Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Antananarivo and Ambatolampy

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambatolampy: $472 a month against $650 in Antananarivo, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Antananarivo
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Antananarivo Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Ambatolampy
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Ambatolampy Living Index

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Antananarivo

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$650

/mo nomad

Ambatolampy

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$472

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Antananarivo and in Ambatolampy

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $650 in Antananarivo versus $472 in Ambatolampy.

Antananarivo $650
Ambatolampy $472

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,004 in Antananarivo versus $696 in Ambatolampy.

Antananarivo $1,004
Ambatolampy $696

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,358 in Antananarivo versus $921 in Ambatolampy.

Antananarivo $1,358
Ambatolampy $921

Living in Antananarivo is roughly 38% more expensive than in Ambatolampy, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Antananarivo 52% lower, Ambatolampy 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.68 MGA 12.2K

$2.70 MGA 12.3K

-0.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.32 MGA 92.7K

$10.09 MGA 46.0K

101.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.40 MGA 24.6K

$5.48 MGA 25.0K

-1.46%

Cappuccino

$1.59 MGA 7,251

$1.63 MGA 7,441

-2.45%

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

$0.80 MGA 3,647

$0.81 MGA 3,693

-1.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MGA 2,033

$0.42 MGA 1,911

7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 MGA 4,488

$0.99 MGA 4,516

-1.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 MGA 10.2K

$2.17 MGA 9,906

3.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 MGA 4,197

$0.79 MGA 3,605

16.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 MGA 4,700

$1.04 MGA 4,732

-0.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.75 MGA 3,435

$0.71 MGA 3,229

5.63%

Eggs

$2.07 MGA 9,435

$2.05 MGA 9,364

0.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.20 MGA 37.4K

$8.36 MGA 38.1K

-1.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 MGA 19.7K

$4.28 MGA 19.5K

0.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.78 MGA 21.8K

$4.81 MGA 21.9K

-0.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.08 MGA 4,924

$1.08 MGA 4,912

Banana (1kg)

$0.57 MGA 2,580

$0.53 MGA 2,417

7.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 MGA 4,749

$1.00 MGA 4,575

4.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.86 MGA 3,922

$0.87 MGA 3,980

-1.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 MGA 2,696

$0.54 MGA 2,478

9.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 MGA 4,438

$0.90 MGA 4,113

7.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 MGA 1,441

$0.34 MGA 1,573

-5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 MGA 3,013

$0.68 MGA 3,094

-2.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.57 MGA 7,147

$1.52 MGA 6,951

3.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.98 MGA 22.7K

$4.97 MGA 22.6K

0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MGA 4,628

$1.00 MGA 4,572

1.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 MGA 8,410

$1.86 MGA 8,479

-1.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.13 MGA 605

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 MGA 15.2K

$3.29 MGA 15.0K

1.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 MGA 9,126

$2.05 MGA 9,347

-2.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.34 MGA 19.8K

$4.55 MGA 20.7K

-4.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 MGA 5,140

$0.85 MGA 3,898

32.94%

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

$11.8K MGA 54.0M

0.02%

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

$24.7K MGA 112.7M

$25.5K MGA 116.1M

-2.93%

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

$72.9 MGA 332.5K

$73.5 MGA 335.5K

-0.88%

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

$16.41 MGA 74.9K

$16.55 MGA 75.5K

-0.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 MGA 260.1K

$56.1 MGA 255.7K

1.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.95 MGA 132.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.20 MGA 32.8K

Cinema Ticket

$5.68 MGA 25.9K

$5.55 MGA 25.3K

2.34%

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

$24.15 MGA 110.2K

$24.19 MGA 110.4K

-0.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K MGA 67.3M

$14.8K MGA 67.6M

-0.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.92 MGA 131.9K

$28.33 MGA 129.2K

2.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.29 MGA 124.5K

$27.48 MGA 125.3K

-0.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 MGA 349.4K

$77.4 MGA 353.1K

-1.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.8 MGA 309.4K

$67.3 MGA 306.8K

0.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$321 MGA 1.5M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 MGA 674.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$725 MGA 3.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 MGA 1.4M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$650 MGA 3.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$557 MGA 2.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$132 MGA 600.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.75

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

Last update for Antananarivo: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ambatolampy: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Antananarivo

$148 22.8%

Ambatolampy

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Antananarivo

$146 22.5%

Ambatolampy

$146 31% 0.1% $0.2

Groceries & Markets

Antananarivo

$140 21.6%

Ambatolampy

$139 29.4% 1% $1.4

Clothing & Footwear

Antananarivo

$90 13.9%

Ambatolampy

$90 19.1% 0.1% $0.1

Eating Out

Antananarivo

$71 10.9%

Ambatolampy

$72 15.2% 1.1% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Antananarivo

$40 6.2%

Ambatolampy

$11 * 2.4% 72.5% $29

Getting Around

Antananarivo

$14 * 2.1%

Ambatolampy

$14 * 2.9% 2.5% $0.3

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $20.00 in Antananarivo vs $10.00 in Ambatolampy for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $140 vs $139 per month, with Ambatolampy cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Antananarivo

🇲🇬 Ambatolampy

🕒 Local time

16:09 4:09 PM

Same time as Antananarivo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,274,225 Capital

32,291

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Antananarivo Ambatolampy 54 km

From you

Antananarivo
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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

Antananarivo vs Ambatolampy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ambatolampy wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Antananarivo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ambatolampy the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $975 in Antananarivo and $707 in Ambatolampy 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 $24.15 in Antananarivo versus $24.19 in Ambatolampy. 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 $10.00 versus $20.00 in Antananarivo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Ambatolampy 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.

Expats usually find Ambatolampy gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Antananarivo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.