Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Antsiranana

For one person, living is cheaper in Antsiranana: $305 a month against $2,854 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $30,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Antsiranana

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$305

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Antsiranana

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

A single person spends $2,854 per month in Dubai vs $305 in Antsiranana, rent included.

Dubai $2,854
Antsiranana $305

A couple spends around $4,321 per month in Dubai vs $622 in Antsiranana, rent included.

Dubai $4,321
Antsiranana $622

A family of three spends $5,788 per month in Dubai vs $938 in Antsiranana, rent included.

Dubai $5,788
Antsiranana $938

Dubai costs about 834% more than Antsiranana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Dubai sits 113% above the global median, while Antsiranana is 77% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.04 AED 47.89

$1.56 MGA 6,974

735.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 AED 299

$15.73 MGA 70.3K

417.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.32 AED 34.25

Cappuccino

$5.97 AED 21.93

$1.17 MGA 5,233

410.26%

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

$1.63 AED 5.98

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 AED 2.99

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.65 AED 50.1

$1.19 MGA 5,339

1047.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.38 AED 49.15

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 AED 6.64

$1.58 MGA 7,045

14.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 AED 5.78

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 AED 9.16

$0.86 MGA 3,855

189.53%

Eggs

$3.28 AED 12.04

$3.35 MGA 15.0K

-2.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.67 AED 46.53

$17.82 MGA 79.7K

-28.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 AED 35.80

$8.18 MGA 36.6K

19.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 AED 48.40

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 AED 9.57

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 AED 7.09

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 AED 7.05

$2.87 MGA 12.8K

-33.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 AED 5.00

$1.60 MGA 7,156

-15.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.29

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 AED 5.56

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 AED 2.29

$0.69 MGA 3,095

-10.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 AED 21.50

$1.77 MGA 7,918

230.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.14 AED 59.3

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 AED 9.74

$0.59 MGA 2,643

349.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 AED 10.82

$2.72 MGA 12.2K

8.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 AED 6.03

$0.24 MGA 1,075

583.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.6 AED 270

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 AED 11.66

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.63

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.23

$6.98 MGA 31.2K

14.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 AED 3.64

$1.37 MGA 6,113

-27.74%

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

$27.4K AED 100.5K

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

$22.5K AED 82.8K

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

$250 AED 920

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

$54.2 AED 199

$23.12 MGA 103.3K

134.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.8 AED 337

$59.8 MGA 267.4K

53.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 AED 362

$13.89 MGA 62.1K

610.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.61 AED 156

Cinema Ticket

$16.03 AED 58.9

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

$843 AED 3,098

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 AED 250

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 AED 370

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 AED 371

$35.75 MGA 159.8K

182.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,380 AED 8,741

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 AED 5,531

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,437 AED 16.3K

$341 MGA 1.5M

1199.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,010 AED 11.1K

$226 MGA 1.0M

1230.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,121 AED 26.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,135 AED 15.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,391 AED 12.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

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

Last update for Dubai: October 5, 2026

Last update for Antsiranana: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5%

Antsiranana

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$396 13.8%

Antsiranana

–

Eating Out

Dubai

$309 10.8%

Antsiranana

–

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$293 10.2%

Antsiranana

–

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Antsiranana

–

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$131 4.6%

Antsiranana

–

Getting Around

Dubai

$87 3%

Antsiranana

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Dubai versus $16.00 in Antsiranana. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $163 – making Antsiranana the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇲🇬 Antsiranana

🕒 Local time

15:32 3:32 PM

14:32 2:32 PM

1 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

129,320

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.24 USD

10,000 MGA = 2 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4,470 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.24 USD). 1 EUR = 5,009 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dubai Antsiranana 4,200 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Antsiranana

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 Antsiranana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,854 in Dubai, $305 in Antsiranana – roughly 834% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,281 per month in Dubai and $458 in Antsiranana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Dubai and $16.00 in Antsiranana. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,854 in Dubai and $305 in Antsiranana. That's a gap of about 834%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Antsiranana, where all-in costs run around $305, than in Dubai at $2,854. In Antsiranana it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dubai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Dubai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $305 in Antsiranana to $2,854 in Dubai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Antsiranana. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dubai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.