Cost of Living Comparison Between Egypt and Madagascar Cost of Living Comparison Between Egypt and Madagascar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $442 in Egypt versus $314 in Madagascar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $717 in Egypt versus $489 in Madagascar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $991 in Egypt versus $663 in Madagascar.

Living in Egypt is roughly 41% more expensive than in Madagascar on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Egypt 68% lower, Madagascar 77% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Egypt
Madagascar
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.81 E£199
$2.36 MGA 10.2K
61.44%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.08 E£995
$17.59 MGA 76.4K
8.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.93 E£257
$4.95 MGA 21.5K
-0.40%
Cappuccino
$1.44 E£75.1
$1.43 MGA 6,208
0.70%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 E£17.43
$0.80 MGA 3,494
-58.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.14 E£7.16
$0.59 MGA 2,565
-76.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.54 E£80.3
$1.17 MGA 5,107
31.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 E£146
$1.72 MGA 7,461
63.37%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Egypt
Madagascar
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.86 E£44.82
$1.21 MGA 5,255
-28.93%
White Bread (500g)
$0.67 E£34.83
$0.98 MGA 4,254
-31.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.69 E£35.98
$0.78 MGA 3,370
-11.54%
Eggs
$1.34 E£69.6
$2.08 MGA 9,035
-35.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.47 E£181
$9.01 MGA 39.1K
-61.49%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.25 E£222
$4.96 MGA 21.6K
-14.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.47 E£442
$4.84 MGA 21.1K
75.00%
Apples (1kg)
$1.56 E£81.2
$1.16 MGA 5,061
34.48%
Banana (1kg)
$0.66 E£34.22
$0.60 MGA 2,626
10.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.53 E£27.49
$1.04 MGA 4,510
-49.04%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.42 E£21.76
$0.88 MGA 3,815
-52.27%
Potato (1kg)
$0.41 E£21.29
$0.62 MGA 2,679
-33.87%
Onion (1kg)
$0.37 E£19.36
$0.78 MGA 3,397
-52.56%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.31 E£16.28
$0.34 MGA 1,467
-8.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.18 E£9.62
$0.71 MGA 3,090
-74.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.88 E£98.2
$1.58 MGA 6,855
18.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.81 E£355
$5.13 MGA 22.3K
32.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.40 E£73.1
$0.91 MGA 3,971
53.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 E£109
$1.63 MGA 7,100
28.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Egypt
Madagascar
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.30 E£15.81
$0.15 MGA 643
100.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.15 E£425
$18.72 MGA 81.4K
-56.46%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.40 E£21.08
$3.43 MGA 14.9K
-88.34%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.28 E£14.52
$2.26 MGA 9,831
-87.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.71 E£89.3
$4.71 MGA 20.5K
-63.69%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.45 E£23.21
$1.23 MGA 5,363
-63.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.9K E£1.7M
$13.2K MGA 57.2M
150.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.9K E£1.5M
$25.1K MGA 109.1M
11.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Egypt
Madagascar
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$21.53 E£1,123
$67.6 MGA 293.9K
-68.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.22 E£376
$18.41 MGA 80.0K
-60.78%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.08 E£682
$55.6 MGA 241.5K
-76.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Egypt
Madagascar
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$17.31 E£903
$23.99 MGA 104.3K
-27.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.56 E£342
$7.50 MGA 32.6K
-12.53%
Cinema Ticket
$2.80 E£146
$6.20 MGA 26.9K
-54.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Egypt
Madagascar
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$93.3 E£4,865
$26.71 MGA 116.1K
249.27%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,511 E£130.9K
$15.1K MGA 65.7M
-83.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Egypt
Madagascar
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$27.10 E£1,413
$20.86 MGA 90.7K
29.91%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.91 E£2,238
$26.34 MGA 114.5K
62.91%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 E£5,658
$71.1 MGA 309.0K
52.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$49.62 E£2,587
$49.90 MGA 216.9K
-0.56%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Egypt
Madagascar
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$153 E£7,984
$303 MGA 1.3M
-49.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$94.8 E£4,943
$145 MGA 630.5K
-34.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$306 E£16.0K
$710 MGA 3.1M
-56.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$191 E£9,980
$328 MGA 1.4M
-41.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$725 E£37.8K
$677 MGA 2.9M
7.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$444 E£23.2K
$581 MGA 2.5M
-23.61%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Egypt
Madagascar
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$146 E£7,606
$131 MGA 571.3K
10.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
16.46
19.75
-16.66%

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

Last update for Egypt: September 12, 2026

Last update for Madagascar: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $141 in Egypt, $63.0 in Madagascar. Capital cities: $222 in Cairo vs $328 in Antananarivo.

National salary averages: $138 in Egypt, $133 in Madagascar. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 124% higher in Egypt.

Dining out costs 60% more in Egypt.

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
Egypt vs Madagascar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Egypt and Madagascar?
At $523 per month in Egypt and $343 in Madagascar, there's a 52% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
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.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent in Egypt 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.
Is $800 a realistic budget in Egypt or in Madagascar?
In Madagascar, $800 covers most cities easily; in Egypt it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to Egypt or to Madagascar?
It depends on what you're after: Madagascar wins on affordability; Egypt may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

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