Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Mahajanga

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahajanga: $557 a month against $2,545 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $23,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,545

/mo nomad

Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$557

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,545 per month in Berlin vs $557 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Berlin $2,545
Mahajanga $557

A couple spends around $3,901 per month in Berlin vs $813 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Berlin $3,901
Mahajanga $813

A family of three spends $5,257 per month in Berlin vs $1,069 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Berlin $5,257
Mahajanga $1,069

Berlin costs about 357% more than Mahajanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Berlin sits 90% above the global median, while Mahajanga is 58% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.81 €15.00

$2.02 MGA 9,027

732.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 €71.0

$18.34 MGA 82.0K

333.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 €11.94

Cappuccino

$4.27 €3.81

$0.69 MGA 3,104

518.84%

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

$3.40 €3.03

$0.93 MGA 4,169

265.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.79

$0.90 MGA 4,013

246.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.48 €4.89

$1.05 MGA 4,710

421.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 €4.07

$1.61 MGA 7,211

183.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.35 MGA 6,053

-5.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 €2.19

$0.87 MGA 3,900

181.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 €2.94

$0.64 MGA 2,880

415.62%

Eggs

$4.45 €3.97

$2.23 MGA 9,963

99.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.10 €15.26

$6.91 MGA 30.9K

147.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.19 €10.88

$6.85 MGA 30.6K

77.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.30 €16.33

$3.75 MGA 16.8K

388.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 €3.19

$1.12 MGA 4,990

219.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.77

$0.62 MGA 2,765

219.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 €2.92

$0.70 MGA 3,109

367.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.81 €3.40

$0.70 MGA 3,146

444.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

$0.53 MGA 2,382

301.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$0.52 MGA 2,333

325.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.33

$0.35 MGA 1,574

325.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.90

$0.59 MGA 2,657

71.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.49 €9.37

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 €6.03

$9.30 MGA 41.6K

-27.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.20

$0.79 MGA 3,518

69.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.87

$0.95 MGA 4,245

121.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 €3.90

$0.23 MGA 1,020

1800.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 €63.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 €4.72

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.05 €2.73

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.30 €32.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.34 MGA 5,996

70.15%

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

$33.2K €29.7K

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

$39.1K €34.9K

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

$379 €339

$44.71 MGA 199.8K

748.42%

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

$19.31 €17.23

$6.69 MGA 29.9K

188.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.41 €43.20

$22.67 MGA 101.3K

113.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.31 €35.97

$18.07 MGA 80.8K

123.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.51 €31.69

Cinema Ticket

$15.53 €13.86

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

$144 €128

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.6 €84.5

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.33 €41.34

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.2

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €126

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 €1,328

$337 MGA 1.5M

341.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 €980

$275 MGA 1.2M

298.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,665 €2,378

$693 MGA 3.1M

284.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,080 €1,856

$448 MGA 2.0M

363.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,578 €7,655

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,438 €4,853

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,487 €3,112

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

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

Last update for Berlin: 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

Berlin

$1.1K 43.3%

Mahajanga

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$447 17.6%

Mahajanga

–

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$351 13.8%

Mahajanga

–

Eating Out

Berlin

$289 11.4%

Mahajanga

–

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$174 6.8%

Mahajanga

–

Getting Around

Berlin

$109 4.3%

Mahajanga

–

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$71 2.8%

Mahajanga

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,488 in Berlin 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 $80.0 in Berlin versus $18.00 in Mahajanga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $151 – making Mahajanga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇲🇬 Mahajanga

🕒 Local time

15:45 3:45 PM

16:45 4:45 PM

1 h ahead of Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

246,022

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

10,000 MGA = 2.24 USD

10,000 MGA = 2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MGA, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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 EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Berlin Mahajanga 8,220 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
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

Berlin vs Mahajanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 357%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,818 per month in Berlin 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.

Groceries cost about 132% more in Berlin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Berlin and $18.00 in Mahajanga. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mahajanga, where all-in costs run around $557, than in Berlin at $2,545. In Mahajanga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin 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, Berlin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.