Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Madagascar

Name: Madagascar
Address: MG

For one person, living is cheaper in Madagascar: $615 a month against $2,626 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $24,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Madagascar
Learn more

Madagascar Living Index

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🇦🇺 Australia

$2,626

/mo nomad

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$615

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Australia and in Madagascar

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

A single person spends $2,626 per month in Australia vs $615 in Madagascar, rent included.

Australia $2,626
Madagascar $615

A couple spends around $3,810 per month in Australia vs $959 in Madagascar, rent included.

Australia $3,810
Madagascar $959

A family of three spends $4,994 per month in Australia vs $1,303 in Madagascar, rent included.

Australia $4,994
Madagascar $1,303

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,068–$3,303) than in Madagascar ($174–$645), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Australia is about 327% higher than in Madagascar on average.

Australia sits 93% above the global median, while Madagascar is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 A$25.19

$2.14 MGA 9,816

724.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 A$122

$17.92 MGA 82.0K

375.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 A$15.83

$4.70 MGA 21.5K

135.96%

Cappuccino

$3.90 A$5.56

$1.31 MGA 6,013

197.71%

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

$2.85 A$4.07

$0.75 MGA 3,412

280.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 A$3.30

$0.58 MGA 2,645

298.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.53 A$10.75

$1.08 MGA 4,955

597.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.59 A$12.25

$1.79 MGA 8,178

379.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.51

$1.14 MGA 5,215

54.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 A$4.01

$1.00 MGA 4,580

181.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 A$3.20

$0.75 MGA 3,443

198.67%

Eggs

$5.02 A$7.17

$1.97 MGA 9,032

154.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 A$14.08

$8.41 MGA 38.5K

17.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 A$13.30

$4.83 MGA 22.1K

92.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.86 A$21.21

$4.70 MGA 21.5K

216.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 A$5.45

$1.04 MGA 4,768

267.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.17

$0.62 MGA 2,820

370.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.47

$0.92 MGA 4,226

240.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 A$6.86

$0.86 MGA 3,927

459.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 A$4.00

$0.59 MGA 2,686

374.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.40

$0.76 MGA 3,474

213.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 A$3.39

$0.36 MGA 1,630

558.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 A$2.36

$0.61 MGA 2,790

170.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.13 A$55.9

$1.52 MGA 6,979

2474.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 A$19.88

$5.03 MGA 23.0K

176.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.96 A$7.07

$0.87 MGA 3,983

470.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 A$7.38

$1.59 MGA 7,258

225.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 A$3.45

$0.12 MGA 530

1916.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.6 A$135

$17.30 MGA 79.2K

446.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 A$4.99

$3.22 MGA 14.7K

8.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.28

$2.26 MGA 10.4K

-29.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.84 A$56.9

$4.46 MGA 20.4K

793.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 A$1.98

$1.14 MGA 5,195

21.93%

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

$30.0K A$42.8K

$12.1K MGA 55.6M

147.19%

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

$25.8K A$36.8K

$24.1K MGA 110.4M

6.72%

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

$205 A$293

$64.6 MGA 295.4K

217.65%

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

$28.33 A$40.44

$17.45 MGA 79.9K

62.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.8 A$83.9

$52.5 MGA 240.1K

12.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 A$79.4

$23.01 MGA 105.3K

141.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.57 A$27.94

$7.14 MGA 32.7K

174.09%

Cinema Ticket

$15.38 A$21.95

$6.22 MGA 28.5K

147.27%

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

$2,145 A$3,062

$25.46 MGA 116.5K

8326.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K A$26.2K

$14.8K MGA 67.7M

24.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 A$112

$20.33 MGA 93.0K

285.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 A$80.3

$25.07 MGA 114.7K

124.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 A$164

$67.2 MGA 307.3K

71.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 A$176

$46.30 MGA 211.9K

165.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 A$2,271

$294 MGA 1.3M

440.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 A$1,845

$138 MGA 629.5K

839.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,524 A$3,603

$681 MGA 3.1M

270.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 A$2,862

$314 MGA 1.4M

538.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,751 A$12.5K

$658 MGA 3.0M

1229.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,260 A$8,935

$560 MGA 2.6M

1017.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,984 A$5,686

$122 MGA 557.7K

3169.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

19.75

-69.97%

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

Last update for Australia: October 27, 2026

Last update for Madagascar: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Australia

$1.3K 49.2%

Madagascar

$138 22.4% 89.4% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Australia

$374 14.3%

Madagascar

$142 23.1% 62% $232

Eating Out

Australia

$297 11.3%

Madagascar

$61 10% 79.3% $235

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Australia

$292 11.1%

Madagascar

$134 21.9% 54% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Australia

$168 6.4%

Madagascar

$71 11.6% 57.4% $96

Getting Around

Australia

$116 4.4%

Madagascar

$32 5.3% 72.1% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Australia

$86 3.3%

Madagascar

$35 5.8% 59% $51

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,383 in Australia vs $260 in Madagascar. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,749 in Canberra and $323 in Antananarivo.

Average salary: $3,874 in Australia vs $126 in Madagascar. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 432% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 425% more in Australia.

Public transport is 140% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are about 31 times higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Australia

🇲🇬 Madagascar

🕒 Local time

02:11 2:11 AM

18:11 6:11 PM

8 h behind Australia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,473,055

25,570,895

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MGA, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.701 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.628 EUR).

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4,577 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD). 1 EUR = 5,108 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Australia Madagascar 9,800 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Australia
Madagascar

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

Australia vs Madagascar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Madagascar is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 77% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,383 versus $260 in Madagascar.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Madagascar – part of why living there is about 77% cheaper overall.

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