Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Antananarivo and Mahajanga

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahajanga: $546 a month against $650 in Antananarivo, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Antananarivo despite lower rent and utilities.

32

Cost of Living Index in Antananarivo
Learn more

Antananarivo Living Index

Jump to prices

Antananarivo

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$650

/mo nomad

Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$546

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Antananarivo and in Mahajanga

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

A single person spends $650 per month in Antananarivo vs $546 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Antananarivo $650
Mahajanga $546

A couple spends around $1,004 per month in Antananarivo vs $798 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Antananarivo $1,004
Mahajanga $798

A family of three spends $1,358 per month in Antananarivo vs $1,050 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Antananarivo $1,358
Mahajanga $1,050

Antananarivo costs about 19% more than Mahajanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Antananarivo and Mahajanga are more affordable than the global median – Antananarivo 52% lower, Mahajanga 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.68 MGA 12.2K

$2.04 MGA 9,285

31.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.32 MGA 92.7K

$17.55 MGA 80.1K

15.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.40 MGA 24.6K

Cappuccino

$1.59 MGA 7,251

$0.63 MGA 2,890

152.38%

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

$0.80 MGA 3,647

$0.87 MGA 3,963

-8.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MGA 2,033

$0.92 MGA 4,202

-51.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 MGA 4,488

$0.99 MGA 4,509

-1.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 MGA 10.2K

$1.54 MGA 7,016

45.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 MGA 4,197

$1.35 MGA 6,149

-31.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 MGA 4,700

$0.84 MGA 3,851

22.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.75 MGA 3,435

$0.59 MGA 2,695

27.12%

Eggs

$2.07 MGA 9,435

$2.11 MGA 9,622

-1.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.20 MGA 37.4K

$6.69 MGA 30.5K

22.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 MGA 19.7K

$6.62 MGA 30.2K

-34.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.78 MGA 21.8K

$3.62 MGA 16.5K

32.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.08 MGA 4,924

$1.10 MGA 5,016

-1.82%

Banana (1kg)

$0.57 MGA 2,580

$0.59 MGA 2,714

-3.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 MGA 4,749

$0.63 MGA 2,890

65.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.86 MGA 3,922

$0.64 MGA 2,931

34.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 MGA 2,696

$0.48 MGA 2,211

22.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 MGA 4,438

$0.54 MGA 2,466

79.63%

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

$0.58 MGA 2,631

13.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.57 MGA 7,147

Wine (Bottle)

$4.98 MGA 22.7K

$8.79 MGA 40.1K

-43.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MGA 4,628

$0.74 MGA 3,385

36.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 MGA 8,410

$0.90 MGA 4,123

104.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.13 MGA 605

$0.24 MGA 1,098

-45.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 MGA 15.2K

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 MGA 9,126

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.34 MGA 19.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 MGA 5,140

$1.34 MGA 6,126

-15.67%

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

$11.8K MGA 54.0M

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

$24.7K MGA 112.7M

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

$72.9 MGA 332.5K

$44.10 MGA 201.2K

65.28%

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

$16.41 MGA 74.9K

$6.48 MGA 29.5K

153.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 MGA 260.1K

$22.44 MGA 102.3K

154.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.95 MGA 132.1K

$17.65 MGA 80.5K

64.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.20 MGA 32.8K

Cinema Ticket

$5.68 MGA 25.9K

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

$24.15 MGA 110.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K MGA 67.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.92 MGA 131.9K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.29 MGA 124.5K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 MGA 349.4K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.8 MGA 309.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$321 MGA 1.5M

$339 MGA 1.5M

-5.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 MGA 674.2K

$269 MGA 1.2M

-45.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$725 MGA 3.3M

$653 MGA 3.0M

11.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 MGA 1.4M

$437 MGA 2.0M

-27.53%

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 Mahajanga: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Antananarivo

$148 22.8%

Mahajanga

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Antananarivo

$146 22.5%

Mahajanga

–

Groceries & Markets

Antananarivo

$140 21.6%

Mahajanga

–

Clothing & Footwear

Antananarivo

$90 13.9%

Mahajanga

–

Eating Out

Antananarivo

$71 10.9%

Mahajanga

–

Sport & Entertainment

Antananarivo

$40 6.2%

Mahajanga

–

Getting Around

Antananarivo

$14 * 2.1%

Mahajanga

–

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $321 in Antananarivo versus $339 in Mahajanga. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Antananarivo versus $18.00 in Mahajanga. Groceries tell a different story – $140 in Antananarivo vs $145 in Mahajanga – so Antananarivo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Antananarivo

🇲🇬 Mahajanga

🕒 Local time

21:32 9:32 PM

Same time as Antananarivo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,274,225 Capital

246,022

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Antananarivo Mahajanga 380 km

From you

Antananarivo
Mahajanga

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 Mahajanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Antananarivo is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $975 per month in Antananarivo and $818 in Mahajanga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Antananarivo – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Antananarivo and $18.00 in Mahajanga. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $650 in Antananarivo and $546 in Mahajanga, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Mahajanga – 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 Mahajanga. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Antananarivo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.