Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Mali Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Mali

Name: Mali
Address: ML

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,626 in United States versus $248 in Mali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,830 in United States versus $405 in Mali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,034 in United States versus $561 in Mali.

Living in United States is roughly 959% more expensive than in Mali on average.

United States (92% above) and Mali (82% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.38 $20.38

$8.27 F CFA 4,726

146.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 $79.0

$35.42 F CFA 20.2K

123.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 $11.78

$8.06 F CFA 4,604

46.15%

Cappuccino

$5.42 $5.42

$1.63 F CFA 929

232.52%

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

$2.75 $2.75

$0.95 F CFA 542

189.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.65 F CFA 373

233.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 $5.86

$2.33 F CFA 1,329

151.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$20.70 F CFA 11.8K

-61.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.89 F CFA 1,079

-44.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 $3.56

$3.78 F CFA 2,162

-5.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

Eggs

$4.26 $4.26

$5.96 F CFA 3,405

-28.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.21 $13.21

$18.11 F CFA 10.3K

-27.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.42 $12.42

$17.18 F CFA 9,819

-27.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.49 $17.49

$13.09 F CFA 7,480

33.61%

Apples (1kg)

$5.21 $5.21

$3.18 F CFA 1,816

63.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.42 F CFA 813

16.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$2.75 F CFA 1,570

62.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$2.40 F CFA 1,372

102.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$1.66 F CFA 948

72.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.64 F CFA 935

89.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.09 F CFA 48.94

2366.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.83 F CFA 1,616

-17.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.41 $10.41

$1.02 F CFA 585

920.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.23 $15.23

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.47 F CFA 841

44.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 $3.74

$1.31 F CFA 746

185.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 $2.44

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 $65.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 $3.44

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.25 F CFA 716

52.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.09 F CFA 624

-5.50%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

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

$25.9K $25.9K

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

$222 $222

$147 F CFA 84.2K

50.81%

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

$62.6 $62.6

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.6 $74.6

$66.2 F CFA 37.8K

12.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.12 $45.12

$71.1 F CFA 40.6K

-36.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.13 $23.13

Cinema Ticket

$15.27 $15.27

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

$1,474 $1,474

$79.6 F CFA 45.5K

1751.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.0K $25.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 $54.1

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.55 $42.55

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 $91.4

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,636 $1,636

$178 F CFA 101.8K

817.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,367 $1,367

$81.1 F CFA 46.3K

1586.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,701 $2,701

$491 F CFA 280.4K

450.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,239 $2,239

$304 F CFA 174.0K

635.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,267 $3,267

$9,924 F CFA 5.7M

-67.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,651 $2,651

$846 F CFA 483.5K

213.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,317 $4,317

$258 F CFA 147.5K

1572.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.22

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

Last update for United States: September 13, 2026

Last update for Mali: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,610 in United States, $43.00 in Mali. Capital cities: $1,358 in Columbia, TN vs $174 in Bamako.

National salary averages: $4,521 in United States, $261 in Mali. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 3644% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 733% more in United States.

Salaries are 1632% higher in United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in United States.

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 $452 per month in Mali and $3,094 in United States, there's a 584% 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 United States 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 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; United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.