Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Antananarivo and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Antananarivo: $648 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 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
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Antananarivo

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$648

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Antananarivo and in Budapest

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

A single person spends $648 per month in Antananarivo vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Antananarivo $648
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $1,009 per month in Antananarivo vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Antananarivo $1,009
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $1,370 per month in Antananarivo vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Antananarivo $1,370
Budapest $3,489

Antananarivo is about 60% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Antananarivo sits 52% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.68 MGA 12.0K

$13.99 Ft 4,551

-80.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.36 MGA 91.0K

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-66.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.48 MGA 24.5K

$9.96 Ft 3,241

-44.98%

Cappuccino

$1.60 MGA 7,154

$3.38 Ft 1,100

-52.66%

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

$0.82 MGA 3,653

$2.13 Ft 692

-61.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MGA 1,999

$1.87 Ft 608

-75.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 MGA 4,392

$3.75 Ft 1,221

-73.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 MGA 10.3K

$3.57 Ft 1,162

-35.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 MGA 4,497

$1.13 Ft 368

-10.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 MGA 4,471

$1.84 Ft 599

-45.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 MGA 3,377

$2.39 Ft 777

-68.20%

Eggs

$2.07 MGA 9,268

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-45.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.66 MGA 38.7K

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-23.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.48 MGA 20.0K

$6.74 Ft 2,192

-33.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.95 MGA 22.1K

$14.69 Ft 4,780

-66.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.11 MGA 4,946

$1.84 Ft 597

-39.67%

Banana (1kg)

$0.58 MGA 2,598

$2.01 Ft 653

-71.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 MGA 4,660

$2.36 Ft 767

-55.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.81 MGA 3,615

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-78.51%

Potato (1kg)

$0.60 MGA 2,700

$0.96 Ft 313

-37.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 MGA 4,418

$1.03 Ft 334

-3.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.34 MGA 1,532

$1.56 Ft 509

-78.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 MGA 3,217

$0.66 Ft 216

9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.55 MGA 6,933

$7.96 Ft 2,591

-80.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.12 MGA 22.9K

$6.01 Ft 1,954

-14.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MGA 4,390

$1.30 Ft 421

-24.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 MGA 8,055

$2.08 Ft 676

-13.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 MGA 667

$1.50 Ft 489

-90.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 MGA 14.9K

$3.30 Ft 1,074

0.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 MGA 9,179

$1.30 Ft 424

57.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.41 MGA 19.7K

$19.78 Ft 6,436

-77.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 MGA 5,263

$1.81 Ft 591

-34.81%

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

$11.9K MGA 53.4M

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

-59.27%

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

$25.1K MGA 112.2M

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-26.41%

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

$72.8 MGA 325.6K

$170 Ft 55.3K

-57.14%

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

$17.01 MGA 76.0K

$23.98 Ft 7,802

-29.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.6 MGA 253.0K

$23.42 Ft 7,621

141.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.33 MGA 131.1K

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-55.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.15 MGA 31.9K

$19.18 Ft 6,239

-62.72%

Cinema Ticket

$5.61 MGA 25.1K

$9.52 Ft 3,098

-41.07%

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

$25.35 MGA 113.3K

$537 Ft 174.6K

-95.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K MGA 66.3M

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-10.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.23 MGA 130.7K

$101 Ft 33.0K

-71.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.19 MGA 121.5K

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-36.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 MGA 349.1K

$113 Ft 36.7K

-30.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 MGA 305.4K

$119 Ft 38.6K

-42.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$327 MGA 1.5M

$805 Ft 262.0K

-59.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$152 MGA 678.6K

$629 Ft 204.7K

-75.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 MGA 3.3M

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

-52.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 MGA 1.4M

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

-72.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$670 MGA 3.0M

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-88.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$561 MGA 2.5M

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-85.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$130 MGA 579.1K

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

-92.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.75

6.43

144.95%

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

Last update for Antananarivo: October 6, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Antananarivo

$152 23%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 315% $477

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Antananarivo

$146 22.2%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 48.4% $71

Groceries & Markets

Antananarivo

$144 21.9%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 78.4% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Antananarivo

$91 13.8%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 85.3% $78

Eating Out

Antananarivo

$72 10.9%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 213% $153

Sport & Entertainment

Antananarivo

$41 6.1%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 110% $45

Getting Around

Antananarivo

$14 * 2.2%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 206% $29

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 $805 in Budapest. 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 1155% higher in Budapest, 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 $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $144 vs $258 – making Antananarivo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Antananarivo

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

06:22 6:22 AM

05:22 5:22 AM

1 h behind Antananarivo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,274,225 Capital

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.24 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.99 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, 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 = 5,013 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.99 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to MGA in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Antananarivo Budapest 7,910 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Antananarivo
Budapest

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 Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 150%, 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 $2,432 in Budapest. 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 $1,621 in Budapest. That's a gap of about 150%.

Kindergarten costs $25.35 per month in Antananarivo and $537 in Budapest. 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 Budapest at $1,621. In Antananarivo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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