Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Antananarivo

For one person, living is cheaper in Antananarivo: $648 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $24,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Antananarivo
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Antananarivo Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Antananarivo

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$648

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Antananarivo

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

A single person spends $2,704 per month in Austin, TX vs $648 in Antananarivo, rent included.

Austin, TX $2,704
Antananarivo $648

A couple spends around $4,133 per month in Austin, TX vs $1,009 in Antananarivo, rent included.

Austin, TX $4,133
Antananarivo $1,009

A family of three spends $5,562 per month in Austin, TX vs $1,370 in Antananarivo, rent included.

Austin, TX $5,562
Antananarivo $1,370

Austin, TX costs about 317% more than Antananarivo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Austin, TX sits 102% above the global median, while Antananarivo is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$2.68 MGA 12.0K

654.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$20.36 MGA 91.0K

317.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$5.48 MGA 24.5K

125.36%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$1.60 MGA 7,154

241.87%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.82 MGA 3,653

365.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.45 MGA 1,999

455.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$0.98 MGA 4,392

722.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$2.31 MGA 10.3K

289.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.01 MGA 4,497

11.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.00 MGA 4,471

278.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$0.76 MGA 3,377

327.63%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.07 MGA 9,268

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$8.66 MGA 38.7K

51.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$4.48 MGA 20.0K

219.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$4.95 MGA 22.1K

222.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.11 MGA 4,946

294.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$0.58 MGA 2,598

150.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.04 MGA 4,660

336.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$0.81 MGA 3,615

417.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.60 MGA 2,700

338.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.99 MGA 4,418

138.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.34 MGA 1,532

417.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.72 MGA 3,217

200.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$1.55 MGA 6,933

532.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$5.12 MGA 22.9K

187.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$0.98 MGA 4,390

183.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.80 MGA 8,055

93.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.15 MGA 667

893.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.33 MGA 14.9K

-19.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.05 MGA 9,179

-22.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$4.41 MGA 19.7K

700.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.18 MGA 5,263

-16.10%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$11.9K MGA 53.4M

199.73%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$25.1K MGA 112.2M

8.28%

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

$219 $219

$72.8 MGA 325.6K

201.07%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$17.01 MGA 76.0K

240.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$56.6 MGA 253.0K

20.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$29.33 MGA 131.1K

97.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$7.15 MGA 31.9K

107.27%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$5.61 MGA 25.1K

151.87%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$25.35 MGA 113.3K

5853.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$14.8K MGA 66.3M

44.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$29.23 MGA 130.7K

76.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$27.19 MGA 121.5K

62.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$78.1 MGA 349.1K

8.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$68.3 MGA 305.4K

54.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$327 MGA 1.5M

490.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$152 MGA 678.6K

738.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$735 MGA 3.3M

399.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$319 MGA 1.4M

690.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$670 MGA 3.0M

1037.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$561 MGA 2.5M

470.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$130 MGA 579.1K

3840.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

15.75

-56.89%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Antananarivo: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Antananarivo

$152 23% 88.1% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Antananarivo

$144 21.9% 64.2% $258

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Antananarivo

$72 10.9% 79.4% $276

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Antananarivo

$146 22.2% 57.6% $199

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Antananarivo

$91 13.8% 29.1% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Antananarivo

$41 6.1% 52.9% $46

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Antananarivo

$14 * 2.2% 75.1% $43

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $327 in Antananarivo. 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 3840% higher in Austin, TX, 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 $85.0 in Austin, TX versus $20.00 in Antananarivo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $144 – making Antananarivo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇬 Antananarivo

🕒 Local time

05:28 5:28 AM

13:28 1:28 PM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,274,225 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.24 USD

10,000 MGA = 2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MGA, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇬 Malagasy Ariary (Ar)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

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).

MGA to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Antananarivo 16,300 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Antananarivo

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

Austin, TX vs Antananarivo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Austin, TX is pricier by about 317%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,055 per month in Austin, TX and $972 in Antananarivo. 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 $2,704 in Austin, TX and $648 in Antananarivo. That's a gap of about 317%.

Kindergarten costs $1,509 per month in Austin, TX and $25.35 in Antananarivo. 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 Austin, TX at $2,704. In Antananarivo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Austin, TX 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, Austin, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.