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: $2,643 in United States versus $251 in Mali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,857 in United States versus $416 in Mali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,070 in United States versus $580 in Mali.

Living in United States is roughly 953% more expensive than in Mali on average.

United States (99% above) and Mali (81% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.67 $19.67

$6.79 F CFA 3,881

189.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 $73.9

$37.48 F CFA 21.4K

97.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 $11.35

$6.57 F CFA 3,755

72.75%

Cappuccino

$5.15 $5.15

$1.92 F CFA 1,097

168.23%

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

$2.54 $2.54

$0.80 F CFA 457

217.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.59 F CFA 338

262.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.13 $6.13

$2.42 F CFA 1,381

153.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 $6.84

$20.70 F CFA 11.8K

-66.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.38 F CFA 1,358

-56.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.54 $3.54

$3.34 F CFA 1,907

5.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

Eggs

$4.20 $4.20

$4.49 F CFA 2,564

-6.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.73 $12.73

$17.53 F CFA 10.0K

-27.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.45 $12.45

$17.25 F CFA 9,861

-27.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.15 $16.15

$13.14 F CFA 7,509

22.91%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$3.14 F CFA 1,793

64.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.46 F CFA 835

17.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.77 F CFA 1,586

66.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$2.27 F CFA 1,299

118.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.57 F CFA 898

91.72%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$1.86 F CFA 1,063

69.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 $2.25

$0.09 F CFA 51.5

2400.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.24 F CFA 1,282

-2.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.07 $10.07

$0.95 F CFA 543

960.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.26 $15.26

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.51 F CFA 864

33.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 $3.53

$1.29 F CFA 736

173.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 $2.45

$4.61 F CFA 2,632

-46.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.3 $65.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.73 $3.73

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.25 F CFA 717

40.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.83 $29.83

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.14 F CFA 650

-15.79%

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

$29.5K $29.5K

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)

$204 $204

$151 F CFA 86.3K

35.24%

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

$56.7 $56.7

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.7 $71.7

$56.5 F CFA 32.3K

26.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.88 $45.88

$66.5 F CFA 38.0K

-31.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.70 $21.70

$4.04 F CFA 2,308

437.13%

Cinema Ticket

$13.96 $13.96

$5.62 F CFA 3,212

148.40%

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

$1,400 $1,400

$79.9 F CFA 45.7K

1652.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K $23.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 $53.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.28 $42.28

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 $91.5

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 $1,704

$178 F CFA 101.7K

857.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,454 $1,454

$79.8 F CFA 45.6K

1722.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,933 $2,933

$410 F CFA 234.2K

615.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,420 $2,420

$304 F CFA 173.9K

695.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,366 $3,366

$10.0K F CFA 5.7M

-66.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,596 $2,596

$850 F CFA 485.6K

205.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,392 $4,392

$257 F CFA 147.1K

1606.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

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

Last update for United States: July 26, 2026

Last update for Mali: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,635 in United States, $43.00 in Mali. Capital cities: $2,575 in Washington, DC vs $173 in Bamako.

National salary averages: $4,499 in United States, $261 in Mali. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 3702% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 711% more in United States.

Salaries are 1624% 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 $459 per month in Mali and $3,247 in United States, there's a 608% 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.