Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Antsiranana and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Antsiranana: $305 a month against $2,854 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $30,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Antsiranana
🇲🇬 Madagascar
$305
/mo nomad
Dubai
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
$2,854
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Antsiranana and in Dubai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Antsiranana and in Dubai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $305 per month in Antsiranana vs $2,854 in Dubai, rent included.

  • Antsiranana $305
  • Dubai $2,854

A couple spends around $622 per month in Antsiranana vs $4,321 in Dubai, rent included.

  • Antsiranana $622
  • Dubai $4,321

A family of three spends $938 per month in Antsiranana vs $5,788 in Dubai, rent included.

  • Antsiranana $938
  • Dubai $5,788

Antsiranana is about 89% cheaper than Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Antsiranana sits 77% below the global median, while Dubai is 113% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Antsiranana
Dubai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.56 MGA 6,974
$13.04 AED 47.89
-88.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$15.73 MGA 70.3K
$81.4 AED 299
-80.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
-
$9.32 AED 34.25
-
Cappuccino
$1.17 MGA 5,233
$5.97 AED 21.93
-80.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.63 AED 5.98
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.81 AED 2.99
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.19 MGA 5,339
$13.65 AED 50.1
-91.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$13.38 AED 49.15
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Antsiranana
Dubai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 MGA 7,045
$1.81 AED 6.64
-12.71%
White Bread (500g)
-
$1.57 AED 5.78
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.86 MGA 3,855
$2.49 AED 9.16
-65.46%
Eggs
$3.35 MGA 15.0K
$3.28 AED 12.04
2.13%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.82 MGA 79.7K
$12.67 AED 46.53
40.65%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.18 MGA 36.6K
$9.75 AED 35.80
-16.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$13.18 AED 48.40
-
Apples (1kg)
-
$2.61 AED 9.57
-
Banana (1kg)
-
$1.93 AED 7.09
-
Oranges (1kg)
$2.87 MGA 12.8K
$1.92 AED 7.05
49.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.60 MGA 7,156
$1.36 AED 5.00
17.65%
Potato (1kg)
-
$1.17 AED 4.29
-
Onion (1kg)
-
$1.01 AED 3.71
-
Lettuce (1 head)
-
$1.51 AED 5.56
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.69 MGA 3,095
$0.62 AED 2.29
11.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.77 MGA 7,918
$5.85 AED 21.50
-69.74%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$16.14 AED 59.3
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.59 MGA 2,643
$2.65 AED 9.74
-77.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.72 MGA 12.2K
$2.95 AED 10.82
-7.80%
🚌 Getting Around
Antsiranana
Dubai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 MGA 1,075
$1.64 AED 6.03
-85.37%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$73.6 AED 270
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$3.17 AED 11.66
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$0.71 AED 2.63
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.98 MGA 31.2K
$7.96 AED 29.23
-12.31%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.37 MGA 6,113
$0.99 AED 3.64
38.38%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$27.4K AED 100.5K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$22.5K AED 82.8K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Antsiranana
Dubai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
-
$250 AED 920
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.12 MGA 103.3K
$54.2 AED 199
-57.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$59.8 MGA 267.4K
$91.8 AED 337
-34.83%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Antsiranana
Dubai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$13.89 MGA 62.1K
$98.6 AED 362
-85.92%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$42.61 AED 156
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$16.03 AED 58.9
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Antsiranana
Dubai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$843 AED 3,098
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$18.3K AED 67.1K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Antsiranana
Dubai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$68.0 AED 250
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$57.9 AED 213
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$101 AED 370
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$35.75 MGA 159.8K
$101 AED 371
-64.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Antsiranana
Dubai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,380 AED 8,741
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,506 AED 5,531
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$341 MGA 1.5M
$4,437 AED 16.3K
-92.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$226 MGA 1.0M
$3,010 AED 11.1K
-92.49%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,121 AED 26.2K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$4,135 AED 15.2K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Antsiranana
Dubai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$3,391 AED 12.5K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
4.54
-

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

Last update for Antsiranana: October 4, 2026

Last update for Dubai: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Antsiranana
–
Dubai
$1.5K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Antsiranana
–
Dubai
$396
Eating Out
Antsiranana
–
Dubai
$309
Groceries & Markets
Antsiranana
–
Dubai
$293
Clothing & Footwear
Antsiranana
–
Dubai
$147
Sport & Entertainment
Antsiranana
–
Dubai
$131
Getting Around
Antsiranana
–
Dubai
$87

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16.00 in Antsiranana versus $81.0 in Dubai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $163 vs $293 – making Antsiranana the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇬 Antsiranana
🇦🇪 Dubai
🕒 Local time
13:35 1:35 PM
14:35 2:35 PM
1 h ahead of Antsiranana
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
129,320
3,790,000
💱 Currency
UAE Dirham AED د.إ
Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to MGA – Malagasy Ariary Converter

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4,470 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.24 USD). 1 EUR = 5,009 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Antsiranana Dubai 4,200 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Antsiranana
  • Dubai

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
Antsiranana vs Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Antsiranana and in Dubai compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $305 in Antsiranana, $2,854 in Dubai – roughly 834% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Antsiranana compared to Dubai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $458 per month in Antsiranana and $4,281 in Dubai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $16.00 in Antsiranana and $81.0 in Dubai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Antsiranana or Dubai?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $305 in Antsiranana and $2,854 in Dubai. That's a gap of about 834%.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Antsiranana, where all-in costs run around $305, than in Dubai at $2,854. In Antsiranana it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dubai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Antsiranana and Dubai?
It depends on your priorities. Dubai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $305 in Antsiranana to $2,854 in Dubai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Antsiranana or Dubai safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Antsiranana and Dubai?
If budget matters most, go with Antsiranana. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dubai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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