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 $2,182 per month in Australia vs $195 in Madagascar, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,216 per month in Australia vs $336 in Madagascar, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,250 per month in Australia vs $476 in Madagascar, rent included.

Australia costs about 1019% more than Madagascar on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 63% above the global median, while Madagascar is 85% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 A$22.54

$2.74 MGA 11.5K

490.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 A$110

$17.59 MGA 73.8K

346.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.48 A$13.21

$4.35 MGA 18.2K

117.93%

Cappuccino

$3.56 A$4.96

$1.28 MGA 5,377

178.13%

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

$2.60 A$3.62

$0.90 MGA 3,762

188.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 A$3.08

$0.62 MGA 2,617

256.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.47 A$9.02

$1.02 MGA 4,285

534.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 A$10.02

$1.53 MGA 6,429

369.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.18

$1.11 MGA 4,667

40.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.53

$0.98 MGA 4,103

158.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 A$2.82

$0.71 MGA 2,994

184.51%

Eggs

$4.47 A$6.23

$2.00 MGA 8,368

123.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 A$12.35

$9.82 MGA 41.2K

-9.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.38 A$11.68

$4.77 MGA 20.0K

75.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 A$19.10

$4.21 MGA 17.6K

225.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.50

$1.17 MGA 4,898

176.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$3.96

$0.63 MGA 2,650

350.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.15

$1.02 MGA 4,280

192.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 A$6.10

$0.88 MGA 3,704

397.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 A$3.41

$0.53 MGA 2,238

362.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 A$2.94

$0.75 MGA 3,163

181.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 A$3.02

$0.35 MGA 1,462

517.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 A$2.21

$0.63 MGA 2,662

150.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.61 A$42.65

$1.76 MGA 7,373

1639.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.23 A$19.83

$5.46 MGA 22.9K

160.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.55 A$6.34

$0.84 MGA 3,509

441.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 A$6.84

$1.28 MGA 5,366

283.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.89 A$4.03

$0.15 MGA 622

1826.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.5 A$136

$9.08 MGA 38.1K

973.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 A$4.94

$2.25 MGA 9,429

57.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.43

$2.04 MGA 8,535

-14.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.10 A$53.1

$4.55 MGA 19.1K

737.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 A$1.62

$1.28 MGA 5,346

-9.38%

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

$28.8K A$40.1K

$13.6K MGA 56.9M

112.31%

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

$23.2K A$32.3K

$23.5K MGA 98.5M

-1.29%

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

$179 A$249

$46.66 MGA 195.6K

283.20%

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

$26.75 A$37.27

$15.15 MGA 63.5K

76.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 A$74.8

$51.5 MGA 216.0K

4.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.44 A$67.5

$22.18 MGA 93.0K

118.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.88 A$23.52

$6.35 MGA 26.6K

165.83%

Cinema Ticket

$13.61 A$18.97

$6.69 MGA 28.1K

103.44%

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

$1,605 A$2,236

$71.4 MGA 299.2K

2147.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$17.7K

$11.5K MGA 48.3M

10.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.4 A$99.5

$26.60 MGA 111.5K

168.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 A$69.7

$27.46 MGA 115.1K

82.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 A$139

$71.8 MGA 301.2K

38.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$152

$52.4 MGA 219.8K

107.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,385 A$1,930

$303 MGA 1.3M

357.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 A$1,500

$101 MGA 421.5K

970.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,284 A$3,183

$535 MGA 2.2M

327.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,757 A$2,448

$369 MGA 1.5M

376.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,462 A$10.4K

$686 MGA 2.9M

987.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,617 A$7,827

$589 MGA 2.5M

853.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,070 A$5,672

$130 MGA 544.8K

3032.25%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Madagascar: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,233 in Australia vs $71.0 in Madagascar. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,548 in Canberra and $382 in Antananarivo.

Average salary: $3,906 in Australia vs $130 in Madagascar. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1637% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 1000% more in Australia.

Public transport is 3250% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 2905% higher in Australia, giving Australia stronger purchasing power.

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.