Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Mahajanga

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahajanga: $557 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$557

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,568 per month in Cape Town vs $557 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Cape Town $1,568
Mahajanga $557

A couple spends around $2,438 per month in Cape Town vs $813 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Cape Town $2,438
Mahajanga $813

A family of three spends $3,307 per month in Cape Town vs $1,069 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Cape Town $3,307
Mahajanga $1,069

Cape Town costs about 182% more than Mahajanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Mahajanga is 58% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 R 194

$2.02 MGA 9,027

483.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 R 768

$18.34 MGA 82.0K

153.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 R 98.4

Cappuccino

$2.47 R 40.80

$0.69 MGA 3,104

257.97%

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

$1.33 R 21.91

$0.93 MGA 4,169

43.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 16.99

$0.90 MGA 4,013

14.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 R 49.72

$1.05 MGA 4,710

186.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R 60.4

$1.61 MGA 7,211

127.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 22.96

$1.35 MGA 6,053

2.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.60

$0.87 MGA 3,900

36.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 R 34.84

$0.64 MGA 2,880

229.69%

Eggs

$3.01 R 49.58

$2.23 MGA 9,963

34.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 148

$6.91 MGA 30.9K

29.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 R 110

$6.85 MGA 30.6K

-2.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 R 153

$3.75 MGA 16.8K

147.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.13

$1.12 MGA 4,990

63.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.31

$0.62 MGA 2,765

206.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.83

$0.70 MGA 3,109

150.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 R 34.41

$0.70 MGA 3,146

198.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.64

$0.53 MGA 2,382

192.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.53

$0.52 MGA 2,333

186.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$0.35 MGA 1,574

271.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 19.19

$0.59 MGA 2,657

96.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 R 61.2

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 100

$9.30 MGA 41.6K

-34.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.85

$0.79 MGA 3,518

75.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.32

$0.95 MGA 4,245

131.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 24.98

$0.23 MGA 1,020

556.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,006

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.33

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 R 25.29

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 26.08

$1.34 MGA 5,996

17.91%

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

$35.5K R 585.7K

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

$31.7K R 523.8K

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

$116 R 1,920

$44.71 MGA 199.8K

160.30%

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

$28.37 R 468

$6.69 MGA 29.9K

324.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 R 671

$22.67 MGA 101.3K

79.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.85 R 806

$18.07 MGA 80.8K

170.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 184

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 R 146

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

$261 R 4,314

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 110.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R 914

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 532

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,939

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 R 1,766

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 R 16.7K

$337 MGA 1.5M

201.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 R 11.8K

$275 MGA 1.2M

159.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 R 29.7K

$693 MGA 3.1M

159.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 R 22.0K

$448 MGA 2.0M

196.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,636 R 27.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Last update for Mahajanga: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

Mahajanga

–

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

Mahajanga

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

Mahajanga

–

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11%

Mahajanga

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Mahajanga

–

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Mahajanga

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Mahajanga

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,015 in Cape Town 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 $47.00 in Cape Town versus $18.00 in Mahajanga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $151 – making Mahajanga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇲🇬 Mahajanga

🕒 Local time

13:44 1:44 PM

14:44 2:44 PM

1 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

246,022

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.24 USD

10,000 MGA = 2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MGA, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 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 ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Mahajanga 3,450 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
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

Cape Town vs Mahajanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 182% more than Mahajanga, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,352 per month in Cape Town 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,568 in Cape Town and $557 in Mahajanga. That's a gap of about 182%.

Groceries cost about 47% more in Cape Town, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mahajanga, where all-in costs run around $557, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Mahajanga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mahajanga costs $557 versus $1,568 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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