Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Antananarivo and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Antananarivo: $650 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Antananarivo
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Antananarivo Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Antananarivo

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$650

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Antananarivo and in Playa del Carmen

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 Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $650 per month in Antananarivo vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Antananarivo $650
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $1,004 per month in Antananarivo vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Antananarivo $1,004
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $1,358 per month in Antananarivo vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Antananarivo $1,358
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Antananarivo is about 46% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Antananarivo and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Antananarivo 52% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.68 MGA 12.2K

$10.76 MX$199

-75.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.32 MGA 92.7K

$43.03 MX$795

-52.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.40 MGA 24.6K

$11.79 MX$218

-54.20%

Cappuccino

$1.59 MGA 7,251

$3.87 MX$71.4

-58.91%

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

$0.80 MGA 3,647

$1.37 MX$25.29

-41.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MGA 2,033

$0.84 MX$15.44

-46.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 MGA 4,488

$3.10 MX$57.3

-68.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 MGA 10.2K

$5.07 MX$93.6

-55.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 MGA 4,197

$1.44 MX$26.55

-36.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 MGA 4,700

$2.23 MX$41.23

-53.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.75 MGA 3,435

$1.47 MX$27.17

-48.98%

Eggs

$2.07 MGA 9,435

$2.53 MX$46.71

-18.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.20 MGA 37.4K

$7.30 MX$135

12.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 MGA 19.7K

$7.86 MX$145

-45.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.78 MGA 21.8K

$12.79 MX$236

-62.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.08 MGA 4,924

$2.90 MX$53.6

-62.76%

Banana (1kg)

$0.57 MGA 2,580

$1.44 MX$26.53

-60.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 MGA 4,749

$2.55 MX$47.07

-59.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.86 MGA 3,922

$2.06 MX$38.03

-58.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 MGA 2,696

$2.00 MX$36.97

-70.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 MGA 4,438

$2.01 MX$37.07

-51.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 MGA 1,441

$1.19 MX$22.02

-73.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 MGA 3,013

$1.26 MX$23.23

-47.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.57 MGA 7,147

$4.40 MX$81.4

-64.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.98 MGA 22.7K

$9.59 MX$177

-48.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MGA 4,628

$1.59 MX$29.41

-36.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 MGA 8,410

$2.81 MX$51.9

-34.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.13 MGA 605

$0.57 MX$10.47

-77.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 MGA 15.2K

$4.98 MX$92.1

-33.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 MGA 9,126

$3.50 MX$64.6

-42.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.34 MGA 19.8K

$5.40 MX$99.8

-19.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 MGA 5,140

$1.47 MX$27.08

-23.13%

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

$11.8K MGA 54.0M

$21.0K MX$387.8K

-43.56%

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

$24.7K MGA 112.7M

$23.9K MX$441.8K

3.35%

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

$72.9 MGA 332.5K

$84.2 MX$1,556

-13.44%

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

$16.41 MGA 74.9K

$23.99 MX$443

-31.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 MGA 260.1K

$29.02 MX$536

96.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.95 MGA 132.1K

$63.0 MX$1,164

-54.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.20 MGA 32.8K

$29.14 MX$539

-75.29%

Cinema Ticket

$5.68 MGA 25.9K

$4.94 MX$91.3

14.98%

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

$24.15 MGA 110.2K

$204 MX$3,763

-88.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K MGA 67.3M

$3,941 MX$72.8K

274.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.92 MGA 131.9K

$43.60 MX$806

-33.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.29 MGA 124.5K

$43.12 MX$797

-36.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 MGA 349.4K

$75.8 MX$1,400

1.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.8 MGA 309.4K

$88.6 MX$1,637

-23.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$321 MGA 1.5M

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-68.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 MGA 674.2K

$374 MX$6,911

-60.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$725 MGA 3.3M

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-57.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 MGA 1.4M

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-71.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$650 MGA 3.0M

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-83.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$557 MGA 2.5M

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-90.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$132 MGA 600.8K

$754 MX$13.9K

-82.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.75

11.45

37.55%

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

Last update for Antananarivo: October 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Antananarivo

$148 22.8%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 153% $226

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Antananarivo

$146 22.5%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 6.2% $9.1

Groceries & Markets

Antananarivo

$140 21.6%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 84.4% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Antananarivo

$90 13.9%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 25.1% $23

Eating Out

Antananarivo

$71 10.9%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 185% $131

Sport & Entertainment

Antananarivo

$40 6.2%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 80.8% $33

Getting Around

Antananarivo

$14 * 2.1%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 279% $39

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 $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. 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 473% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $140 vs $258 – making Antananarivo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Antananarivo

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

21:32 9:32 PM

13:32 1:32 PM

8 h behind Antananarivo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,274,225 Capital

149,923

💱 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

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Between locations

Antananarivo Playa del Carmen 15,280 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Antananarivo
Playa del Carmen

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 Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 86%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $975 per month in Antananarivo and $1,816 in Playa del Carmen. 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 $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 86%.

Kindergarten costs $24.15 per month in Antananarivo and $204 in Playa del Carmen. 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 Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Antananarivo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen 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, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.