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: $249 in Mali versus $452 in Egypt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $415 in Mali versus $726 in Egypt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $580 in Mali versus $1,000 in Egypt.

Living in Mali costs about 45% less than in Egypt on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Mali 81% lower, Egypt 66% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Mali: monthly costs span $0 to $910, compared to $314–$703 in Egypt. City choice carries more weight in Mali.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.54 F CFA 3,669

$4.05 E£213

61.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.26 F CFA 20.9K

$19.98 E£1,051

86.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.37 F CFA 3,577

$4.86 E£256

31.07%

Cappuccino

$1.87 F CFA 1,049

$1.45 E£76.1

28.97%

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

$0.79 F CFA 442

$0.35 E£18.49

125.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 F CFA 312

$0.12 E£6.55

366.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 F CFA 1,320

$1.40 E£73.9

67.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$21.40 F CFA 12.0K

$2.98 E£157

618.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 F CFA 1,300

$0.91 E£47.87

154.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 F CFA 1,883

$0.62 E£32.54

441.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 E£34.97

Eggs

$4.63 F CFA 2,596

$1.46 E£76.7

217.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.57 F CFA 9,860

$3.24 E£170

442.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.93 F CFA 9,499

$4.23 E£222

300.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.51 F CFA 7,582

$8.55 E£450

58.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 F CFA 1,789

$1.52 E£80.2

109.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 F CFA 794

$0.56 E£29.51

151.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 F CFA 1,627

$0.47 E£24.99

517.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.39 F CFA 1,341

$0.38 E£19.73

528.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 F CFA 926

$0.45 E£23.52

266.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 F CFA 1,028

$0.41 E£21.71

346.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.10 F CFA 54.7

$0.22 E£11.53

-54.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 F CFA 1,321

$0.20 E£10.66

1075.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.94 F CFA 530

$1.94 E£102

-51.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.70 E£353

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 F CFA 822

$1.31 E£69.0

11.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 F CFA 760

$1.96 E£103

-31.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.65 F CFA 2,610

$0.27 E£14.16

1622.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.99 E£315

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.42 E£22.01

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 F CFA 689

$0.29 E£15.06

324.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 E£65.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 F CFA 669

$0.33 E£17.57

260.61%

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

$34.3K E£1.8M

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

$31.2K E£1.6M

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

$150 F CFA 83.9K

$21.22 E£1,116

604.90%

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

$6.97 E£367

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.8 F CFA 32.4K

$11.72 E£617

393.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.1 F CFA 37.1K

$14.86 E£782

344.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.96 F CFA 2,219

$6.87 E£361

-42.36%

Cinema Ticket

$5.58 F CFA 3,132

$2.88 E£152

93.75%

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

$77.5 F CFA 43.5K

$85.8 E£4,516

-9.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,911 E£100.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.73 E£1,354

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.59 E£2,346

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 E£5,678

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.8 E£2,727

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$177 F CFA 99.2K

$162 E£8,529

9.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$81.2 F CFA 45.6K

$99.6 E£5,239

-18.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 F CFA 232.1K

$320 E£16.9K

29.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$306 F CFA 171.5K

$194 E£10.2K

57.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,983 F CFA 5.6M

$739 E£38.9K

1250.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$853 F CFA 478.6K

$445 E£23.4K

91.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$258 F CFA 144.9K

$139 E£7,291

86.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.38

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

Last update for Mali: April 20, 2026

Last update for Egypt: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $44 in Mali, $183 in Egypt. Capital cities: $176 in Bamako vs $208 in Cairo.

National salary averages: $266 in Mali, $141 in Egypt. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 316% higher in Egypt.

Dining out costs 78% more in Egypt.

Salaries are 89% higher in Mali, giving Mali stronger purchasing power.

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 $509 per month in Egypt and $455 in Mali, there's a 12% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Mali is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.