Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mali and China

Name: China
Address: CN

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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🇲🇱 Mali

$904

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mali and in China

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

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

Mali $904
China $791

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

Mali $1,481
China $1,251

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

Mali $2,058
China $1,711

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

Living in Mali is roughly 14% more expensive than in China on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.47 F CFA 4,952

$2.98 ¥19.76

184.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.49 F CFA 21.3K

$22.09 ¥147

65.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.25 F CFA 4,825

$5.20 ¥34.51

58.65%

Cappuccino

$1.71 F CFA 1,002

$2.97 ¥19.68

-42.42%

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

$0.89 F CFA 519

$0.48 ¥3.18

85.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 F CFA 416

$0.30 ¥2.00

136.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 F CFA 1,368

$1.08 ¥7.16

116.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$21.20 F CFA 12.4K

$2.28 ¥15.11

829.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 F CFA 1,137

$1.80 ¥11.93

7.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 F CFA 2,224

$1.68 ¥11.12

126.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.12

Eggs

$6.05 F CFA 3,540

$1.61 ¥10.70

275.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.84 F CFA 10.4K

$13.38 ¥88.8

33.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.36 F CFA 10.2K

$3.35 ¥22.22

418.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 F CFA 7,778

$11.35 ¥75.3

17.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 F CFA 1,819

$1.82 ¥12.09

70.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 F CFA 853

$1.31 ¥8.67

11.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 F CFA 1,697

$1.49 ¥9.86

94.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 F CFA 1,355

$1.27 ¥8.45

82.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 F CFA 975

$0.71 ¥4.72

135.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 F CFA 923

$0.93 ¥6.20

69.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.11 F CFA 62.7

$0.62 ¥4.11

-82.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 F CFA 1,696

$0.56 ¥3.73

417.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.01 F CFA 592

$3.78 ¥25.08

-73.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 ¥80.5

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 F CFA 853

$0.83 ¥5.52

75.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 F CFA 762

$1.68 ¥11.18

-22.62%

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)

$1.22 F CFA 714

$0.37 ¥2.49

229.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 ¥47.11

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 F CFA 635

$1.26 ¥8.35

-13.49%

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)

$147 F CFA 86.2K

$54.6 ¥362

170.23%

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

$8.73 ¥58.0

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.0 F CFA 38.0K

$11.07 ¥73.5

487.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.1 F CFA 41.0K

$40.77 ¥271

71.87%

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)

$76.9 F CFA 45.0K

$517 ¥3,429

-85.12%

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)

$172 F CFA 100.3K

$386 ¥2,560

-55.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$79.5 F CFA 46.5K

$235 ¥1,557

-66.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 F CFA 295.9K

$822 ¥5,454

-38.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 F CFA 173.4K

$453 ¥3,007

-34.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.1K F CFA 5.9M

$4,697 ¥31.2K

115.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$843 F CFA 493.3K

$2,372 ¥15.7K

-64.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$257 F CFA 150.1K

$1,093 ¥7,255

-76.52%

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 Mali: October 25, 2026

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mali

–

China

$235 29.6%

Groceries & Markets

Mali

–

China

$210 26.5%

Clothing & Footwear

Mali

–

China

$108 13.6%

Eating Out

Mali

–

China

$88 11.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mali

–

China

$74 9.4%

Sport & Entertainment

Mali

–

China

$54 6.9%

Getting Around

Mali

–

China

$22 2.8%

Cost Breakdown

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

National salary averages: $264 in Mali, $873 in China. 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

🇲🇱 Mali

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

18:34 6:34 PM

02:34 2:34 AM

8 h ahead of Mali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,250,833

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

1 CNY = 0.151 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to XOF – West African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 West African CFA Franc (Fr)

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 653 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.151 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mali China 11,830 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Mali
China

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

Mali vs China: 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.