Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Mahajanga

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahajanga: $557 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $25,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$557

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $557 in Mahajanga.

Austin, TX $2,704
Mahajanga $557

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $813 in Mahajanga.

Austin, TX $4,133
Mahajanga $813

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $1,069 in Mahajanga.

Austin, TX $5,562
Mahajanga $1,069

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 386% more expensive than in Mahajanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Mahajanga is 58% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$2.02 MGA 9,027

900.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$18.34 MGA 82.0K

363.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$0.69 MGA 3,104

692.75%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.93 MGA 4,169

310.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.90 MGA 4,013

177.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$1.05 MGA 4,710

667.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$1.61 MGA 7,211

458.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.35 MGA 6,053

-16.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$0.87 MGA 3,900

334.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$0.64 MGA 2,880

407.81%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.23 MGA 9,963

85.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$6.91 MGA 30.9K

89.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$6.85 MGA 30.6K

108.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$3.75 MGA 16.8K

325.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.12 MGA 4,990

291.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$0.62 MGA 2,765

133.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$0.70 MGA 3,109

548.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$0.70 MGA 3,146

498.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.53 MGA 2,382

396.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.52 MGA 2,333

353.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.35 MGA 1,574

402.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.59 MGA 2,657

266.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$9.30 MGA 41.6K

58.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$0.79 MGA 3,518

251.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$0.95 MGA 4,245

266.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.23 MGA 1,020

547.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.34 MGA 5,996

-26.12%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

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

$27.2K $27.2K

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

$219 $219

$44.71 MGA 199.8K

390.43%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$6.69 MGA 29.9K

766.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$22.67 MGA 101.3K

201.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$18.07 MGA 80.8K

220.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

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

$1,509 $1,509

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$337 MGA 1.5M

473.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$275 MGA 1.2M

362.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$693 MGA 3.1M

429.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$448 MGA 2.0M

463.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Mahajanga: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Mahajanga

–

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Mahajanga

–

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Mahajanga

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Mahajanga

–

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Mahajanga

–

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Mahajanga

–

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Mahajanga

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $337 in Mahajanga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $18.00 in Mahajanga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $151 per month, with Mahajanga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇬 Mahajanga

🕒 Local time

02:43 2:43 AM

10:43 10:43 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

246,022

💱 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 = 1.99 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 = 5,013 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.99 EUR).

MGA to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Mahajanga 16,020 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Mahajanga

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 Mahajanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mahajanga wins on cost – living expenses run 386% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mahajanga the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,055 in Austin, TX and $835 in Mahajanga to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $337 in Mahajanga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $557 in Mahajanga – a 386% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 166% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $557 in Mahajanga versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mahajanga but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Mahajanga 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.

Expats usually find Mahajanga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 386% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.