Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Manakara

For one person, living is cheaper in Manakara: $397 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $16,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Manakara
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Manakara Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Manakara

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$397

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens 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 Athens and in Manakara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,779 in Athens versus $397 in Manakara.

Athens $1,779
Manakara $397

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $609 in Manakara.

Athens $2,721
Manakara $609

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,663 in Athens versus $820 in Manakara.

Athens $3,663
Manakara $820

Living in Athens is roughly 349% more expensive than in Manakara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 32% above, Manakara is 71% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €15.06

$2.16 MGA 9,872

679.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 €59.1

$14.51 MGA 66.3K

354.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.21 €10.03

$3.61 MGA 16.5K

210.53%

Cappuccino

$4.08 €3.65

$1.19 MGA 5,449

242.86%

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

$2.77 €2.48

$0.60 MGA 2,744

361.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.48

$0.53 MGA 2,414

1.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €5.10

$1.19 MGA 5,453

378.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 €5.60

$1.42 MGA 6,481

340.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.65

$1.72 MGA 7,872

6.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.28

$1.01 MGA 4,625

41.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 €2.39

$0.73 MGA 3,316

265.75%

Eggs

$4.95 €4.43

$2.25 MGA 10.3K

120.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 €13.51

$6.62 MGA 30.2K

127.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 €9.83

$3.47 MGA 15.9K

216.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.77 €17.69

$3.55 MGA 16.2K

456.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 €1.90

$0.96 MGA 4,371

120.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.77

$0.72 MGA 3,304

175.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 €1.19

$0.34 MGA 1,571

291.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.93

$0.72 MGA 3,283

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 €0.95

$0.55 MGA 2,503

92.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €1.03

$0.77 MGA 3,503

49.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 €0.97

$0.32 MGA 1,460

237.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.76

$0.64 MGA 2,909

32.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 €4.88

$1.42 MGA 6,489

284.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.03 €8.97

$4.34 MGA 19.8K

131.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.83

$1.03 MGA 4,706

98.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.13

$1.25 MGA 5,721

90.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 €1.21

$0.21 MGA 957

542.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.52 €27.31

$35.63 MGA 162.8K

-14.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.41

$1.08 MGA 4,952

252.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

$2.23 MGA 10.2K

-53.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.49 €14.75

$3.31 MGA 15.2K

398.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.10

$1.17 MGA 5,366

100.00%

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

$27.8K €24.8K

$15.2K MGA 69.7M

82.22%

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

$26.6K €23.8K

$20.2K MGA 92.5M

31.49%

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

$202 €181

$41.78 MGA 190.9K

384.01%

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

$26.81 €23.99

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.49 €27.28

$52.7 MGA 240.9K

-42.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 €48.38

$11.37 MGA 52.0K

375.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.40 €24.52

Cinema Ticket

$10.44 €9.34

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

$568 €508

$21.87 MGA 100.0K

2494.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 €81.1

$16.27 MGA 74.4K

457.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.32 €35.19

$20.10 MGA 91.9K

95.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €94.1

$45.39 MGA 207.5K

131.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €115

$44.17 MGA 201.9K

191.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 €664

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 €580

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,138

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 €1,004

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,999 €3,578

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,281 €2,936

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 €1,114

$114 MGA 519.1K

996.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

-81.50%

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

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Last update for Manakara: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$648 36.4%

Manakara

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$316 17.8%

Manakara

$130 32.7% 59% $187

Eating Out

Athens

$272 15.3%

Manakara

$56 14.1% 79.5% $216

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$260 14.6%

Manakara

$94 * 23.8% 63.6% $165

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$164 9.2%

Manakara

$57 14.3% 65.4% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$75 4.2%

Manakara

$11 * 2.9% 84.8% $64

Getting Around

Athens

$45 2.5%

Manakara

$49 12.3% 8.5% $3.8

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

Cost Breakdown

Athens pays about 11 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $66 in Athens vs $15 in Manakara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $130 per month, with Manakara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇲🇬 Manakara

🕒 Local time

22:45 10:45 PM

23:45 11:45 PM

1 h ahead of Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

44,237

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MGA, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.895 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4,571 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD). 1 EUR = 5,108 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

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Between locations

Athens Manakara 7,150 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Athens
Manakara

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

Athens vs Manakara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manakara wins on cost – living expenses run 78% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Manakara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Athens is about 11 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Dining out is cheaper in Manakara – a meal for two runs $15 versus $66 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,779 per month in Athens versus $397 in Manakara – Manakara is about 78% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $397 in Manakara versus $1,779 in Athens, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Manakara but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Manakara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Manakara wins on affordability, Athens on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.