Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Mahajanga

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahajanga: $557 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$557

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $557 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Mahajanga $557

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $813 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Mahajanga $813

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $1,069 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Mahajanga $1,069

Budapest costs about 191% more than Mahajanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Mahajanga is 58% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$2.02 MGA 9,027

592.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$18.34 MGA 82.0K

229.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$0.69 MGA 3,104

389.86%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$0.93 MGA 4,169

129.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$0.90 MGA 4,013

107.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$1.05 MGA 4,710

257.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$1.61 MGA 7,211

121.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$1.35 MGA 6,053

-16.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$0.87 MGA 3,900

111.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$0.64 MGA 2,880

273.44%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$2.23 MGA 9,963

71.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$6.91 MGA 30.9K

63.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$6.85 MGA 30.6K

-1.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$3.75 MGA 16.8K

291.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$1.12 MGA 4,990

64.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$0.62 MGA 2,765

224.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$0.70 MGA 3,109

237.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$0.70 MGA 3,146

438.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$0.53 MGA 2,382

81.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$0.52 MGA 2,333

98.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$0.35 MGA 1,574

345.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.59 MGA 2,657

11.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$9.30 MGA 41.6K

-35.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$0.79 MGA 3,518

64.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$0.95 MGA 4,245

118.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$0.23 MGA 1,020

552.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.34 MGA 5,996

35.07%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$44.71 MGA 199.8K

280.09%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$6.69 MGA 29.9K

258.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$22.67 MGA 101.3K

3.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$18.07 MGA 80.8K

266.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$337 MGA 1.5M

138.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$275 MGA 1.2M

128.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$693 MGA 3.1M

123.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$448 MGA 2.0M

160.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Mahajanga: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Mahajanga

–

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Mahajanga

–

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Mahajanga

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Mahajanga

–

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Mahajanga

–

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Mahajanga

–

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Mahajanga

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest 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 $60.0 in Budapest versus $18.00 in Mahajanga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $151 – making Mahajanga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇲🇬 Mahajanga

🕒 Local time

15:48 3:48 PM

16:48 4:48 PM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

246,022

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.24 USD

10,000 MGA = 2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MGA, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 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 HUF in detail →

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Between locations

Budapest Mahajanga 7,540 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

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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

Budapest vs Mahajanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 191%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest 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 70% more in Budapest, 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 $60.0 in Budapest 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 Budapest at $1,621. In Mahajanga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest 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, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.