Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Madagascar

For one person, living is cheaper in Madagascar: $615 a month against $2,310 in Canada, rent and utilities included – about $20,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Canada
Madagascar
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,310
/mo nomad
🇲🇬 Madagascar
$615
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,310 per month in Canada vs $615 in Madagascar, rent included.

  • Canada $2,310
  • Madagascar $615

A couple spends around $3,356 per month in Canada vs $959 in Madagascar, rent included.

  • Canada $3,356
  • Madagascar $959

A family of three spends $4,403 per month in Canada vs $1,303 in Madagascar, rent included.

  • Canada $4,403
  • Madagascar $1,303

The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($889–$3,737) than in Madagascar ($174–$645), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Canada is about 276% higher than in Madagascar on average.

Canada sits 70% above the global median, while Madagascar is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Canada
Madagascar
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.16 CA$25.39
$2.14 MGA 9,816
748.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.2 CA$99.5
$17.92 MGA 82.0K
297.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.81 CA$15.11
$4.70 MGA 21.5K
130.00%
Cappuccino
$3.78 CA$5.28
$1.31 MGA 6,013
188.55%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 CA$2.96
$0.75 MGA 3,412
181.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 CA$2.32
$0.58 MGA 2,645
186.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.62 CA$7.85
$1.08 MGA 4,955
420.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.72 CA$8.00
$1.79 MGA 8,178
219.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Canada
Madagascar
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.17 CA$3.04
$1.14 MGA 5,215
90.35%
White Bread (500g)
$2.60 CA$3.64
$1.00 MGA 4,580
160.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.65 CA$5.11
$0.75 MGA 3,443
386.67%
Eggs
$3.63 CA$5.07
$1.97 MGA 9,032
84.26%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.76 CA$15.04
$8.41 MGA 38.5K
27.94%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.90 CA$16.63
$4.83 MGA 22.1K
146.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.42 CA$21.56
$4.70 MGA 21.5K
228.09%
Apples (1kg)
$4.03 CA$5.63
$1.04 MGA 4,768
287.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 CA$1.94
$0.62 MGA 2,820
122.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.88 CA$5.42
$0.92 MGA 4,226
321.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.08 CA$5.71
$0.86 MGA 3,927
374.42%
Potato (1kg)
$2.57 CA$3.59
$0.59 MGA 2,686
335.59%
Onion (1kg)
$2.48 CA$3.46
$0.76 MGA 3,474
226.32%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.65 CA$3.70
$0.36 MGA 1,630
636.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 CA$2.40
$0.61 MGA 2,790
180.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.32 CA$20.01
$1.52 MGA 6,979
842.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.49 CA$18.85
$5.03 MGA 23.0K
168.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.84 CA$3.97
$0.87 MGA 3,983
226.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.30 CA$4.62
$1.59 MGA 7,258
107.55%
🚌 Getting Around
Canada
Madagascar
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.55 CA$3.57
$0.12 MGA 530
2025.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$71.9 CA$101
$17.30 MGA 79.2K
315.78%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.18 CA$4.44
$3.22 MGA 14.7K
-1.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.54 CA$2.15
$2.26 MGA 10.4K
-31.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.69 CA$37.30
$4.46 MGA 20.4K
498.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.24 CA$1.74
$1.14 MGA 5,195
8.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K CA$39.0K
$12.1K MGA 55.6M
129.65%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.1K CA$29.4K
$24.1K MGA 110.4M
-12.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Canada
Madagascar
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$147 CA$206
$64.6 MGA 295.4K
128.32%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$41.80 CA$58.4
$17.45 MGA 79.9K
139.54%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$60.2 CA$84.2
$52.5 MGA 240.1K
14.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Canada
Madagascar
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.01 CA$54.5
$23.01 MGA 105.3K
69.53%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.06 CA$26.64
$7.14 MGA 32.7K
166.95%
Cinema Ticket
$11.21 CA$15.67
$6.22 MGA 28.5K
80.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Canada
Madagascar
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$721 CA$1,008
$25.46 MGA 116.5K
2732.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K CA$20.7K
$14.8K MGA 67.7M
0.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Canada
Madagascar
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.3 CA$77.3
$20.33 MGA 93.0K
171.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.95 CA$54.4
$25.07 MGA 114.7K
55.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.4 CA$122
$67.2 MGA 307.3K
30.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 CA$142
$46.30 MGA 211.9K
118.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Canada
Madagascar
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,290 CA$1,804
$294 MGA 1.3M
338.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,130 CA$1,579
$138 MGA 629.5K
721.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,036 CA$2,846
$681 MGA 3.1M
198.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,731 CA$2,419
$314 MGA 1.4M
451.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,769 CA$6,665
$658 MGA 3.0M
624.45%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,730 CA$5,213
$560 MGA 2.6M
565.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Canada
Madagascar
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,070 CA$4,290
$122 MGA 557.7K
2419.39%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.87
19.75
-75.34%

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

Last update for Canada: October 26, 2026

Last update for Madagascar: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Canada
$1.1K
Madagascar
$138 87.8% $992
Groceries & Markets
Canada
$371
Madagascar
$142 61.7% $229
Eating Out
Canada
$278
Madagascar
$61 77.9% $216
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Canada
$249
Madagascar
$134 46.1% $115
Clothing & Footwear
Canada
$127
Madagascar
$71 43.9% $56
Getting Around
Canada
$93
Madagascar
$32 65.3% $61
Sport & Entertainment
Canada
$61
Madagascar
$35 42.3% $26

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,250 in Canada vs $260 in Madagascar. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,434 in Ottawa and $323 in Antananarivo.

Average salary: $2,968 in Canada vs $126 in Madagascar. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 381% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 300% more in Canada.

Public transport is 89% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are about 24 times higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Canada.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Canada
🇲🇬 Madagascar
🕒 Local time
09:31 9:31 AM
17:31 5:31 PM
8 h ahead of Canada
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
36,991,981
25,570,895
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MGA, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.715 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Canada Madagascar 14,060 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Canada
  • 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
Canada vs Madagascar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Canada more expensive than Madagascar?
Madagascar is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 73% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Canada: a central one-bedroom averages $1,250 versus $260 in Madagascar.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Madagascar – part of why living there is about 73% cheaper overall.
Should I move to Canada or to Madagascar?
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.

Canada vs other spots: cost of living compared

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