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 $199 in Madagascar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,131 in China versus $341 in Madagascar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,550 in China versus $483 in Madagascar.

Living in China is roughly 258% more expensive than in Madagascar on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.86 ¥19.35

$2.70 MGA 11.6K

5.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.44 ¥159

$17.96 MGA 77.0K

30.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 ¥32.75

$4.48 MGA 19.2K

8.04%

Cappuccino

$3.11 ¥21.06

$1.25 MGA 5,356

148.80%

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

$0.44 ¥3.00

$0.88 MGA 3,780

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.99

$0.63 MGA 2,696

-53.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ¥6.64

$1.08 MGA 4,630

-9.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥13.88

$1.59 MGA 6,831

28.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.47

$1.10 MGA 4,738

67.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.94

$0.92 MGA 3,930

76.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.28

$0.68 MGA 2,922

36.76%

Eggs

$1.63 ¥11.03

$2.08 MGA 8,914

-21.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.15 ¥89.0

$10.00 MGA 42.9K

31.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.26 ¥22.09

$4.77 MGA 20.5K

-31.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.62 ¥71.9

$4.35 MGA 18.6K

144.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.19

$1.16 MGA 4,975

55.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.77

$0.64 MGA 2,757

103.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.90

$0.95 MGA 4,081

53.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ¥8.15

$0.92 MGA 3,935

30.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.14

$0.57 MGA 2,466

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.93

$0.79 MGA 3,384

11.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ¥3.86

$0.35 MGA 1,491

62.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.63

$0.64 MGA 2,760

-15.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ¥23.17

$1.74 MGA 7,442

96.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.75 ¥79.5

$5.07 MGA 21.7K

131.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.40

$0.84 MGA 3,582

-4.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.95

$1.22 MGA 5,220

32.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.94

$0.14 MGA 612

207.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.47 ¥139

$9.09 MGA 39.0K

125.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.24

$2.19 MGA 9,405

-37.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.39

$2.02 MGA 8,670

-82.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.50 ¥43.97

$4.47 MGA 19.2K

45.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ¥7.59

$1.27 MGA 5,458

-11.81%

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

$19.5K ¥131.8K

$13.1K MGA 56.2M

48.51%

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

$16.9K ¥114.1K

$23.1K MGA 99.2M

-27.07%

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

$51.7 ¥350

$47.18 MGA 202.4K

9.58%

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

$10.17 ¥68.8

$14.84 MGA 63.6K

-31.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.16 ¥75.5

$52.3 MGA 224.3K

-78.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.62 ¥268

$22.50 MGA 96.5K

76.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.53 ¥98.3

$6.34 MGA 27.2K

129.18%

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 ¥43.19

$6.55 MGA 28.1K

-2.60%

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

$407 ¥2,756

$72.2 MGA 309.5K

464.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K ¥120.7K

$11.5K MGA 49.1M

55.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.53 ¥308

$27.22 MGA 116.8K

67.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.31 ¥219

$27.04 MGA 116.0K

19.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 ¥491

$73.5 MGA 315.3K

-1.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.4 ¥504

$51.2 MGA 219.5K

45.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 ¥2,996

$294 MGA 1.3M

50.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 ¥1,747

$100.0 MGA 428.8K

158.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 ¥6,162

$545 MGA 2.3M

66.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 ¥3,677

$371 MGA 1.6M

46.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,934 ¥33.4K

$680 MGA 2.9M

626.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,398 ¥16.2K

$584 MGA 2.5M

310.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,065 ¥7,205

$126 MGA 539.9K

745.68%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Madagascar: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $287 in China, $71.0 in Madagascar. Capital cities: $894 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $387 in Antananarivo.

National salary averages: $855 in China, $128 in Madagascar. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 304% higher in China.

Dining out costs 163% more in China.

Public transport is 800% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 568% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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 $862 per month in China and $290 in Madagascar, there's a 198% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Madagascar: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 stretches only to regional areas and 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.