$2.90 F CFA 1,697

-48.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.45

$2.32 F CFA 1,355

-45.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.72

$1.67 F CFA 975

-57.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.20

$1.58 F CFA 923

-41.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.11

$0.11 F CFA 62.7

463.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.73

$2.90 F CFA 1,696

-80.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥25.08

$1.01 F CFA 592

274.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 ¥80.5

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.52

$1.46 F CFA 853

-43.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.18

$1.30 F CFA 762

29.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.83 ¥118

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ¥9.87

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.49

$1.22 F CFA 714

-69.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 ¥47.11

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.35

$1.09 F CFA 635

15.60%

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

$19.4K ¥129.1K

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

$17.5K ¥116.4K

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

$54.6 ¥362

$147 F CFA 86.2K

-63.00%

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

$8.73 ¥58.0

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 ¥73.5

$65.0 F CFA 38.0K

-82.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 ¥271

$70.1 F CFA 41.0K

-41.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 ¥96.1

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ¥45.00

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$517 ¥3,429

$76.9 F CFA 45.0K

571.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ¥131.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.53 ¥309

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.66 ¥237

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥511

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 ¥533

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 ¥2,560

$172 F CFA 100.3K

124.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 ¥1,557

$79.5 F CFA 46.5K

195.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,454

$506 F CFA 295.9K

62.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 ¥3,007

$297 F CFA 173.4K

52.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,697 ¥31.2K

$10.1K F CFA 5.9M

-53.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,372 ¥15.7K

$843 F CFA 493.3K

181.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,093 ¥7,255

$257 F CFA 150.1K

325.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Last update for Mali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$235 29.6%

Mali

–

Groceries & Markets

China

$210 26.5%

Mali

–

Clothing & Footwear

China

$108 13.6%

Mali

–

Eating Out

China

$88 11.1%

Mali

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$74 9.4%

Mali

–

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.9%

Mali

–

Getting Around

China

$22 2.8%

Mali

–

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $176 in Mali. Capital cities: $933 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $176 in Bamako.

National salary averages: $873 in China, $264 in Mali. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 69% higher in China.

Dining out costs 64% more in Mali.

Salaries are about 3.3 times higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇲🇱 Mali

🕒 Local time

07:38 7:38 AM

23:38 11:38 PM

8 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

20,250,833

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.151 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.151 USD). 1 EUR = 7.44 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

China Mali 11,830 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Mali

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

China vs Mali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $904 in Mali, China comes out about 12% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Overall, China is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.