Cost of Living Comparison Between Mali and South Africa Cost of Living Comparison Between Mali and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $251 in Mali versus $1,019 in South Africa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $416 in Mali versus $1,583 in South Africa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $580 in Mali versus $2,146 in South Africa.

Living in Mali costs about 75% less than in South Africa on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Mali 81% lower, South Africa 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.79 F CFA 3,881

$8.89 R 148

-23.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.48 F CFA 21.4K

$39.93 R 665

-6.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.57 F CFA 3,755

$4.90 R 81.7

34.08%

Cappuccino

$1.92 F CFA 1,097

$2.03 R 33.88

-5.42%

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

$0.80 F CFA 457

$1.04 R 17.26

-23.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 F CFA 338

$0.74 R 12.32

-20.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 F CFA 1,381

$2.29 R 38.17

5.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$20.70 F CFA 11.8K

$2.56 R 42.69

708.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 F CFA 1,358

$1.07 R 17.74

122.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.34 F CFA 1,907

$1.04 R 17.27

221.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.96

Eggs

$4.49 F CFA 2,564

$2.22 R 37.05

102.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.53 F CFA 10.0K

$7.93 R 132

121.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.25 F CFA 9,861

$4.57 R 76.1

277.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.14 F CFA 7,509

$6.63 R 110

98.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 F CFA 1,793

$1.50 R 25.03

109.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 F CFA 835

$1.47 R 24.46

-0.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 F CFA 1,586

$1.45 R 24.11

91.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 F CFA 1,299

$1.57 R 26.14

44.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 F CFA 898

$1.20 R 19.97

30.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 F CFA 1,063

$1.28 R 21.38

45.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.09 F CFA 51.5

$1.03 R 17.23

-91.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 F CFA 1,282

$0.93 R 15.54

140.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.95 F CFA 543

$2.94 R 48.96

-67.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.14 R 85.7

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 F CFA 864

$1.36 R 22.67

11.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 F CFA 736

$1.66 R 27.66

-22.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.61 F CFA 2,632

$1.63 R 27.22

182.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.21 R 736

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 19.18

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 F CFA 717

$1.10 R 18.30

13.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.77 R 79.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 F CFA 650

$1.25 R 20.81

-8.80%

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

$21.0K R 350.4K

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

$23.4K R 390.4K

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

$151 F CFA 86.3K

$114 R 1,892

32.93%

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

$32.92 R 548

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.5 F CFA 32.3K

$40.72 R 678

38.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.5 F CFA 38.0K

$31.49 R 525

111.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.04 F CFA 2,308

$9.52 R 159

-57.56%

Cinema Ticket

$5.62 F CFA 3,212

$6.91 R 115

-18.67%

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

$79.9 F CFA 45.7K

$188 R 3,124

-57.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,300 R 71.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.97 R 832

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.67 R 511

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 R 1,571

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.9 R 1,331

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$178 F CFA 101.7K

$444 R 7,398

-59.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$79.8 F CFA 45.6K

$374 R 6,231

-78.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$410 F CFA 234.2K

$902 R 15.0K

-54.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$304 F CFA 173.9K

$720 R 12.0K

-57.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.0K F CFA 5.7M

$1,102 R 18.4K

810.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$850 F CFA 485.6K

$756 R 12.6K

12.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$257 F CFA 147.1K

$1,494 R 24.9K

-82.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

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

Last update for Mali: July 26, 2026

Last update for South Africa: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $43.00 in Mali, $367 in South Africa. Capital cities: $173 in Bamako vs $399 in Pretoria.

National salary averages: $261 in Mali, $1,498 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 753% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 289% more in South Africa.

Salaries are 474% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

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 South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $459 per month in Mali and $1,081 in South Africa, there's a 136% 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 South Africa 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 South Africa 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; South Africa may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.