Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Antananarivo and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Antananarivo: $648 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 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
76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

Jump to prices

Antananarivo

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$648

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Antananarivo and in Cape Town

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

A single person spends $648 per month in Antananarivo vs $1,568 in Cape Town, rent included.

Antananarivo $648
Cape Town $1,568

A couple spends around $1,009 per month in Antananarivo vs $2,438 in Cape Town, rent included.

Antananarivo $1,009
Cape Town $2,438

A family of three spends $1,370 per month in Antananarivo vs $3,307 in Cape Town, rent included.

Antananarivo $1,370
Cape Town $3,307

Antananarivo is about 59% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Antananarivo sits 52% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.68 MGA 12.0K

$11.78 R 194

-77.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.36 MGA 91.0K

$46.55 R 768

-56.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.48 MGA 24.5K

$5.96 R 98.4

-8.05%

Cappuccino

$1.60 MGA 7,154

$2.47 R 40.80

-35.22%

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

$0.82 MGA 3,653

$1.33 R 21.91

-38.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MGA 1,999

$1.03 R 16.99

-56.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 MGA 4,392

$3.01 R 49.72

-67.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 MGA 10.3K

$3.66 R 60.4

-36.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 MGA 4,497

$1.39 R 22.96

-27.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 MGA 4,471

$1.19 R 19.60

-15.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 MGA 3,377

$2.11 R 34.84

-63.98%

Eggs

$2.07 MGA 9,268

$3.01 R 49.58

-31.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.66 MGA 38.7K

$8.96 R 148

-3.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.48 MGA 20.0K

$6.65 R 110

-32.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.95 MGA 22.1K

$9.29 R 153

-46.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.11 MGA 4,946

$1.83 R 30.13

-39.34%

Banana (1kg)

$0.58 MGA 2,598

$1.90 R 31.31

-69.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 MGA 4,660

$1.75 R 28.83

-40.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.81 MGA 3,615

$2.09 R 34.41

-61.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.60 MGA 2,700

$1.55 R 25.64

-61.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 MGA 4,418

$1.49 R 24.53

-33.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.34 MGA 1,532

$1.30 R 21.41

-73.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 MGA 3,217

$1.16 R 19.19

-37.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.55 MGA 6,933

$3.71 R 61.2

-58.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.12 MGA 22.9K

$6.06 R 100

-15.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MGA 4,390

$1.39 R 22.85

-29.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 MGA 8,055

$2.20 R 36.32

-18.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 MGA 667

$1.51 R 24.98

-90.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,006

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 MGA 14.9K

$0.63 R 10.33

428.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 MGA 9,179

$1.53 R 25.29

33.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.41 MGA 19.7K

$4.81 R 79.4

-8.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 MGA 5,263

$1.58 R 26.08

-25.32%

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

$11.9K MGA 53.4M

$35.5K R 585.7K

-66.35%

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

$25.1K MGA 112.2M

$31.7K R 523.8K

-20.95%

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

$72.8 MGA 325.6K

$116 R 1,920

-37.42%

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

$17.01 MGA 76.0K

$28.37 R 468

-40.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.6 MGA 253.0K

$40.69 R 671

39.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.33 MGA 131.1K

$48.85 R 806

-39.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.15 MGA 31.9K

$11.13 R 184

-35.76%

Cinema Ticket

$5.61 MGA 25.1K

$8.83 R 146

-36.47%

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

$25.35 MGA 113.3K

$261 R 4,314

-90.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K MGA 66.3M

$6,702 R 110.6K

121.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.23 MGA 130.7K

$55.4 R 914

-47.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.19 MGA 121.5K

$32.27 R 532

-15.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 MGA 349.1K

$118 R 1,939

-33.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 MGA 305.4K

$107 R 1,766

-36.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$327 MGA 1.5M

$1,015 R 16.7K

-67.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$152 MGA 678.6K

$715 R 11.8K

-78.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 MGA 3.3M

$1,801 R 29.7K

-59.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 MGA 1.4M

$1,330 R 22.0K

-76.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$670 MGA 3.0M

$2,331 R 38.5K

-71.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$561 MGA 2.5M

$1,513 R 25.0K

-62.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$130 MGA 579.1K

$1,636 R 27.0K

-92.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.75

10.97

43.57%

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

Last update for Antananarivo: October 6, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Antananarivo

$152 23%

Cape Town

$715 45.3% 371% $564

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Antananarivo

$146 22.2%

Cape Town

$185 11.7% 26.6% $39

Groceries & Markets

Antananarivo

$144 21.9%

Cape Town

$222 14.1% 54.1% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Antananarivo

$91 13.8%

Cape Town

$141 8.9% 53.9% $49

Eating Out

Antananarivo

$72 10.9%

Cape Town

$174 11% 142% $102

Sport & Entertainment

Antananarivo

$41 6.1%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 64.1% $26

Getting Around

Antananarivo

$14 * 2.2%

Cape Town

$75 4.8% 430% $61

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 $1,015 in Cape Town. 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 1163% higher in Cape Town, 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 $47.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $144 vs $222 – making Antananarivo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Antananarivo

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

16:51 4:51 PM

15:51 3:51 PM

1 h behind Antananarivo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,274,225 Capital

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.24 USD

10,000 MGA = 2 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, 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).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

USD to MGA in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Antananarivo Cape Town 3,330 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Antananarivo
Cape Town

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 Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cape Town is pricier by about 142%, 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 $2,352 in Cape Town. 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 $1,568 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 142%.

Kindergarten costs $25.35 per month in Antananarivo and $261 in Cape Town. 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 Cape Town at $1,568. In Antananarivo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town 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, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.