Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Madagascar Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Madagascar

Name: Madagascar
Address: MG

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,185 per month in Australia vs $199 in Madagascar, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,220 per month in Australia vs $341 in Madagascar, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,254 per month in Australia vs $483 in Madagascar, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 998% higher than in Madagascar on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 64% above the global median, while Madagascar is 85% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 A$23.19

$2.70 MGA 11.6K

499.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 A$111

$17.96 MGA 77.0K

329.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 A$13.57

$4.48 MGA 19.2K

111.38%

Cappuccino

$3.46 A$4.95

$1.25 MGA 5,356

176.80%

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

$2.68 A$3.85

$0.88 MGA 3,780

204.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 A$3.13

$0.63 MGA 2,696

247.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.61 A$9.47

$1.08 MGA 4,630

512.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 A$10.18

$1.59 MGA 6,831

346.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.22

$1.10 MGA 4,738

40.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 A$3.55

$0.92 MGA 3,930

168.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 A$3.01

$0.68 MGA 2,922

208.82%

Eggs

$4.24 A$6.08

$2.08 MGA 8,914

103.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 A$12.28

$10.00 MGA 42.9K

-14.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.60 A$12.32

$4.77 MGA 20.5K

80.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 A$19.79

$4.35 MGA 18.6K

217.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.55

$1.16 MGA 4,975

173.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.90

$0.64 MGA 2,757

325.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 A$4.24

$0.95 MGA 4,081

211.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.17

$0.92 MGA 3,935

368.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.53

$0.57 MGA 2,466

333.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$3.00

$0.79 MGA 3,384

165.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.14

$0.35 MGA 1,491

525.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.19

$0.64 MGA 2,760

139.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.29 A$44.83

$1.74 MGA 7,442

1698.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.94 A$19.97

$5.07 MGA 21.7K

174.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.46 A$6.39

$0.84 MGA 3,582

430.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 A$7.18

$1.22 MGA 5,220

310.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 A$4.30

$0.14 MGA 612

2042.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.0 A$138

$9.09 MGA 39.0K

955.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$5.11

$2.19 MGA 9,405

62.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.51

$2.02 MGA 8,670

-13.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.88 A$54.3

$4.47 MGA 19.2K

747.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.65

$1.27 MGA 5,458

-9.45%

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

$29.4K A$42.1K

$13.1K MGA 56.2M

123.95%

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

$23.1K A$33.1K

$23.1K MGA 99.2M

-0.16%

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

$174 A$249

$47.18 MGA 202.4K

267.78%

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

$26.88 A$38.51

$14.84 MGA 63.6K

81.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 A$75.5

$52.3 MGA 224.3K

0.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.69 A$68.3

$22.50 MGA 96.5K

111.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.51 A$23.65

$6.34 MGA 27.2K

160.41%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 A$19.67

$6.55 MGA 28.1K

109.62%

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

$1,555 A$2,227

$72.2 MGA 309.5K

2054.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$18.1K

$11.5K MGA 49.1M

10.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.6 A$99.7

$27.22 MGA 116.8K

155.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 A$73.4

$27.04 MGA 116.0K

89.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 A$146

$73.5 MGA 315.3K

38.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 A$161

$51.2 MGA 219.5K

119.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 A$1,947

$294 MGA 1.3M

362.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,547

$100.0 MGA 428.8K

979.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,300 A$3,296

$545 MGA 2.3M

321.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 A$2,509

$371 MGA 1.6M

372.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,618 A$10.9K

$680 MGA 2.9M

1021.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,762 A$8,255

$584 MGA 2.5M

886.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,023 A$5,764

$126 MGA 539.9K

3095.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

17.25

-63.19%

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

Last update for Australia: July 12, 2026

Last update for Madagascar: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,231 in Australia vs $71.0 in Madagascar. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,549 in Canberra and $387 in Antananarivo.

Average salary: $3,775 in Australia vs $128 in Madagascar. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1634% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 863% more in Australia.

Public transport is 3250% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 2849% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

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

Australia vs Madagascar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Madagascar is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 660% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Madagascar, contributing to the overall 660% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$800 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Madagascar, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Madagascar is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.