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: $1,137 in South Africa versus $248 in Mali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,773 in South Africa versus $405 in Mali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,408 in South Africa versus $561 in Mali.

Living in South Africa is roughly 358% more expensive than in Mali on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: South Africa 17% lower, Mali 82% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.22 R 184

$8.27 F CFA 4,726

35.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.86 R 702

$35.42 F CFA 20.2K

21.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.77 R 94.4

$8.06 F CFA 4,604

-28.41%

Cappuccino

$2.41 R 39.51

$1.63 F CFA 929

47.85%

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

$1.19 R 19.55

$0.95 F CFA 542

25.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R 14.32

$0.65 F CFA 373

33.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 R 39.34

$2.33 F CFA 1,329

3.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 R 49.02

$20.70 F CFA 11.8K

-85.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.47

$1.89 F CFA 1,079

-33.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 R 17.96

$3.78 F CFA 2,162

-70.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 R 28.93

Eggs

$2.51 R 41.12

$5.96 F CFA 3,405

-57.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.46 R 139

$18.11 F CFA 10.3K

-53.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R 88.6

$17.18 F CFA 9,819

-68.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.94 R 130

$13.09 F CFA 7,480

-39.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 R 29.76

$3.18 F CFA 1,816

-42.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 R 27.60

$1.42 F CFA 813

19.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 R 28.34

$2.75 F CFA 1,570

-37.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 R 28.99

$2.40 F CFA 1,372

-26.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.07

$1.66 F CFA 948

-11.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 R 23.99

$1.64 F CFA 935

-10.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 R 20.55

$0.09 F CFA 48.94

1288.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 18.95

$2.83 F CFA 1,616

-59.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.31 R 54.3

$1.02 F CFA 585

224.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.88 R 79.9

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 R 25.02

$1.47 F CFA 841

4.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 R 33.53

$1.31 F CFA 746

56.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 R 27.62

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.8 R 1,028

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 R 17.64

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 R 15.46

$1.25 F CFA 716

-24.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 R 129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 R 23.38

$1.09 F CFA 624

31.19%

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

$36.6K R 599.6K

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

$31.1K R 509.6K

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

$131 R 2,147

$147 F CFA 84.2K

-11.03%

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

$35.38 R 579

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.24 R 676

$66.2 F CFA 37.8K

-37.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.46 R 564

$71.1 F CFA 40.6K

-51.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.85 R 194

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 R 124

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

$231 R 3,791

$79.6 F CFA 45.5K

190.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,534 R 90.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 R 901

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.73 R 552

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R 1,643

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.5 R 1,498

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$501 R 8,209

$178 F CFA 101.8K

181.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,854

$81.1 F CFA 46.3K

416.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$955 R 15.6K

$491 F CFA 280.4K

94.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$826 R 13.5K

$304 F CFA 174.0K

171.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,158 R 19.0K

$9,924 F CFA 5.7M

-88.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$788 R 12.9K

$846 F CFA 483.5K

-6.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,542 R 25.3K

$258 F CFA 147.5K

497.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.24

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

Last update for South Africa: September 13, 2026

Last update for Mali: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $444 in South Africa, $43.00 in Mali. Capital cities: $320 in Bloemfontein vs $174 in Bamako.

National salary averages: $1,543 in South Africa, $261 in Mali. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 933% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 344% more in South Africa.

Salaries are 491% 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

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

At $452 per month in Mali and $1,225 in South Africa, there's a 171% 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.