Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mali and Tunisia

For one person, living is cheaper in Tunisia: $678 a month against $904 in Mali, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Mali
Tunisia
🇲🇱 Mali
$904
/mo nomad
🇹🇳 Tunisia
$678
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mali and in Tunisia

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 Tunisia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $904 in Mali versus $678 in Tunisia.

  • Mali $904
  • Tunisia $678

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,481 in Mali versus $1,067 in Tunisia.

  • Mali $1,481
  • Tunisia $1,067

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,058 in Mali versus $1,456 in Tunisia.

  • Mali $2,058
  • Tunisia $1,456

Internal cost variation is higher in Mali: monthly costs span $86 to $894, compared to $444–$857 in Tunisia. City choice carries more weight in Mali.

Living in Mali is roughly 33% more expensive than in Tunisia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Mali 34% lower, Tunisia 50% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mali
Tunisia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.47 F CFA 4,958
$4.03 TND 12.09
110.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$36.49 F CFA 21.4K
$20.23 TND 60.7
80.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.25 F CFA 4,831
$5.10 TND 15.29
61.76%
Cappuccino
$1.71 F CFA 1,003
$0.98 TND 2.94
74.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.89 F CFA 520
$0.69 TND 2.06
28.99%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.71 F CFA 416
$0.32 TND 0.96
121.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.34 F CFA 1,370
$1.71 TND 5.12
36.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$21.20 F CFA 12.4K
$1.94 TND 5.83
992.78%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mali
Tunisia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.94 F CFA 1,139
$0.50 TND 1.49
288.00%
White Bread (500g)
$3.80 F CFA 2,226
$0.20 TND 0.60
1800.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
-
$1.49 TND 4.46
-
Eggs
$6.05 F CFA 3,544
$1.54 TND 4.63
292.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.84 F CFA 10.4K
$11.03 TND 33.11
61.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$17.36 F CFA 10.2K
$5.89 TND 17.66
194.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.30 F CFA 7,787
$14.35 TND 43.06
-7.32%
Apples (1kg)
$3.11 F CFA 1,822
$1.88 TND 5.64
65.43%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 F CFA 854
$3.54 TND 10.62
-58.76%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.90 F CFA 1,699
$1.16 TND 3.48
150.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.32 F CFA 1,357
$0.71 TND 2.14
226.76%
Potato (1kg)
$1.67 F CFA 976
$0.77 TND 2.31
116.88%
Onion (1kg)
$1.58 F CFA 924
$0.60 TND 1.81
163.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.11 F CFA 62.7
$0.48 TND 1.43
-77.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 F CFA 1,698
$0.30 TND 0.89
866.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.01 F CFA 593
$3.73 TND 11.19
-72.92%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$6.75 TND 20.26
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.46 F CFA 854
$1.22 TND 3.66
19.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 F CFA 763
$1.25 TND 3.74
4.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Mali
Tunisia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.34 TND 1.02
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$9.76 TND 29.30
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$0.29 TND 0.86
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.22 F CFA 715
$0.34 TND 1.02
258.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$3.96 TND 11.87
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.09 F CFA 636
$0.85 TND 2.55
28.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$39.6K TND 118.8K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$35.5K TND 106.6K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mali
Tunisia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$147 F CFA 86.3K
$53.1 TND 159
177.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
-
$9.83 TND 29.50
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$65.0 F CFA 38.1K
$20.12 TND 60.4
223.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mali
Tunisia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$70.1 F CFA 41.0K
$26.87 TND 80.6
160.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$11.48 TND 34.45
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$5.41 TND 16.24
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mali
Tunisia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$76.9 F CFA 45.0K
$85.6 TND 257
-10.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$2,758 TND 8,276
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mali
Tunisia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$39.84 TND 120
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$52.4 TND 157
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$96.0 TND 288
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$72.8 TND 218
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mali
Tunisia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$172 F CFA 100.4K
$228 TND 685
-24.91%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$79.5 F CFA 46.5K
$157 TND 470
-49.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$506 F CFA 296.3K
$391 TND 1,173
29.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$297 F CFA 173.6K
$276 TND 828
7.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$10.1K F CFA 5.9M
$1,084 TND 3,254
832.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$843 F CFA 493.8K
$662 TND 1,988
27.31%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mali
Tunisia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$257 F CFA 150.3K
$320 TND 961
-19.88%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
10.98
-

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

Last update for Mali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tunisia: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Mali
–
Tunisia
$195
Accommodation & Living
Mali
–
Tunisia
$157
Clothing & Footwear
Mali
–
Tunisia
$117
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mali
–
Tunisia
$83
Eating Out
Mali
–
Tunisia
$76
Sport & Entertainment
Mali
–
Tunisia
$38
Getting Around
Mali
–
Tunisia
$13

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $176 in Mali, $202 in Tunisia. Capital cities: $176 in Bamako vs $385 in Tunis.

National salary averages: $264 in Mali, $306 in Tunisia. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 15% higher in Tunisia.

Dining out costs 100% more in Mali.

Salaries are 16% higher in Tunisia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Tunisia.

Good to know
🇲🇱 Mali
🇹🇳 Tunisia
🕒 Local time
00:01 12:01 AM
01:01 1:01 AM
1 h ahead of Mali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
20,250,833
11,565,204
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 586 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3 TND (1 TND = 0.333 USD). 1 EUR = 3.36 TND (1 TND = 0.297 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mali Tunisia 3,240 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Mali
  • Tunisia

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 Tunisia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: Mali or Tunisia?
At $904 per month in Mali and $678 in Tunisia, Tunisia comes out about 25% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Does the cost gap hold in every spending category?
Overall, Tunisia 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.
How do I choose between living in Mali and in Tunisia?
It depends on what you’re after: Tunisia wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.

Mali vs other spots: cost of living compared

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