Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Antananarivo and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Antananarivo: $648 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $24,700 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
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Antananarivo

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$648

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Antananarivo and in Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $648 per month in Antananarivo vs $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent included.

Antananarivo $648
Austin, TX $2,704

A couple spends around $1,009 per month in Antananarivo vs $4,133 in Austin, TX, rent included.

Antananarivo $1,009
Austin, TX $4,133

A family of three spends $1,370 per month in Antananarivo vs $5,562 in Austin, TX, rent included.

Antananarivo $1,370
Austin, TX $5,562

Antananarivo is about 76% cheaper than Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Antananarivo sits 52% below the global median, while Austin, TX is 102% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.68 MGA 12.0K

$20.22 $20.22

-86.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.36 MGA 91.0K

$85.0 $85.0

-76.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.48 MGA 24.5K

$12.35 $12.35

-55.63%

Cappuccino

$1.60 MGA 7,154

$5.47 $5.47

-70.75%

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

$0.82 MGA 3,653

$3.82 $3.82

-78.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MGA 1,999

$2.50 $2.50

-82.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 MGA 4,392

$8.06 $8.06

-87.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 MGA 10.3K

$8.99 $8.99

-74.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 MGA 4,497

$1.13 $1.13

-10.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 MGA 4,471

$3.78 $3.78

-73.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 MGA 3,377

$3.25 $3.25

-76.62%

Eggs

$2.07 MGA 9,268

$4.14 $4.14

-50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.66 MGA 38.7K

$13.08 $13.08

-33.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.48 MGA 20.0K

$14.31 $14.31

-68.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.95 MGA 22.1K

$15.96 $15.96

-68.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.11 MGA 4,946

$4.38 $4.38

-74.66%

Banana (1kg)

$0.58 MGA 2,598

$1.45 $1.45

-60.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 MGA 4,660

$4.54 $4.54

-77.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.81 MGA 3,615

$4.19 $4.19

-80.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.60 MGA 2,700

$2.63 $2.63

-77.19%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 MGA 4,418

$2.36 $2.36

-58.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.34 MGA 1,532

$1.76 $1.76

-80.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 MGA 3,217

$2.16 $2.16

-66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.55 MGA 6,933

$9.81 $9.81

-84.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.12 MGA 22.9K

$14.72 $14.72

-65.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MGA 4,390

$2.78 $2.78

-64.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 MGA 8,055

$3.48 $3.48

-48.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 MGA 667

$1.49 $1.49

-89.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 MGA 14.9K

$2.67 $2.67

24.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 MGA 9,179

$1.58 $1.58

29.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.41 MGA 19.7K

$35.29 $35.29

-87.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 MGA 5,263

$0.99 $0.99

19.19%

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

$11.9K MGA 53.4M

$35.8K $35.8K

-66.64%

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

$25.1K MGA 112.2M

$27.2K $27.2K

-7.64%

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

$72.8 MGA 325.6K

$219 $219

-66.79%

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

$17.01 MGA 76.0K

$58.0 $58.0

-70.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.6 MGA 253.0K

$68.4 $68.4

-17.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.33 MGA 131.1K

$57.9 $57.9

-49.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.15 MGA 31.9K

$14.82 $14.82

-51.75%

Cinema Ticket

$5.61 MGA 25.1K

$14.13 $14.13

-60.30%

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

$25.35 MGA 113.3K

$1,509 $1,509

-98.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K MGA 66.3M

$21.5K $21.5K

-30.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.23 MGA 130.7K

$51.7 $51.7

-43.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.19 MGA 121.5K

$44.05 $44.05

-38.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 MGA 349.1K

$85.1 $85.1

-8.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 MGA 305.4K

$105 $105

-35.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$327 MGA 1.5M

$1,932 $1,932

-83.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$152 MGA 678.6K

$1,272 $1,272

-88.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 MGA 3.3M

$3,670 $3,670

-79.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 MGA 1.4M

$2,525 $2,525

-87.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$670 MGA 3.0M

$7,617 $7,617

-91.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$561 MGA 2.5M

$3,199 $3,199

-82.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$130 MGA 579.1K

$5,105 $5,105

-97.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.75

6.79

131.96%

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

Last update for Antananarivo: October 6, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Antananarivo

$152 23%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 738% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Antananarivo

$146 22.2%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 136% $199

Groceries & Markets

Antananarivo

$144 21.9%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 179% $258

Clothing & Footwear

Antananarivo

$91 13.8%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 41% $37

Eating Out

Antananarivo

$72 10.9%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 386% $276

Sport & Entertainment

Antananarivo

$41 6.1%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 113% $46

Getting Around

Antananarivo

$14 * 2.2%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 302% $43

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $327 in Antananarivo versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 3840% higher in Austin, TX, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Antananarivo versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $144 vs $403 – making Antananarivo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Antananarivo

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

12:42 12:42 PM

04:42 4:42 AM

8 h behind Antananarivo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,274,225 Capital

974,447

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.24 USD

10,000 MGA = 2 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MGA – Malagasy Ariary Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇬 Malagasy Ariary (Ar)

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4,470 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.24 USD). 1 EUR = 5,009 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to MGA in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Antananarivo Austin, TX 16,300 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Antananarivo
Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Austin, TX is pricier by about 317%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $972 per month in Antananarivo and $4,055 in Austin, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Antananarivo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $648 in Antananarivo and $2,704 in Austin, TX. That's a gap of about 317%.

Kindergarten costs $25.35 per month in Antananarivo and $1,509 in Austin, TX. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Antananarivo, where all-in costs run around $648, than in Austin, TX at $2,704. In Antananarivo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Austin, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Antananarivo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Antananarivo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Austin, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.