Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgrade and Mahajanga

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahajanga: $557 a month against $1,538 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Belgrade
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Belgrade Living Index

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Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,538

/mo nomad

Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$557

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgrade 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 Belgrade and in Mahajanga actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,538 per month in Belgrade vs $557 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Belgrade $1,538
Mahajanga $557

A couple spends around $2,321 per month in Belgrade vs $813 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Belgrade $2,321
Mahajanga $813

A family of three spends $3,105 per month in Belgrade vs $1,069 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Belgrade $3,105
Mahajanga $1,069

Belgrade costs about 176% more than Mahajanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Belgrade sits 15% above the global median, while Mahajanga is 58% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.33 RSD 1,389

$2.02 MGA 9,027

559.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.4 RSD 6,085

$18.34 MGA 82.0K

218.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.58 RSD 1,414

Cappuccino

$3.13 RSD 326

$0.69 MGA 3,104

353.62%

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

$2.77 RSD 288

$0.93 MGA 4,169

197.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 RSD 237

$0.90 MGA 4,013

152.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 RSD 390

$1.05 MGA 4,710

257.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 RSD 456

$1.61 MGA 7,211

172.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 RSD 146

$1.35 MGA 6,053

3.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 RSD 122

$0.87 MGA 3,900

34.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 RSD 282

$0.64 MGA 2,880

323.44%

Eggs

$2.78 RSD 289

$2.23 MGA 9,963

24.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.36 RSD 1,184

$6.91 MGA 30.9K

64.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.01 RSD 731

$6.85 MGA 30.6K

2.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.72 RSD 1,638

$3.75 MGA 16.8K

319.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 RSD 173

$1.12 MGA 4,990

48.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 RSD 188

$0.62 MGA 2,765

191.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 RSD 190

$0.70 MGA 3,109

161.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 RSD 326

$0.70 MGA 3,146

347.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 RSD 91.3

$0.53 MGA 2,382

66.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 RSD 70.3

$0.52 MGA 2,333

28.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 RSD 84.4

$0.35 MGA 1,574

131.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 RSD 70.9

$0.59 MGA 2,657

15.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.78 RSD 498

Wine (Bottle)

$8.54 RSD 889

$9.30 MGA 41.6K

-8.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 RSD 97.7

$0.79 MGA 3,518

18.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 RSD 150

$0.95 MGA 4,245

51.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 MGA 1,020

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 RSD 322

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 RSD 107

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.18 RSD 1,789

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 RSD 195

$1.34 MGA 5,996

39.55%

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

$30.7K RSD 3.2M

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

$24.3K RSD 2.5M

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

$218 RSD 22.7K

$44.71 MGA 199.8K

386.85%

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

$25.24 RSD 2,629

$6.69 MGA 29.9K

277.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.35 RSD 3,683

$22.67 MGA 101.3K

55.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.77 RSD 4,351

$18.07 MGA 80.8K

131.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.80 RSD 2,375

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 RSD 882

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

$426 RSD 44.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K RSD 1.2M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 RSD 11.6K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.99 RSD 4,791

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 RSD 12.4K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 RSD 16.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$821 RSD 85.6K

$337 MGA 1.5M

143.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$561 RSD 58.4K

$275 MGA 1.2M

103.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 RSD 157.4K

$693 MGA 3.1M

118.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 RSD 98.1K

$448 MGA 2.0M

110.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,312 RSD 553.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,165 RSD 329.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,228 RSD 127.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

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

Last update for Belgrade: October 3, 2026

Last update for Mahajanga: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgrade

$561 35.5%

Mahajanga

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgrade

$278 17.6%

Mahajanga

–

Groceries & Markets

Belgrade

$246 15.6%

Mahajanga

–

Eating Out

Belgrade

$233 14.7%

Mahajanga

–

Clothing & Footwear

Belgrade

$194 12.3%

Mahajanga

–

Sport & Entertainment

Belgrade

$59 3.7%

Mahajanga

–

Getting Around

Belgrade

$8.2 * 0.5%

Mahajanga

–

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $821 in Belgrade versus $337 in Mahajanga. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Belgrade versus $18.00 in Mahajanga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $151 – making Mahajanga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🇲🇬 Mahajanga

🕒 Local time

12:34 12:34 PM

13:34 1:34 PM

1 h ahead of Belgrade

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,714 Capital

246,022

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.6 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.57 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.24 USD

10,000 MGA = 2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MGA, USD, EUR to RSD – Serbian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇸 Serbian Dinar (din)

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.6 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.57 EUR).

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4,470 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.24 USD). 1 EUR = 5,009 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2 EUR).

USD to RSD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Belgrade Mahajanga 7,220 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Belgrade
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

Belgrade vs Mahajanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,538 in Belgrade, $557 in Mahajanga – roughly 176% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,307 per month in Belgrade and $835 in Mahajanga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mahajanga, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Belgrade and $18.00 in Mahajanga. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,538 in Belgrade and $557 in Mahajanga. That's a gap of about 176%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mahajanga, where all-in costs run around $557, than in Belgrade at $1,538. In Mahajanga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mahajanga – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Mahajanga. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Belgrade makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.