Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Antananarivo and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Antananarivo: $650 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, 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 Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Antananarivo

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$650

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Antananarivo and in Mexico City

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

A single person spends $650 per month in Antananarivo vs $1,567 in Mexico City, rent included.

Antananarivo $650
Mexico City $1,567

A couple spends around $1,004 per month in Antananarivo vs $2,450 in Mexico City, rent included.

Antananarivo $1,004
Mexico City $2,450

A family of three spends $1,358 per month in Antananarivo vs $3,333 in Mexico City, rent included.

Antananarivo $1,358
Mexico City $3,333

Antananarivo is about 59% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Antananarivo sits 52% below the global median, while Mexico City is 16% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.68 MGA 12.2K

$10.75 MX$199

-75.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.32 MGA 92.7K

$50.3 MX$929

-59.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.40 MGA 24.6K

$11.10 MX$205

-51.35%

Cappuccino

$1.59 MGA 7,251

$3.68 MX$68.1

-56.79%

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

$0.80 MGA 3,647

$1.65 MX$30.42

-51.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MGA 2,033

$1.30 MX$24.08

-65.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 MGA 4,488

$3.32 MX$61.3

-70.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 MGA 10.2K

$5.54 MX$102

-59.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 MGA 4,197

$1.77 MX$32.68

-48.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 MGA 4,700

$3.05 MX$56.4

-66.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.75 MGA 3,435

$2.01 MX$37.20

-62.69%

Eggs

$2.07 MGA 9,435

$2.77 MX$51.1

-25.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.20 MGA 37.4K

$11.91 MX$220

-31.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 MGA 19.7K

$9.33 MX$172

-53.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.78 MGA 21.8K

$15.02 MX$278

-68.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.08 MGA 4,924

$3.08 MX$56.8

-64.94%

Banana (1kg)

$0.57 MGA 2,580

$1.95 MX$35.97

-70.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 MGA 4,749

$2.03 MX$37.54

-48.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.86 MGA 3,922

$2.21 MX$40.92

-61.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 MGA 2,696

$2.02 MX$37.41

-70.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 MGA 4,438

$1.82 MX$33.67

-46.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 MGA 1,441

$1.52 MX$28.07

-78.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 MGA 3,013

$1.28 MX$23.65

-48.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.57 MGA 7,147

$5.27 MX$97.4

-70.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.98 MGA 22.7K

$16.12 MX$298

-69.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MGA 4,628

$1.95 MX$36.05

-48.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 MGA 8,410

$4.25 MX$78.6

-56.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.13 MGA 605

$0.31 MX$5.82

-58.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 MX$367

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 MGA 15.2K

$2.00 MX$36.93

66.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 MGA 9,126

$0.53 MX$9.86

277.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.34 MGA 19.8K

$5.62 MX$104

-22.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 MGA 5,140

$1.52 MX$28.07

-25.66%

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

$11.8K MGA 54.0M

$21.0K MX$388.7K

-43.69%

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

$24.7K MGA 112.7M

$25.2K MX$465.3K

-1.87%

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

$72.9 MGA 332.5K

$62.5 MX$1,155

16.64%

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

$16.41 MGA 74.9K

$28.77 MX$532

-42.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 MGA 260.1K

$34.45 MX$637

65.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.95 MGA 132.1K

$57.1 MX$1,055

-49.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.20 MGA 32.8K

$24.81 MX$458

-70.98%

Cinema Ticket

$5.68 MGA 25.9K

$6.67 MX$123

-14.84%

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

$24.15 MGA 110.2K

$431 MX$7,964

-94.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K MGA 67.3M

$11.7K MX$216.9K

25.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.92 MGA 131.9K

$70.8 MX$1,308

-59.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.29 MGA 124.5K

$51.8 MX$958

-47.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 MGA 349.4K

$109 MX$2,011

-29.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.8 MGA 309.4K

$112 MX$2,076

-39.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$321 MGA 1.5M

$1,051 MX$19.4K

-69.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 MGA 674.2K

$665 MX$12.3K

-77.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$725 MGA 3.3M

$2,346 MX$43.3K

-69.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 MGA 1.4M

$1,227 MX$22.7K

-74.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$650 MGA 3.0M

$3,554 MX$65.7K

-81.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$557 MGA 2.5M

$1,977 MX$36.5K

-71.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$132 MGA 600.8K

$975 MX$18.0K

-86.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.75

11.3

39.38%

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

Last update for Antananarivo: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Antananarivo

$148 22.8%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 350% $517

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Antananarivo

$146 22.5%

Mexico City

$126 8% 14.1% $21

Groceries & Markets

Antananarivo

$140 21.6%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 130% $182

Clothing & Footwear

Antananarivo

$90 13.9%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 71.3% $64

Eating Out

Antananarivo

$71 10.9%

Mexico City

$203 13% 186% $132

Sport & Entertainment

Antananarivo

$40 6.2%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 74.7% $30

Getting Around

Antananarivo

$14 * 2.1%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 85.9% $12

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 $1,051 in Mexico City. 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 640% higher in Mexico City, 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 $50.0 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $140 vs $323 – making Antananarivo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Antananarivo

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

21:32 9:32 PM

12:32 12:32 PM

9 h behind Antananarivo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,274,225 Capital

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to MGA – Malagasy Ariary Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇬 Malagasy Ariary (Ar)

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4,562 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD). 1 EUR = 5,128 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to MGA in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Antananarivo Mexico City 16,520 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Antananarivo
Mexico City

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 141%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $975 per month in Antananarivo and $2,351 in Mexico City. 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 $650 in Antananarivo and $1,567 in Mexico City. That's a gap of about 141%.

Kindergarten costs $24.15 per month in Antananarivo and $431 in Mexico City. 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 $650, than in Mexico City at $1,567. In Antananarivo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City 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, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.