Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Antananarivo and Manakara

For one person, living is cheaper in Manakara: $397 a month against $649 in Antananarivo, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Antananarivo
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Antananarivo Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Manakara
Learn more

Manakara Living Index

Jump to prices

Antananarivo

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$649

/mo nomad

Manakara

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$397

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Antananarivo and in Manakara

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

A single person spends $649 per month in Antananarivo vs $397 in Manakara, rent included.

Antananarivo $649
Manakara $397

A couple spends around $1,001 per month in Antananarivo vs $609 in Manakara, rent included.

Antananarivo $1,001
Manakara $609

A family of three spends $1,354 per month in Antananarivo vs $820 in Manakara, rent included.

Antananarivo $1,354
Manakara $820

Antananarivo costs about 64% more than Manakara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Antananarivo and Manakara are more affordable than the global median – Antananarivo 52% lower, Manakara 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.60 MGA 11.9K

$2.16 MGA 9,875

20.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.83 MGA 90.7K

$14.51 MGA 66.3K

36.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.38 MGA 24.6K

$3.61 MGA 16.5K

49.03%

Cappuccino

$1.60 MGA 7,330

$1.19 MGA 5,450

34.45%

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

$0.76 MGA 3,479

$0.60 MGA 2,744

26.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 MGA 1,898

$0.53 MGA 2,414

-20.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.97 MGA 4,436

$1.19 MGA 5,455

-18.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 MGA 9,858

$1.42 MGA 6,483

52.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 MGA 4,227

$1.72 MGA 7,874

-46.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 MGA 4,626

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 MGA 3,176

$0.73 MGA 3,317

-5.48%

Eggs

$2.00 MGA 9,137

$2.25 MGA 10.3K

-11.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.31 MGA 38.0K

$6.62 MGA 30.2K

25.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.44 MGA 20.3K

$3.47 MGA 15.9K

27.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.68 MGA 21.4K

$3.55 MGA 16.2K

31.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.04 MGA 4,745

$0.96 MGA 4,372

8.33%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 MGA 2,434

$0.72 MGA 3,305

-26.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 MGA 4,542

$0.34 MGA 1,572

191.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.82 MGA 3,763

$0.72 MGA 3,284

13.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 MGA 2,657

$0.55 MGA 2,504

5.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 MGA 4,150

$0.77 MGA 3,504

18.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 MGA 1,578

$0.32 MGA 1,461

9.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 MGA 3,218

$0.64 MGA 2,910

9.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.58 MGA 7,209

$1.42 MGA 6,491

11.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.94 MGA 22.6K

$4.34 MGA 19.9K

13.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MGA 4,481

$1.03 MGA 4,708

-4.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 MGA 8,113

$1.25 MGA 5,723

41.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.12 MGA 561

$0.21 MGA 957

-42.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.63 MGA 162.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 MGA 15.6K

$1.08 MGA 4,954

215.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.24 MGA 10.2K

$2.23 MGA 10.2K

0.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 MGA 20.7K

$3.31 MGA 15.2K

36.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 MGA 5,313

$1.17 MGA 5,368

-0.85%

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

$11.6K MGA 53.1M

$15.2K MGA 69.7M

-23.72%

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

$24.8K MGA 113.6M

$20.2K MGA 92.5M

22.81%

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

$73.6 MGA 336.4K

$41.78 MGA 191.0K

76.11%

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

$16.88 MGA 77.2K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 MGA 257.2K

$52.7 MGA 241.0K

6.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.59 MGA 130.7K

$11.37 MGA 52.0K

151.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.13 MGA 32.6K

Cinema Ticket

$5.47 MGA 25.0K

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

$24.67 MGA 112.8K

$21.87 MGA 100.0K

12.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.3K MGA 124.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.87 MGA 132.0K

$16.27 MGA 74.4K

77.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.99 MGA 123.4K

$20.10 MGA 91.9K

34.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 MGA 343.0K

$45.39 MGA 207.6K

65.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.7 MGA 309.4K

$44.17 MGA 202.0K

53.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$320 MGA 1.5M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$149 MGA 679.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$726 MGA 3.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 MGA 1.5M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$669 MGA 3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$574 MGA 2.6M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$130 MGA 596.3K

$114 MGA 519.3K

14.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.75

-34.38%

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

Last update for Antananarivo: November 2, 2026

Last update for Manakara: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Antananarivo

$149 22.9%

Manakara

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Antananarivo

$147 22.6%

Manakara

$94 * 23.8% 35.6% $52

Groceries & Markets

Antananarivo

$139 21.5%

Manakara

$130 32.7% 7.1% $9.8

Clothing & Footwear

Antananarivo

$89 13.8%

Manakara

$57 14.3% 36.6% $33

Eating Out

Antananarivo

$70 10.8%

Manakara

$56 14.1% 20.5% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Antananarivo

$40 6.1%

Manakara

$11 * 2.9% 71.2% $28

Getting Around

Antananarivo

$15 * 2.3%

Manakara

$49 12.3% 223% $34

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 15% higher in Antananarivo, 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 in Antananarivo versus $15 in Manakara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $139 vs $130 – making Manakara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Antananarivo

🇲🇬 Manakara

🕒 Local time

01:30 1:30 AM

Same time as Antananarivo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,274,225 Capital

44,237

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.94 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Antananarivo Manakara 360 km

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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 Manakara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Antananarivo is pricier by about 64%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $973 per month in Antananarivo and $595 in Manakara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $649 in Antananarivo and $397 in Manakara. That makes Manakara about 39% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $25 per month in Antananarivo and $22 in Manakara. 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 $649 in Antananarivo and $397 in Manakara, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Manakara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $397 in Manakara to $649 in Antananarivo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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