Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Madagascar Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Madagascar

Name: Madagascar
Address: MG

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in China versus $195 in Madagascar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,132 in China versus $336 in Madagascar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,551 in China versus $476 in Madagascar.

Living in China is roughly 265% more expensive than Madagascar on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, Madagascar 85% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.81 ¥18.98

$2.74 MGA 11.5K

2.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.30 ¥158

$17.59 MGA 73.8K

32.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥33.87

$4.35 MGA 18.2K

15.17%

Cappuccino

$3.01 ¥20.38

$1.28 MGA 5,377

135.16%

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

$0.45 ¥3.03

$0.90 MGA 3,762

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.97

$0.62 MGA 2,617

-53.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.95 ¥6.41

$1.02 MGA 4,285

-6.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥13.87

$1.53 MGA 6,429

33.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ¥11.87

$1.11 MGA 4,667

58.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.98

$0.98 MGA 4,103

65.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.45

$0.71 MGA 2,994

33.80%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.55

$2.00 MGA 8,368

-22.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 ¥88.3

$9.82 MGA 41.2K

32.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 ¥22.17

$4.77 MGA 20.0K

-31.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 ¥72.0

$4.21 MGA 17.6K

152.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ¥12.03

$1.17 MGA 4,898

52.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.42

$0.63 MGA 2,650

96.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.12

$1.02 MGA 4,280

47.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.79

$0.88 MGA 3,704

30.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ¥5.07

$0.53 MGA 2,238

41.51%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.81

$0.75 MGA 3,163

14.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.17

$0.35 MGA 1,462

77.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.81

$0.63 MGA 2,662

-11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ¥23.76

$1.76 MGA 7,373

99.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.66 ¥78.9

$5.46 MGA 22.9K

113.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.40

$0.84 MGA 3,509

-4.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.25

$1.28 MGA 5,366

29.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.93

$0.15 MGA 622

186.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.86 ¥141

$9.08 MGA 38.1K

129.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 ¥9.26

$2.25 MGA 9,429

-39.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.38

$2.04 MGA 8,535

-82.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ¥44.82

$4.55 MGA 19.1K

45.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.69

$1.28 MGA 5,346

-10.94%

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

$19.2K ¥129.7K

$13.6K MGA 56.9M

41.37%

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

$16.8K ¥113.4K

$23.5K MGA 98.5M

-28.65%

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

$51.2 ¥346

$46.66 MGA 195.6K

9.67%

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

$10.16 ¥68.7

$15.15 MGA 63.5K

-32.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.51 ¥77.9

$51.5 MGA 216.0K

-77.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.53 ¥274

$22.18 MGA 93.0K

82.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.05 ¥102

$6.35 MGA 26.6K

137.01%

Cinema Ticket

$6.10 ¥41.26

$6.69 MGA 28.1K

-8.82%

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

$402 ¥2,719

$71.4 MGA 299.2K

463.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ¥119.5K

$11.5K MGA 48.3M

53.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.57 ¥308

$26.60 MGA 111.5K

71.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.26 ¥225

$27.46 MGA 115.1K

21.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 ¥491

$71.8 MGA 301.2K

1.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 ¥503

$52.4 MGA 219.8K

42.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 ¥2,903

$303 MGA 1.3M

41.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 ¥1,739

$101 MGA 421.5K

155.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$895 ¥6,055

$535 MGA 2.2M

67.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 ¥3,660

$369 MGA 1.5M

46.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,015 ¥33.9K

$686 MGA 2.9M

630.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,469 ¥16.7K

$589 MGA 2.5M

318.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,055 ¥7,132

$130 MGA 544.8K

711.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

17.25

-76.46%

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

Last update for China: June 1, 2026

Last update for Madagascar: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $286 in China, $71.0 in Madagascar. Capital cities: $916 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $382 in Antananarivo.

National salary averages: $861 in China, $130 in Madagascar. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 303% higher in China.

Dining out costs 200% more in China.

Public transport is 800% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 562% higher in China, giving China stronger purchasing power.

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

China vs Madagascar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $865 per month in China and $286 in Madagascar, there's a 203% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Madagascar is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in China beats Madagascar across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Madagascar, $800 covers most cities easily. In China, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Madagascar wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.