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 $245 in Mali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,856 in United States versus $406 in Mali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,069 in United States versus $566 in Mali.

Living in United States is roughly 979% more expensive than Mali on average.

United States (97% above) and Mali (82% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.12 $20.12

$6.86 F CFA 3,898

193.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 $73.9

$37.86 F CFA 21.5K

95.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.56 $11.56

$6.39 F CFA 3,632

80.91%

Cappuccino

$5.09 $5.09

$1.88 F CFA 1,067

170.74%

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

$2.58 $2.58

$0.80 F CFA 454

222.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$0.57 F CFA 322

277.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.10 $6.10

$2.36 F CFA 1,341

158.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 $6.95

$21.13 F CFA 12.0K

-67.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$2.37 F CFA 1,346

-54.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.74 $3.74

$3.48 F CFA 1,976

7.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

Eggs

$4.43 $4.43

$4.53 F CFA 2,573

-2.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.99 $12.99

$17.54 F CFA 9,966

-25.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.25 $12.25

$17.16 F CFA 9,748

-28.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.17 $16.17

$13.31 F CFA 7,560

21.49%

Apples (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$3.02 F CFA 1,717

75.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.48 F CFA 839

10.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.84 F CFA 1,616

56.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 $5.03

$2.38 F CFA 1,355

111.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.65 F CFA 937

80.61%

Onion (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.76 F CFA 998

72.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$0.09 F CFA 53.5

2411.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.30 F CFA 1,305

-0.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.12 $10.12

$0.95 F CFA 538

965.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 $14.94

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.53 F CFA 867

28.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 $3.66

$1.30 F CFA 740

181.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$4.58 F CFA 2,601

-46.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.7 $64.7

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 $3.83

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.22 F CFA 690

45.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 $30.45

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.16 F CFA 659

-24.14%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

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)

$205 $205

$148 F CFA 84.3K

38.17%

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

$57.6 $57.6

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.9 $71.9

$58.4 F CFA 33.2K

23.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.53 $45.53

$68.5 F CFA 38.9K

-33.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.32 $22.32

$4.17 F CFA 2,370

435.25%

Cinema Ticket

$13.82 $13.82

$5.78 F CFA 3,282

139.10%

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

$1,374 $1,374

$79.7 F CFA 45.3K

1624.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K $23.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.35 $43.35

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 $91.2

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,761 $1,761

$175 F CFA 99.6K

904.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,428 $1,428

$79.4 F CFA 45.1K

1699.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,843 $2,843

$413 F CFA 234.9K

587.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,380 $2,380

$305 F CFA 173.4K

680.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,299 $3,299

$10.3K F CFA 5.9M

-67.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,587 $2,587

$851 F CFA 483.7K

203.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,234 $4,234

$264 F CFA 150.2K

1502.19%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mali: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,635 in United States, $43.00 in Mali. Capital cities: $1,583 in Washington, MI vs $173 in Bamako.

National salary averages: $4,496 in United States, $260 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 630% more in United States.

Salaries are 1629% higher in United States, giving United States stronger purchasing power.

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 $446 per month in Mali and $3,271 in United States, there's a 634% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Mali is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.