Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Antananarivo and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Antananarivo: $648 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

Jump to prices

Antananarivo

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$648

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Antananarivo and in Cebu

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

A single person spends $648 per month in Antananarivo vs $934 in Cebu, rent included.

Antananarivo $648
Cebu $934

A couple spends around $1,009 per month in Antananarivo vs $1,415 in Cebu, rent included.

Antananarivo $1,009
Cebu $1,415

A family of three spends $1,370 per month in Antananarivo vs $1,896 in Cebu, rent included.

Antananarivo $1,370
Cebu $1,896

Antananarivo is about 31% cheaper than Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Antananarivo and Cebu are more affordable than the global median – Antananarivo 52% lower, Cebu 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.68 MGA 12.0K

$3.03 ₱190

-11.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.36 MGA 91.0K

$23.48 ₱1,473

-13.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.48 MGA 24.5K

$4.09 ₱256

33.99%

Cappuccino

$1.60 MGA 7,154

$2.52 ₱158

-36.51%

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

$0.82 MGA 3,653

$1.54 ₱96.9

-46.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MGA 1,999

$0.49 ₱30.98

-8.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 MGA 4,392

$1.79 ₱112

-45.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 MGA 10.3K

$2.26 ₱142

2.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 MGA 4,497

$1.95 ₱122

-48.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 MGA 4,471

$1.43 ₱89.7

-30.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 MGA 3,377

$1.02 ₱63.8

-25.49%

Eggs

$2.07 MGA 9,268

$2.06 ₱129

0.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.66 MGA 38.7K

$9.81 ₱615

-11.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.48 MGA 20.0K

$4.61 ₱289

-2.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.95 MGA 22.1K

$7.70 ₱483

-35.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.11 MGA 4,946

$3.31 ₱207

-66.47%

Banana (1kg)

$0.58 MGA 2,598

$1.45 ₱90.9

-60.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 MGA 4,660

$2.36 ₱148

-55.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.81 MGA 3,615

$1.54 ₱96.4

-47.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.60 MGA 2,700

$2.36 ₱148

-74.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 MGA 4,418

$1.99 ₱125

-50.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.34 MGA 1,532

$1.15 ₱72.1

-70.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 MGA 3,217

$0.67 ₱42.15

7.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.55 MGA 6,933

$3.00 ₱188

-48.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.12 MGA 22.9K

$6.35 ₱398

-19.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MGA 4,390

$1.31 ₱81.9

-25.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 MGA 8,055

$1.73 ₱108

4.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 MGA 667

$0.25 ₱15.78

-40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 MGA 14.9K

$0.74 ₱46.32

350.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 MGA 9,179

$0.21 ₱13.11

876.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.41 MGA 19.7K

$4.33 ₱271

1.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 MGA 5,263

$1.33 ₱83.5

-11.28%

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

$11.9K MGA 53.4M

$21.8K ₱1.4M

-45.12%

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

$25.1K MGA 112.2M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

29.39%

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

$72.8 MGA 325.6K

$121 ₱7,563

-39.60%

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

$17.01 MGA 76.0K

$14.45 ₱907

17.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.6 MGA 253.0K

$28.29 ₱1,774

100.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.33 MGA 131.1K

$32.68 ₱2,050

-10.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.15 MGA 31.9K

$6.39 ₱401

11.89%

Cinema Ticket

$5.61 MGA 25.1K

$5.46 ₱342

2.75%

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

$25.35 MGA 113.3K

$273 ₱17.1K

-90.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K MGA 66.3M

$8,156 ₱511.5K

81.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.23 MGA 130.7K

$49.57 ₱3,109

-41.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.19 MGA 121.5K

$24.87 ₱1,560

9.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 MGA 349.1K

$76.6 ₱4,804

1.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 MGA 305.4K

$59.3 ₱3,717

15.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$327 MGA 1.5M

$506 ₱31.7K

-35.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$152 MGA 678.6K

$309 ₱19.4K

-50.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 MGA 3.3M

$1,052 ₱66.0K

-30.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 MGA 1.4M

$619 ₱38.8K

-48.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$670 MGA 3.0M

$2,915 ₱182.9K

-77.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$561 MGA 2.5M

$1,867 ₱117.1K

-69.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$130 MGA 579.1K

$341 ₱21.4K

-62.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.75

7.2

118.75%

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

Last update for Antananarivo: October 6, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Antananarivo

$152 23%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 104% $158

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Antananarivo

$146 22.2%

Cebu

$163 17.7% 11.5% $17

Groceries & Markets

Antananarivo

$144 21.9%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 45.7% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Antananarivo

$91 13.8%

Cebu

$95 10.2% 3.7% $3.3

Eating Out

Antananarivo

$72 10.9%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 23.4% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Antananarivo

$41 6.1%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 7.5% $3.1

Getting Around

Antananarivo

$14 * 2.2%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 8.7% $1.2

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 $506 in Cebu. 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 163% higher in Cebu, 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 $23.00 in Cebu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $144 vs $210 – making Antananarivo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Antananarivo

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

08:13 8:13 AM

13:13 1:13 PM

5 h ahead of Antananarivo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,274,225 Capital

964,169

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.24 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.99 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, 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).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to MGA in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Antananarivo Cebu 8,980 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Antananarivo
Cebu

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 Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cebu is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $972 per month in Antananarivo and $1,401 in Cebu. 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 $934 in Cebu. That's a gap of about 44%.

Kindergarten costs $25.35 per month in Antananarivo and $273 in Cebu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $648 in Antananarivo and $934 in Cebu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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, Cebu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.