Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Mali

Name: Mali
Address: ML

For one person, living is cheaper in Mali: $904 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $22,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
Learn more

United States Living Index

Jump to prices

🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇲🇱 Mali

$904

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Mali

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the United States and in Mali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,734 in the United States versus $904 in Mali.

United States $2,734
Mali $904

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,985 in the United States versus $1,481 in Mali.

United States $3,985
Mali $1,481

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,235 in the United States versus $2,058 in Mali.

United States $5,235
Mali $2,058

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $979 to $5,160, compared to $86–$894 in Mali. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in the United States is roughly 202% more expensive than in Mali on average.

The United States (101% above) and Mali (34% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$8.47 F CFA 4,952

136.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$36.49 F CFA 21.3K

119.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$8.25 F CFA 4,825

43.03%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$1.71 F CFA 1,002

224.56%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$0.89 F CFA 519

198.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.71 F CFA 416

205.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$2.34 F CFA 1,368

161.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$21.20 F CFA 12.4K

-62.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.94 F CFA 1,137

-46.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.80 F CFA 2,224

-5.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$6.05 F CFA 3,540

-29.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$17.84 F CFA 10.4K

-25.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$17.36 F CFA 10.2K

-27.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$13.30 F CFA 7,778

32.33%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.11 F CFA 1,819

70.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.46 F CFA 853

15.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.90 F CFA 1,697

53.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$2.32 F CFA 1,355

105.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.67 F CFA 975

77.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.58 F CFA 923

99.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$0.11 F CFA 62.7

1900.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.90 F CFA 1,696

-18.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$1.01 F CFA 592

987.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.46 F CFA 853

41.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$1.30 F CFA 762

191.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.22 F CFA 714

54.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.09 F CFA 635

-6.42%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

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

$26.2K $26.2K

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

$218 $218

$147 F CFA 86.2K

47.83%

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

$62.5 $62.5

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$65.0 F CFA 38.0K

14.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$70.1 F CFA 41.0K

-40.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

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

$1,489 $1,489

$76.9 F CFA 45.0K

1836.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$172 F CFA 100.3K

867.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$79.5 F CFA 46.5K

1595.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$506 F CFA 295.9K

430.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$297 F CFA 173.4K

631.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$10.1K F CFA 5.9M

-67.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$843 F CFA 493.3K

194.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$257 F CFA 150.1K

1573.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Mali

–

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Mali

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Mali

–

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Mali

–

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Mali

–

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Mali

–

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Mali

–

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,620 in the United States, $176 in Mali. Capital cities: $2,768 in Washington, DC vs $176 in Bamako.

National salary averages: $4,549 in the United States, $264 in Mali. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 820% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 108% more in the United States.

Salaries are about 17 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇲🇱 Mali

🕒 Local time

19:54 7:54 PM

00:54 12:54 AM

5 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

20,250,833

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🌐 West African CFA Franc (Fr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

XOF to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

United States Mali 8,210 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
Mali

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

United States vs Mali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $904 per month in Mali and $2,734 in the United States, Mali comes out about 67% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 in the United States and $176 in Mali. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Mali, $1,200 covers most cities easily; in the United States 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, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.