Cost of Living Comparison Between Mali and Egypt Cost of Living Comparison Between Mali and Egypt

Name: Egypt
Address: EG

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $248 in Mali versus $442 in Egypt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $405 in Mali versus $717 in Egypt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $561 in Mali versus $991 in Egypt.

Living in Mali costs about 44% less than in Egypt on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Mali 82% lower, Egypt 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.27 F CFA 4,726

$3.81 E£199

117.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.42 F CFA 20.2K

$19.08 E£995

85.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.06 F CFA 4,604

$4.93 E£257

63.49%

Cappuccino

$1.63 F CFA 929

$1.44 E£75.1

13.19%

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

$0.95 F CFA 542

$0.33 E£17.43

187.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 F CFA 373

$0.14 E£7.16

364.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 F CFA 1,329

$1.54 E£80.3

51.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$20.70 F CFA 11.8K

$2.81 E£146

636.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 F CFA 1,079

$0.86 E£44.82

119.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 F CFA 2,162

$0.67 E£34.83

464.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 E£35.98

Eggs

$5.96 F CFA 3,405

$1.34 E£69.6

344.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.11 F CFA 10.3K

$3.47 E£181

421.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.18 F CFA 9,819

$4.25 E£222

304.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.09 F CFA 7,480

$8.47 E£442

54.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 F CFA 1,816

$1.56 E£81.2

103.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 F CFA 813

$0.66 E£34.22

115.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 F CFA 1,570

$0.53 E£27.49

418.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 F CFA 1,372

$0.42 E£21.76

471.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 F CFA 948

$0.41 E£21.29

304.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 F CFA 935

$0.37 E£19.36

343.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.09 F CFA 48.94

$0.31 E£16.28

-70.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 F CFA 1,616

$0.18 E£9.62

1472.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.02 F CFA 585

$1.88 E£98.2

-45.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.81 E£355

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 F CFA 841

$1.40 E£73.1

5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 F CFA 746

$2.09 E£109

-37.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 E£15.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.15 E£425

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 E£21.08

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 F CFA 716

$0.28 E£14.52

346.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.71 E£89.3

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 F CFA 624

$0.45 E£23.21

142.22%

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

$32.9K E£1.7M

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

$27.9K E£1.5M

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

$147 F CFA 84.2K

$21.53 E£1,123

584.35%

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

$7.22 E£376

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.2 F CFA 37.8K

$13.08 E£682

405.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.1 F CFA 40.6K

$17.31 E£903

310.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.56 E£342

Cinema Ticket

$2.80 E£146

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

$79.6 F CFA 45.5K

$93.3 E£4,865

-14.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,511 E£130.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.10 E£1,413

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.91 E£2,238

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 E£5,658

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.62 E£2,587

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$178 F CFA 101.8K

$153 E£7,984

16.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$81.1 F CFA 46.3K

$94.8 E£4,943

-14.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$491 F CFA 280.4K

$306 E£16.0K

60.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$304 F CFA 174.0K

$191 E£9,980

59.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,924 F CFA 5.7M

$725 E£37.8K

1268.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$846 F CFA 483.5K

$444 E£23.2K

90.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$258 F CFA 147.5K

$146 E£7,606

76.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.46

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

Last update for Mali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Egypt: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $43.00 in Mali, $141 in Egypt. Capital cities: $174 in Bamako vs $222 in Cairo.

National salary averages: $261 in Mali, $138 in Egypt. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 228% higher in Egypt.

Dining out costs 78% more in Egypt.

Salaries are 89% higher in Mali, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Mali.

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 Egypt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $523 per month in Egypt and $452 in Mali, there's a 16% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Mali: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Egypt is consistently higher than in Mali across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Mali, $1,200 covers most cities easily; in Egypt it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Mali wins on affordability; Egypt may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.