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: $720 in China versus $313 in Madagascar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in China versus $491 in Madagascar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,576 in China versus $668 in Madagascar.

Living in China is roughly 130% more expensive than in Madagascar on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 48% lower, Madagascar 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.93 ¥19.60

$2.24 MGA 9,725

30.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.72 ¥152

$17.49 MGA 75.8K

29.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 ¥33.95

$4.78 MGA 20.7K

6.07%

Cappuccino

$2.94 ¥19.70

$1.36 MGA 5,892

116.18%

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

$0.48 ¥3.21

$0.81 MGA 3,497

-40.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$0.65 MGA 2,836

-53.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ¥7.10

$1.14 MGA 4,931

-7.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ¥15.07

$1.78 MGA 7,720

26.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ¥11.99

$1.18 MGA 5,108

51.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥11.35

$0.98 MGA 4,257

73.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.45

$0.77 MGA 3,339

24.68%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.79

$2.13 MGA 9,249

-24.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.60 ¥91.1

$8.84 MGA 38.3K

53.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.84

$5.25 MGA 22.7K

-35.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 ¥74.2

$4.83 MGA 20.9K

129.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$1.21 MGA 5,250

49.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.74

$0.67 MGA 2,894

94.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.91

$0.99 MGA 4,307

49.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.72

$0.90 MGA 3,880

44.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.82

$0.57 MGA 2,463

26.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.31

$0.79 MGA 3,425

18.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.08

$0.34 MGA 1,493

79.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.73

$0.65 MGA 2,807

-13.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.67 ¥24.58

$1.68 MGA 7,263

118.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 ¥79.7

$5.12 MGA 22.2K

132.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.56

$0.92 MGA 3,991

-9.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.08

$1.65 MGA 7,153

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.14 MGA 603

107.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.61 ¥151

$19.02 MGA 82.4K

18.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.72

$3.59 MGA 15.5K

-59.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ¥2.31

$2.40 MGA 10.4K

-85.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.27 ¥48.72

$4.76 MGA 20.6K

52.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥8.26

$1.19 MGA 5,141

3.36%

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

$19.5K ¥130.9K

$13.2K MGA 57.1M

48.27%

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

$17.2K ¥115.5K

$24.9K MGA 107.8M

-30.70%

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

$55.5 ¥371

$68.5 MGA 296.6K

-18.98%

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

$8.51 ¥57.0

$17.99 MGA 77.9K

-52.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.81 ¥72.4

$56.1 MGA 242.9K

-80.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.02 ¥268

$24.07 MGA 104.3K

66.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.80 ¥99.1

$7.56 MGA 32.7K

95.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.73 ¥45.09

$6.46 MGA 28.0K

4.18%

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

$454 ¥3,042

$26.47 MGA 114.7K

1615.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K ¥130.8K

$15.5K MGA 67.1M

26.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.95 ¥301

$21.11 MGA 91.5K

112.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.81 ¥240

$27.23 MGA 118.0K

31.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 ¥514

$72.2 MGA 312.6K

6.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.3 ¥518

$49.68 MGA 215.3K

55.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 ¥2,581

$308 MGA 1.3M

25.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ¥1,623

$144 MGA 621.8K

68.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 ¥5,603

$722 MGA 3.1M

15.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 ¥3,177

$342 MGA 1.5M

38.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,619 ¥30.9K

$699 MGA 3.0M

560.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,316 ¥15.5K

$598 MGA 2.6M

287.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,062 ¥7,110

$131 MGA 567.7K

710.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

19.75

-82.43%

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

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Last update for Madagascar: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $295 in China, $63.0 in Madagascar. Capital cities: $957 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $333 in Antananarivo.

National salary averages: $865 in China, $132 in Madagascar. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 368% higher in China.

Dining out costs 110% more in China.

Public transport is 467% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 555% 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 $852 per month in China and $336 in Madagascar, there's a 154% 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.