Mali
Timbuktu, Djenné's mud mosque and the Dogon cliffs, all now out of reach.
Slightly cheaper. The exchange rate moved +4.5%; local prices rose +3.0%.
- Lean
- $36
- Comfort
- $184
Off the board while a Level 4 advisory stands.
The short answerIn US dollars, as of November 12, 2026
Mali: 4.9% cheaper for US-dollar travelers than a year ago, after adjusting for inflation. A mid-range day costs roughly $82 per person, excluding international flights; this is a rough estimate from limited price evidence. The US State Department advisory is Level 4 (do not travel). The country is not ranked while that advisory stands.
What your money buys there
30 monthsThe dashed line is what a currency converter shows. The solid line is the same thing after prices in both countries are taken into account. When they part, the solid one is telling the truth.
How the score is built
- Dislocation ×0.36
- 56
- Price floor ×0.30
- 62
- Safety ×0.20
- 0
- Ease ×0.14
- 15
Real price drop vs last year and vs the five-year norm
How low the daily cost is in absolute terms
From the current travel advisory
How well set up the country is for visitors
The full reading
| Real change, 3 months | +4.2% | Is the move still going, or already reversing? |
|---|---|---|
| Real change, 12 months | +4.9% | The headline: what your money buys versus a year ago. |
| Exchange rate alone, 12 months | +4.5% | What a currency converter would tell you. |
| Local inflation, 12 months | +3.0% | How much of that the destination's own prices took back. |
| Versus five-year average | −0.2% | Cheap or dear against its own recent history. |
| Advisory | Level 4 | Do not travel |
| Ease of travel | 1.6 / 5 | Expedition-grade |
- The Great Mosque of Djenné
- Dogon Country
- Bamako's live music
Do not travel: terrorism and kidnapping across most of the country, including attacks near the capital.
The CFA franc is pegged to the euro.
When to go
November is peak season- Janpeak season
- Febpeak season
- Maroff season
- Aproff season
- Mayoff season
- Junoff season
- Juloff season
- Augoff season
- Sepoff season
- Octshoulder season
- Novpeak season
- Decpeak season
Safety and ease
- US State Department
- Level 4: Do not travel · updated June 7, 2026
- Read the full advisory ↗
- Advisories are often regional. A country-wide level can hide both safe areas and no-go zones, and other governments may judge differently.
- Tourism infrastructure
- Expedition-grade · 1.6 / 5
Mali, in five questions
Answers are generated from the index reading of November 12, 2026, in US dollars. To cite: “Trip Arbitrage (triparbitrage.com), reading of November 12, 2026.”
- How much does it cost per day to travel in Mali?
- As of November 12, 2026, a day in Mali costs about $36 on a lean budget, $82 mid-range and $184 in comfort, per person, excluding international flights. These are modeled estimates, updated daily for local inflation and the exchange rate. Price evidence for this country is thin, so treat these figures as rough.
- Is Mali cheaper to visit than a year ago?
- Yes. Over the past 12 months the exchange rate moved +4.5% for US-dollar holders while prices in Mali rose +3.0%, a net real change of +4.9% in purchasing power. Against its own five-year average, Mali is 0.2% more expensive.
- Is Mali safe to travel to right now?
- The US State Department rates Mali at Level 4: Do not travel. Do not travel: terrorism and kidnapping across most of the country, including attacks near the capital. Advisories are often regional and other governments may differ, so read the full advisory before booking.
- When is the cheapest time to visit Mali?
- The shoulder months, when the weather is workable and prices ease, are: October. The best conditions, and the highest prices, come in: November, December, January, February. Right now (November) is peak season.
- How easy is Mali to travel around?
- Mali scores 1.6 out of 5 for ease of travel (expedition-grade), a measure of transport, lodging, payments, wayfinding and access to healthcare. Timbuktu, Djenné's mud mosque and the Dogon cliffs, all now out of reach.
Elsewhere in Africa
- Egypt
- Morocco
- Tunisia
- South Africa
- Namibia
- Kenya
- Tanzania
- Rwanda
- Zambia
- Ghana
- Nigeria
- Ethiopia
- Madagascar
- Senegal
- Botswana
- Mozambique
- Mauritius
- Uganda
- Algeria
- Angola
- Benin
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cape Verde
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Comoros
- Republic of the Congo
- DR Congo
- Ivory Coast
- Djibouti
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Eswatini
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Malawi
- Mauritania
- Niger
- São Tomé & Príncipe
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Togo
- Zimbabwe
- Réunion
Reading of November 12, 2026. In US dollars, Mali reads +4.9% over twelve months in real terms with a mid-range day near $82. Costs are modeled, not quoted: see the method.