Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Toamasina

For one person, living is cheaper in Toamasina: $465 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
Learn more

Cape Town Living Index

Jump to prices

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Toamasina

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$465

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town and in Toamasina

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 Toamasina actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $465 in Toamasina, rent included.

Cape Town $1,586
Toamasina $465

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $753 in Toamasina, rent included.

Cape Town $2,425
Toamasina $753

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $1,041 in Toamasina, rent included.

Cape Town $3,263
Toamasina $1,041

Cape Town costs about 241% more than Toamasina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Toamasina is 66% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

$2.63 MGA 12.0K

361.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

$15.74 MGA 71.8K

188.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

$4.35 MGA 19.9K

35.17%

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.18

$1.09 MGA 4,993

129.36%

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

$1.27 R 20.94

$0.53 MGA 2,430

139.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

$1.09 MGA 4,974

174.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

$1.08 MGA 4,933

244.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

$1.10 MGA 5,015

18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

$1.09 MGA 4,990

14.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.76

$1.02 MGA 4,663

118.63%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.2

$1.83 MGA 8,346

69.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

$12.50 MGA 57.0K

-27.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$7.69 MGA 35.1K

-10.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

$6.18 MGA 28.2K

50.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

$1.52 MGA 6,915

21.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

$1.29 MGA 5,890

51.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

$1.57 MGA 7,155

6.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

$0.68 MGA 3,090

219.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

$0.62 MGA 2,835

153.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

$0.55 MGA 2,508

169.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$0.34 MGA 1,561

282.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.60

$0.49 MGA 2,242

130.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

$1.72 MGA 7,845

109.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

$0.85 MGA 3,889

62.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

$1.08 MGA 4,945

98.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

$0.34 MGA 1,565

341.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

$1.11 MGA 5,046

39.64%

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

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

$31.2K R 514.8K

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

$114 R 1,883

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

$28.91 R 476

$30.98 MGA 141.3K

-6.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 654

$66.3 MGA 302.4K

-40.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

$21.83 MGA 99.6K

124.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

$6.82 MGA 31.1K

34.16%

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

$259 R 4,264

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

$8.91 MGA 40.6K

530.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

$6.77 MGA 30.9K

378.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

$55.9 MGA 255.2K

115.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

$37.06 MGA 169.1K

191.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

$135 MGA 617.9K

653.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

$55.5 MGA 252.9K

1192.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

$444 MGA 2.0M

310.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

$134 MGA 612.1K

888.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

$133 MGA 606.3K

1132.82%

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 10, 2026

Last update for Toamasina: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Toamasina

–

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Toamasina

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Toamasina

–

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Toamasina

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Toamasina

–

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Toamasina

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Toamasina

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,021 in Cape Town versus $135 in Toamasina. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1133% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Cape Town versus $16.00 in Toamasina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $169 – making Toamasina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇲🇬 Toamasina

🕒 Local time

10:43 10:43 AM

11:43 11:43 AM

1 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

325,857

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.95 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4,562 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD). 1 EUR = 5,128 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Toamasina 3,540 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Toamasina

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 Toamasina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 241% more than Toamasina, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,379 per month in Cape Town and $697 in Toamasina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Toamasina, 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 $1,586 in Cape Town and $465 in Toamasina. That's a gap of about 241%.

Groceries cost about 33% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Toamasina, where all-in costs run around $465, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Toamasina 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. Toamasina costs $465 versus $1,586 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 Toamasina. 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.