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: $455 in Egypt versus $196 in Madagascar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $730 in Egypt versus $337 in Madagascar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,005 in Egypt versus $478 in Madagascar.

Living in Egypt is roughly 132% more expensive than in Madagascar on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Egypt 66% lower, Madagascar 85% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Egypt
Madagascar
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.97 E£198
$2.64 MGA 11.1K
50.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$20.03 E£999
$17.67 MGA 74.4K
13.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.89 E£244
$4.37 MGA 18.4K
11.90%
Cappuccino
$1.45 E£72.6
$1.29 MGA 5,422
12.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.35 E£17.47
$0.96 MGA 4,057
-63.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.11 E£5.57
$0.67 MGA 2,808
-83.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.40 E£70.0
$1.03 MGA 4,345
35.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.93 E£146
$1.53 MGA 6,453
91.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Egypt
Madagascar
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.84 E£41.74
$1.11 MGA 4,677
-24.32%
White Bread (500g)
$0.57 E£28.64
$0.92 MGA 3,877
-38.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.67 E£33.37
$0.67 MGA 2,821
-
Eggs
$1.45 E£72.1
$2.05 MGA 8,641
-29.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.16 E£157
$9.83 MGA 41.4K
-67.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.35 E£217
$4.81 MGA 20.2K
-9.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.86 E£442
$4.28 MGA 18.0K
107.01%
Apples (1kg)
$1.51 E£75.5
$1.21 MGA 5,108
24.79%
Banana (1kg)
$0.57 E£28.37
$0.59 MGA 2,490
-3.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.48 E£23.80
$1.01 MGA 4,247
-52.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.37 E£18.50
$0.92 MGA 3,876
-59.78%
Potato (1kg)
$0.48 E£23.80
$0.54 MGA 2,259
-11.11%
Onion (1kg)
$0.42 E£20.82
$0.74 MGA 3,134
-43.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.24 E£12.01
$0.37 MGA 1,573
-35.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.18 E£9.02
$0.60 MGA 2,525
-70.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.91 E£95.5
$1.75 MGA 7,372
9.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.82 E£340
$5.22 MGA 22.0K
30.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 E£63.7
$0.88 MGA 3,702
45.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 E£96.4
$1.22 MGA 5,154
58.20%
🚌 Getting Around
Egypt
Madagascar
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.27 E£13.28
$0.18 MGA 748
50.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$5.99 E£299
$8.99 MGA 37.9K
-33.37%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.41 E£20.57
$2.27 MGA 9,551
-81.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.29 E£14.26
$2.06 MGA 8,684
-85.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.29 E£64.5
$4.42 MGA 18.6K
-70.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.31 E£15.29
$1.22 MGA 5,147
-74.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.9K E£1.7M
$13.3K MGA 56.1M
162.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.0K E£1.6M
$22.8K MGA 96.2M
40.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Egypt
Madagascar
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$21.27 E£1,061
$47.11 MGA 198.3K
-54.85%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.21 E£360
$15.18 MGA 63.9K
-52.50%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.59 E£578
$53.4 MGA 224.8K
-78.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Egypt
Madagascar
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$14.83 E£740
$22.18 MGA 93.4K
-33.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.83 E£341
$6.32 MGA 26.6K
8.07%
Cinema Ticket
$3.03 E£151
$6.62 MGA 27.9K
-54.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Egypt
Madagascar
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$84.5 E£4,212
$72.1 MGA 303.7K
17.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,978 E£98.7K
$11.7K MGA 49.4M
-83.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Egypt
Madagascar
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$26.49 E£1,321
$26.54 MGA 111.7K
-0.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.73 E£2,231
$27.57 MGA 116.1K
62.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 E£5,395
$73.2 MGA 308.1K
47.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$50.9 E£2,537
$52.1 MGA 219.4K
-2.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Egypt
Madagascar
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$165 E£8,221
$298 MGA 1.3M
-44.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$99.7 E£4,971
$98.9 MGA 416.5K
0.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$323 E£16.1K
$540 MGA 2.3M
-40.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$191 E£9,540
$367 MGA 1.5M
-47.84%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$764 E£38.1K
$686 MGA 2.9M
11.40%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$463 E£23.1K
$591 MGA 2.5M
-21.65%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Egypt
Madagascar
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$147 E£7,310
$135 MGA 568.3K
8.59%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
16.38
17.25
-5.04%

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

Last update for Egypt: June 13, 2026

Last update for Madagascar: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $183 in Egypt, $71.0 in Madagascar. Capital cities: $209 in Cairo vs $386 in Antananarivo.

National salary averages: $141 in Egypt, $131 in Madagascar. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 158% higher in Egypt.

Dining out costs 129% 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 $519 per month in Egypt and $284 in Madagascar, there's a 83% 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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