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

Name: Mali
Address: ML

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,019 in South Africa versus $245 in Mali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,585 in South Africa versus $406 in Mali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,150 in South Africa versus $566 in Mali.

Living in South Africa is roughly 316% more expensive than Mali on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: South Africa 24% lower, Mali 82% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.88 R 147

$6.86 F CFA 3,898

29.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.40 R 652

$37.86 F CFA 21.5K

4.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.92 R 81.4

$6.39 F CFA 3,632

-23.00%

Cappuccino

$2.00 R 33.01

$1.88 F CFA 1,067

6.38%

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

$1.03 R 16.96

$0.80 F CFA 454

28.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 R 12.43

$0.57 F CFA 322

31.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 R 37.33

$2.36 F CFA 1,341

-4.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 R 40.91

$21.13 F CFA 12.0K

-88.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 R 17.82

$2.37 F CFA 1,346

-54.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 R 17.17

$3.48 F CFA 1,976

-70.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.03

Eggs

$2.28 R 37.70

$4.53 F CFA 2,573

-49.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 R 128

$17.54 F CFA 9,966

-55.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.56 R 75.5

$17.16 F CFA 9,748

-73.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.72 R 111

$13.31 F CFA 7,560

-49.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.86

$3.02 F CFA 1,717

-50.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 R 23.39

$1.48 F CFA 839

-4.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.93

$2.84 F CFA 1,616

-46.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.07

$2.38 F CFA 1,355

-36.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R 20.91

$1.65 F CFA 937

-23.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 R 21.43

$1.76 F CFA 998

-26.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 18.02

$0.09 F CFA 53.5

1111.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 R 16.36

$2.30 F CFA 1,305

-56.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 R 49.31

$0.95 F CFA 538

213.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.12 R 84.7

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 R 21.86

$1.53 F CFA 867

-13.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 R 27.30

$1.30 F CFA 740

26.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 R 28.24

$4.58 F CFA 2,601

-62.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.13 R 746

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R 18.34

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 R 18.32

$1.22 F CFA 690

-9.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.70 R 77.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.22

$1.16 F CFA 659

10.34%

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

$20.8K R 343.5K

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

$23.5K R 388.1K

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

$111 R 1,833

$148 F CFA 84.3K

-25.32%

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

$32.41 R 536

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.64 R 689

$58.4 F CFA 33.2K

-28.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.24 R 517

$68.5 F CFA 38.9K

-54.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.78 R 162

$4.17 F CFA 2,370

134.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 R 112

$5.78 F CFA 3,282

17.30%

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

$189 R 3,118

$79.7 F CFA 45.3K

136.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,394 R 72.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.42 R 817

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.39 R 503

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 R 1,557

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 R 1,313

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$444 R 7,335

$175 F CFA 99.6K

152.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 R 6,084

$79.4 F CFA 45.1K

363.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 R 14.5K

$413 F CFA 234.9K

112.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$714 R 11.8K

$305 F CFA 173.4K

133.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,061 R 17.5K

$10.3K F CFA 5.9M

-89.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$782 R 12.9K

$851 F CFA 483.7K

-8.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,505 R 24.9K

$264 F CFA 150.2K

469.65%

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 South Africa: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mali: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $368 in South Africa, $43.00 in Mali. Capital cities: $764 in Cape Town vs $173 in Bamako.

National salary averages: $1,501 in South Africa, $260 in Mali. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 756% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 250% more in South Africa.

Salaries are 477% higher in South Africa, giving South Africa 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

South Africa vs Mali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $446 per month in Mali and $1,084 in South Africa, there's a 143% 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 South Africa 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 South Africa, 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; South Africa may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.