Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Manakara

For one person, living is cheaper in Manakara: $397 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $27,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Manakara
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Manakara Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Manakara

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$397

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $397 in Manakara.

Austin, TX $2,663
Manakara $397

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $609 in Manakara.

Austin, TX $4,133
Manakara $609

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $821 in Manakara.

Austin, TX $5,603
Manakara $821

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 571% more expensive than in Manakara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Manakara is 71% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$2.23 MGA 10.2K

831.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$14.63 MGA 66.8K

478.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$3.44 MGA 15.7K

258.14%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.15 MGA 5,250

389.57%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.62 MGA 2,806

500.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.57 MGA 2,584

338.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.14 MGA 5,215

606.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$1.43 MGA 6,505

530.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.80 MGA 8,189

-37.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.01 MGA 4,627

271.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$0.69 MGA 3,140

372.46%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.34 MGA 10.7K

78.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$6.40 MGA 29.2K

101.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$3.31 MGA 15.1K

327.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$3.51 MGA 16.0K

362.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$0.95 MGA 4,313

355.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.72 MGA 3,268

102.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$0.35 MGA 1,586

1188.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$0.72 MGA 3,294

502.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.54 MGA 2,456

377.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.75 MGA 3,433

213.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.34 MGA 1,566

423.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.63 MGA 2,887

252.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$1.43 MGA 6,513

590.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$4.52 MGA 20.6K

233.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.02 MGA 4,660

186.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.30 MGA 5,918

166.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.23 MGA 1,051

547.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$34.89 MGA 159.1K

19.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.10 MGA 4,995

148.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.20 MGA 10.0K

-24.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$3.34 MGA 15.2K

956.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.14 MGA 5,215

-16.67%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$15.7K MGA 71.5M

129.96%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$20.1K MGA 91.6M

34.90%

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

$229 $229

$42.27 MGA 192.8K

441.73%

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

$59.4 $59.4

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$53.3 MGA 243.0K

31.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$11.44 MGA 52.2K

400.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

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

$1,506 $1,506

$22.50 MGA 102.6K

6592.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$16.28 MGA 74.2K

224.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$20.38 MGA 93.0K

115.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$44.83 MGA 204.5K

89.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$45.59 MGA 208.0K

125.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$115 MGA 524.9K

4350.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

-71.71%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Manakara: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Manakara

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Manakara

$129 32.6% 68% $275

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Manakara

$96 * 24.1% 73.3% $263

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Manakara

$55 13.9% 84.4% $299

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Manakara

$57 14.4% 55.3% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Manakara

$11 * 2.9% 86.7% $74

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Manakara

$48 12.1% 18.4% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

Austin, TX pays 4350% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $15.00 in Manakara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $129 per month, with Manakara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇬 Manakara

🕒 Local time

02:07 2:07 AM

10:07 10:07 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

44,237

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.95 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

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).

MGA to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Manakara 16,500 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
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

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

Manakara wins on cost – living expenses run 571% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Manakara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 4350% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $397 in Manakara – a 571% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Manakara runs roughly 20% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $397 in Manakara versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Manakara but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. 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.

Expats usually find Manakara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 571% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.