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 $251 in Mali.

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

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

Living in South Africa is roughly 306% more expensive than in Mali on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.89 R 148

$6.79 F CFA 3,881

30.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.93 R 665

$37.48 F CFA 21.4K

6.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 R 81.7

$6.57 F CFA 3,755

-25.42%

Cappuccino

$2.03 R 33.88

$1.92 F CFA 1,097

5.73%

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

$1.04 R 17.26

$0.80 F CFA 457

30.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 R 12.32

$0.59 F CFA 338

25.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 R 38.17

$2.42 F CFA 1,381

-5.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 R 42.69

$20.70 F CFA 11.8K

-87.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 R 17.74

$2.38 F CFA 1,358

-55.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 R 17.27

$3.34 F CFA 1,907

-68.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.96

Eggs

$2.22 R 37.05

$4.49 F CFA 2,564

-50.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.93 R 132

$17.53 F CFA 10.0K

-54.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.57 R 76.1

$17.25 F CFA 9,861

-73.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 R 110

$13.14 F CFA 7,509

-49.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.50 R 25.03

$3.14 F CFA 1,793

-52.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.46

$1.46 F CFA 835

0.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 R 24.11

$2.77 F CFA 1,586

-47.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.14

$2.27 F CFA 1,299

-30.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R 19.97

$1.57 F CFA 898

-23.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R 21.38

$1.86 F CFA 1,063

-31.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 R 17.23

$0.09 F CFA 51.5

1044.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 R 15.54

$2.24 F CFA 1,282

-58.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 R 48.96

$0.95 F CFA 543

209.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.14 R 85.7

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R 22.67

$1.51 F CFA 864

-9.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 27.66

$1.29 F CFA 736

28.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 27.22

$4.61 F CFA 2,632

-64.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.21 R 736

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 19.18

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R 18.30

$1.25 F CFA 717

-12.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.77 R 79.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.81

$1.14 F CFA 650

9.65%

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)

$114 R 1,892

$151 F CFA 86.3K

-24.77%

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

$32.92 R 548

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.72 R 678

$56.5 F CFA 32.3K

-27.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.49 R 525

$66.5 F CFA 38.0K

-52.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.52 R 159

$4.04 F CFA 2,308

135.64%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 R 115

$5.62 F CFA 3,212

22.95%

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

$188 R 3,124

$79.9 F CFA 45.7K

134.77%

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)

$444 R 7,398

$178 F CFA 101.7K

149.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 R 6,231

$79.8 F CFA 45.6K

368.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$902 R 15.0K

$410 F CFA 234.2K

120.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 R 12.0K

$304 F CFA 173.9K

136.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,102 R 18.4K

$10.0K F CFA 5.7M

-89.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$756 R 12.6K

$850 F CFA 485.6K

-11.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,494 R 24.9K

$257 F CFA 147.1K

480.56%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Mali: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

National salary averages: $1,498 in South Africa, $261 in Mali. 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

South Africa vs Mali: 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.