Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ambatolampy and Manakara

For one person, living is cheaper in Manakara: $397 a month against $467 in Ambatolampy, rent and utilities included – about $840 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Ambatolampy
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Ambatolampy Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Manakara
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Manakara Living Index

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Ambatolampy

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$467

/mo nomad

Manakara

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$397

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ambatolampy and in Manakara

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $467 in Ambatolampy versus $397 in Manakara.

Ambatolampy $467
Manakara $397

Estimated couple costs with rent: $690 in Ambatolampy versus $609 in Manakara.

Ambatolampy $690
Manakara $609

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $913 in Ambatolampy versus $820 in Manakara.

Ambatolampy $913
Manakara $820

Living in Ambatolampy is roughly 18% more expensive than in Manakara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ambatolampy 65% lower, Manakara 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.71 MGA 12.4K

$2.16 MGA 9,875

25.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.07 MGA 46.0K

$14.51 MGA 66.3K

-30.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.42 MGA 24.8K

$3.61 MGA 16.5K

50.14%

Cappuccino

$1.60 MGA 7,307

$1.19 MGA 5,450

34.45%

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

$0.78 MGA 3,583

$0.60 MGA 2,744

30.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MGA 2,061

$0.53 MGA 2,414

-15.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.00 MGA 4,584

$1.19 MGA 5,455

-15.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 MGA 9,867

$1.42 MGA 6,483

52.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 MGA 3,605

$1.72 MGA 7,874

-54.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 MGA 4,655

$1.01 MGA 4,626

0.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 MGA 3,389

$0.73 MGA 3,317

1.37%

Eggs

$1.98 MGA 9,039

$2.25 MGA 10.3K

-12.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.05 MGA 36.8K

$6.62 MGA 30.2K

21.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.30 MGA 19.7K

$3.47 MGA 15.9K

23.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.76 MGA 21.8K

$3.55 MGA 16.2K

34.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.04 MGA 4,736

$0.96 MGA 4,372

8.33%

Banana (1kg)

$0.57 MGA 2,623

$0.72 MGA 3,305

-20.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 MGA 4,741

$0.34 MGA 1,572

205.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.86 MGA 3,911

$0.72 MGA 3,284

19.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.54 MGA 2,483

$0.55 MGA 2,504

-1.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 MGA 4,365

$0.77 MGA 3,504

23.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.31 MGA 1,439

$0.32 MGA 1,461

-3.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 MGA 3,007

$0.64 MGA 2,910

3.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.51 MGA 6,890

$1.42 MGA 6,491

6.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.00 MGA 22.9K

$4.34 MGA 19.9K

15.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 MGA 4,643

$1.03 MGA 4,708

-0.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 MGA 8,391

$1.25 MGA 5,723

47.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 MGA 957

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.63 MGA 162.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 MGA 15.0K

$1.08 MGA 4,954

203.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 MGA 9,130

$2.23 MGA 10.2K

-10.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.32 MGA 19.7K

$3.31 MGA 15.2K

30.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 MGA 3,873

$1.17 MGA 5,368

-27.35%

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

$11.6K MGA 53.1M

$15.2K MGA 69.7M

-23.83%

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

$24.9K MGA 113.6M

$20.2K MGA 92.5M

22.83%

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

$73.5 MGA 336.1K

$41.78 MGA 191.0K

75.95%

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

$16.43 MGA 75.1K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.1 MGA 251.9K

$52.7 MGA 241.0K

4.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$11.37 MGA 52.0K

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 MGA 24.7K

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

$24.03 MGA 109.9K

$21.87 MGA 100.0K

9.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K MGA 67.0M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.85 MGA 127.3K

$16.27 MGA 74.4K

71.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.45 MGA 120.9K

$20.10 MGA 91.9K

31.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 MGA 351.8K

$45.39 MGA 207.6K

69.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.9 MGA 310.3K

$44.17 MGA 202.0K

53.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$114 MGA 519.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.75

-34.38%

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

Last update for Ambatolampy: November 3, 2026

Last update for Manakara: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ambatolampy

$145 31%

Manakara

$94 * 23.8% 34.9% $51

Groceries & Markets

Ambatolampy

$137 29.4%

Manakara

$130 32.7% 5.7% $7.8

Clothing & Footwear

Ambatolampy

$90 19.2%

Manakara

$57 14.3% 36.8% $33

Eating Out

Ambatolampy

$71 15.3%

Manakara

$56 14.1% 21.9% $16

Getting Around

Ambatolampy

$13 * 2.8%

Manakara

$49 12.3% 267% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Ambatolampy

$11 * 2.3%

Manakara

$11 * 2.9% 5.2% $0.6

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $10 in Ambatolampy vs $15 in Manakara. Groceries flip the comparison at $137 vs $130, with Manakara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Ambatolampy

🇲🇬 Manakara

🕒 Local time

05:58 5:58 AM

Same time as Ambatolampy

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,291

44,237

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.94 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ambatolampy Manakara 310 km

From you

Ambatolampy
Manakara

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

Ambatolampy vs Manakara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manakara wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Ambatolampy. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Manakara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $701 in Ambatolampy and $595 in Manakara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $24 in Ambatolampy versus $22 in Manakara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ambatolampy – a meal for two runs $10 versus $15 in Manakara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Manakara gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.