Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Antsirabe

For one person, living is cheaper in Antsirabe: $455 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $29,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Antsirabe
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Antsirabe Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Antsirabe

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$455

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Antsirabe

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Dubai and in Antsirabe actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $455 in Antsirabe.

Dubai $2,896
Antsirabe $455

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $684 in Antsirabe.

Dubai $4,384
Antsirabe $684

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $912 in Antsirabe.

Dubai $5,872
Antsirabe $912

Living in Dubai is roughly 537% more expensive than in Antsirabe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Antsirabe is 66% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$1.08 MGA 4,931

1073.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$15.62 MGA 71.3K

423.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$5.62 MGA 25.6K

66.19%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$1.31 MGA 5,996

349.62%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$0.75 MGA 3,430

125.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$0.45 MGA 2,030

73.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$1.03 MGA 4,691

1226.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$2.25 MGA 10.3K

499.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$0.93 MGA 4,253

97.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$1.02 MGA 4,674

47.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$0.74 MGA 3,388

247.30%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$2.04 MGA 9,307

62.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$8.25 MGA 37.7K

52.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$4.48 MGA 20.4K

115.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$4.85 MGA 22.1K

163.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$1.07 MGA 4,894

142.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$0.53 MGA 2,398

258.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$1.05 MGA 4,774

81.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$0.81 MGA 3,687

69.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$0.58 MGA 2,650

94.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$0.96 MGA 4,396

5.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$0.34 MGA 1,574

323.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.45 MGA 2,055

48.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$1.53 MGA 6,993

284.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$5.01 MGA 22.9K

222.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$0.96 MGA 4,396

183.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$1.85 MGA 8,458

66.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$3.30 MGA 15.0K

-1.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$1.94 MGA 8,836

-63.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$4.42 MGA 20.2K

80.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$1.11 MGA 5,078

-11.71%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$11.8K MGA 54.0M

131.15%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$25.0K MGA 113.9M

-11.76%

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

$249 AED 913

$73.7 MGA 336.3K

237.04%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$16.25 MGA 74.1K

234.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$56.8 MGA 259.0K

61.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$5.45 MGA 24.9K

198.90%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$24.76 MGA 112.9K

3306.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$14.8K MGA 67.6M

23.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$28.64 MGA 130.7K

133.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$27.45 MGA 125.2K

111.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$76.1 MGA 347.2K

34.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$68.1 MGA 310.6K

44.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

15.75

-71.17%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Antsirabe: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Antsirabe

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Antsirabe

$147 32.3% 62.8% $248

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Antsirabe

$56 12.3% 81.7% $249

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Antsirabe

$138 30.4% 52.6% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Antsirabe

$90 19.8% 38.5% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Antsirabe

$11 * 2.4% 92% $125

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Antsirabe

$13 * 2.9% 85.4% $76

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $82.0 in Dubai vs $16.00 in Antsirabe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $138 per month, with Antsirabe cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇲🇬 Antsirabe

🕒 Local time

11:10 11:10 AM

10:10 10:10 AM

1 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

246,354

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MGA, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 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 AED in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dubai Antsirabe 5,070 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Antsirabe

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

Dubai vs Antsirabe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Antsirabe is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 537% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,344 in Dubai and $682 in Antsirabe to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 111% higher in Dubai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,896 per month in Dubai versus $455 in Antsirabe – a 537% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $455 in Antsirabe versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Antsirabe but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Antsirabe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Antsirabe is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dubai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dubai and Antsirabe are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Antsirabe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 537% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.