Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Toamasina

For one person, living is cheaper in Toamasina: $465 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $29,200 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

$2,896

/mo nomad

Toamasina

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$465

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Toamasina

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $465 in Toamasina.

Dubai $2,896
Toamasina $465

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $753 in Toamasina.

Dubai $4,384
Toamasina $753

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $1,041 in Toamasina.

Dubai $5,872
Toamasina $1,041

Living in Dubai is roughly 523% more expensive than in Toamasina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$2.63 MGA 12.0K

381.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$15.74 MGA 71.8K

419.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$4.35 MGA 19.9K

114.71%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$1.09 MGA 4,993

440.37%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$0.53 MGA 2,430

218.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$1.09 MGA 4,974

1153.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$1.08 MGA 4,933

1149.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$1.10 MGA 5,015

67.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$1.09 MGA 4,990

37.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$1.02 MGA 4,663

151.96%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$1.83 MGA 8,346

81.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$12.50 MGA 57.0K

0.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$7.69 MGA 35.1K

25.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$6.18 MGA 28.2K

106.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$1.52 MGA 6,915

71.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$1.29 MGA 5,890

47.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$1.57 MGA 7,155

21.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$0.68 MGA 3,090

101.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$0.62 MGA 2,835

82.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$0.55 MGA 2,508

83.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$0.34 MGA 1,561

323.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.49 MGA 2,242

36.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$1.72 MGA 7,845

241.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$0.85 MGA 3,889

220.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$1.08 MGA 4,945

185.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$0.34 MGA 1,565

370.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$1.11 MGA 5,046

-11.71%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

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

$249 AED 913

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

$54.4 AED 200

$30.98 MGA 141.3K

75.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$66.3 MGA 302.4K

37.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$21.83 MGA 99.6K

373.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$6.82 MGA 31.1K

138.86%

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

$844 AED 3,098

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$8.91 MGA 40.6K

651.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$6.77 MGA 30.9K

755.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$55.9 MGA 255.2K

82.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$37.06 MGA 169.1K

166.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$135 MGA 617.9K

1666.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$55.5 MGA 252.9K

2664.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$444 MGA 2.0M

934.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$134 MGA 612.1K

2090.48%

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

$133 MGA 606.3K

2503.57%

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 10, 2026

Last update for Toamasina: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Toamasina

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Toamasina

–

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Toamasina

–

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Toamasina

–

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Toamasina

–

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Toamasina

–

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Toamasina

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $135 in Toamasina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 2504% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $82.0 in Dubai vs $16.00 in Toamasina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $169 per month, with Toamasina cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇲🇬 Toamasina

🕒 Local time

11:16 11:16 AM

10:16 10:16 AM

1 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

325,857

💱 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 →

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Between locations

Dubai Toamasina 4,850 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

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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 Toamasina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toamasina is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 523% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 2504% higher in Dubai, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,393 in Dubai versus $135 in Toamasina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Dubai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Toamasina – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $82.0 in Dubai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $465 in Toamasina versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Toamasina but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Toamasina the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Toamasina 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 Toamasina 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 Toamasina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 523% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.