Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Antananarivo and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Antananarivo: $648 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 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
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Antananarivo

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$648

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Antananarivo and in Nosara

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

A single person spends $648 per month in Antananarivo vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Antananarivo $648
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $1,009 per month in Antananarivo vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Antananarivo $1,009
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $1,370 per month in Antananarivo vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Antananarivo $1,370
Nosara $3,712

Antananarivo is about 65% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Antananarivo sits 52% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.68 MGA 12.0K

$12.22 ₡5,509

-78.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.36 MGA 91.0K

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-66.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.48 MGA 24.5K

$7.54 ₡3,399

-27.32%

Cappuccino

$1.60 MGA 7,154

$4.31 ₡1,941

-62.88%

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

$0.82 MGA 3,653

$1.72 ₡773

-52.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MGA 1,999

$1.35 ₡608

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 MGA 4,392

$3.24 ₡1,459

-69.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 MGA 10.3K

$4.48 ₡2,018

-48.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 MGA 4,497

$1.57 ₡707

-35.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 MGA 4,471

$3.17 ₡1,429

-68.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 MGA 3,377

$2.42 ₡1,091

-68.60%

Eggs

$2.07 MGA 9,268

$3.57 ₡1,609

-42.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.66 MGA 38.7K

$7.43 ₡3,349

16.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.48 MGA 20.0K

$10.42 ₡4,697

-57.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.95 MGA 22.1K

$13.66 ₡6,156

-63.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.11 MGA 4,946

$2.32 ₡1,044

-52.16%

Banana (1kg)

$0.58 MGA 2,598

$1.61 ₡728

-63.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 MGA 4,660

$4.74 ₡2,138

-78.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.81 MGA 3,615

$1.66 ₡747

-51.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.60 MGA 2,700

$3.72 ₡1,679

-83.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 MGA 4,418

$3.57 ₡1,611

-72.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.34 MGA 1,532

$1.10 ₡497

-69.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 MGA 3,217

$2.55 ₡1,149

-71.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.55 MGA 6,933

$4.95 ₡2,232

-68.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.12 MGA 22.9K

$20.01 ₡9,020

-74.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MGA 4,390

$2.79 ₡1,256

-64.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 MGA 8,055

$3.53 ₡1,589

-49.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 MGA 667

$1.19 ₡537

-87.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 MGA 14.9K

$2.24 ₡1,011

48.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 MGA 9,179

$1.55 ₡701

32.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.41 MGA 19.7K

$8.86 ₡3,993

-50.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 MGA 5,263

$1.57 ₡708

-24.84%

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

$11.9K MGA 53.4M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-45.21%

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

$25.1K MGA 112.2M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-27.54%

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

$72.8 MGA 325.6K

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-22.07%

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

$17.01 MGA 76.0K

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-51.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.6 MGA 253.0K

$51.5 ₡23.2K

9.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.33 MGA 131.1K

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-58.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.15 MGA 31.9K

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-79.83%

Cinema Ticket

$5.61 MGA 25.1K

$7.84 ₡3,535

-28.44%

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

$25.35 MGA 113.3K

$490 ₡220.7K

-94.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K MGA 66.3M

$11.9K ₡5.4M

24.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.23 MGA 130.7K

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-45.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.19 MGA 121.5K

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-51.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 MGA 349.1K

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-1.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 MGA 305.4K

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-13.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$327 MGA 1.5M

$786 ₡354.3K

-58.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$152 MGA 678.6K

$780 ₡351.6K

-80.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 MGA 3.3M

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-80.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 MGA 1.4M

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-77.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$670 MGA 3.0M

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-90.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$561 MGA 2.5M

$1,201 ₡541.3K

-53.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$130 MGA 579.1K

$876 ₡395.0K

-85.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.75

8.62

82.71%

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

Last update for Antananarivo: October 6, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Antananarivo

$152 23%

Nosara

$780 43% 414% $628

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Antananarivo

$146 22.2%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 22.9% $34

Groceries & Markets

Antananarivo

$144 21.9%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 142% $205

Clothing & Footwear

Antananarivo

$91 13.8%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 31.8% $29

Eating Out

Antananarivo

$72 10.9%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 192% $138

Sport & Entertainment

Antananarivo

$41 6.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 115% $47

Getting Around

Antananarivo

$14 * 2.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 512% $73

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 $786 in Nosara. 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 576% higher in Nosara, 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 $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $144 vs $350 – making Antananarivo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Antananarivo

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

08:35 8:35 AM

23:35 11:35 PM

9 h behind Antananarivo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,274,225 Capital

4,912

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.24 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.99 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, 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).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to MGA in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Antananarivo Nosara 14,890 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Antananarivo
Nosara

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 Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 184%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $972 per month in Antananarivo and $2,756 in Nosara. 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 $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 184%.

Kindergarten costs $25.35 per month in Antananarivo and $490 in Nosara. 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 Nosara at $1,837. In Antananarivo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara 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.

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