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: $452 in Egypt versus $195 in Madagascar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $728 in Egypt versus $335 in Madagascar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,004 in Egypt versus $475 in Madagascar.

Living in Egypt is roughly 132% more expensive than 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
$3.85 E£204
$2.61 MGA 10.8K
47.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.79 E£1,049
$17.87 MGA 74.1K
10.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.04 E£267
$4.39 MGA 18.2K
14.81%
Cappuccino
$1.45 E£77.0
$1.25 MGA 5,167
16.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.35 E£18.61
$0.89 MGA 3,703
-60.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.15 E£7.79
$0.61 MGA 2,539
-75.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.40 E£74.3
$1.07 MGA 4,453
30.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.92 E£155
$1.51 MGA 6,269
93.38%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Egypt
Madagascar
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.86 E£45.36
$1.12 MGA 4,631
-23.21%
White Bread (500g)
$0.57 E£30.24
$0.92 MGA 3,799
-38.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.67 E£35.71
$0.73 MGA 3,017
-8.22%
Eggs
$1.50 E£79.4
$2.00 MGA 8,282
-25.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.30 E£175
$9.82 MGA 40.8K
-66.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.36 E£231
$5.03 MGA 20.9K
-13.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.84 E£469
$4.21 MGA 17.5K
109.98%
Apples (1kg)
$1.52 E£80.8
$1.20 MGA 4,965
26.67%
Banana (1kg)
$0.59 E£31.43
$0.64 MGA 2,675
-7.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.44 E£23.48
$1.02 MGA 4,230
-56.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.38 E£19.94
$0.92 MGA 3,805
-58.70%
Potato (1kg)
$0.47 E£24.92
$0.58 MGA 2,395
-18.97%
Onion (1kg)
$0.41 E£21.95
$0.80 MGA 3,311
-48.75%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.22 E£11.64
$0.35 MGA 1,436
-37.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.20 E£10.85
$0.60 MGA 2,487
-66.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.90 E£101
$1.83 MGA 7,600
3.83%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.75 E£358
$5.31 MGA 22.0K
27.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 E£67.4
$0.88 MGA 3,659
44.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 E£100
$1.28 MGA 5,311
47.66%
🚌 Getting Around
Egypt
Madagascar
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.27 E£14.29
$0.17 MGA 693
58.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$6.01 E£319
$8.71 MGA 36.1K
-31.00%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.42 E£22.10
$2.18 MGA 9,033
-80.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.31 E£16.56
$2.06 MGA 8,555
-84.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.31 E£69.5
$4.48 MGA 18.6K
-70.76%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.31 E£16.22
$1.26 MGA 5,248
-75.40%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.6K E£1.8M
$13.4K MGA 55.6M
158.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.0K E£1.7M
$23.0K MGA 95.3M
39.12%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Egypt
Madagascar
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$21.09 E£1,118
$46.63 MGA 193.5K
-54.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.95 E£369
$14.85 MGA 61.6K
-53.20%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.96 E£634
$51.9 MGA 215.4K
-76.96%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Egypt
Madagascar
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$14.48 E£768
$22.18 MGA 92.0K
-34.72%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.69 E£355
$6.25 MGA 25.9K
7.04%
Cinema Ticket
$3.01 E£160
$6.71 MGA 27.9K
-55.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Egypt
Madagascar
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$86.8 E£4,602
$70.3 MGA 291.8K
23.41%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,924 E£102.0K
$11.7K MGA 48.4M
-83.50%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Egypt
Madagascar
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$26.05 E£1,381
$26.38 MGA 109.4K
-1.25%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.33 E£2,350
$27.04 MGA 112.2K
63.94%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 E£5,790
$72.7 MGA 301.5K
50.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$50.9 E£2,698
$51.1 MGA 211.8K
-0.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Egypt
Madagascar
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$163 E£8,666
$298 MGA 1.2M
-45.16%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$102 E£5,390
$98.2 MGA 407.4K
3.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$331 E£17.5K
$536 MGA 2.2M
-38.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$191 E£10.1K
$376 MGA 1.6M
-49.24%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$728 E£38.6K
$690 MGA 2.9M
5.47%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$445 E£23.6K
$609 MGA 2.5M
-26.98%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Egypt
Madagascar
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$137 E£7,237
$132 MGA 547.6K
3.42%
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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Madagascar: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $183 in Egypt, $70.0 in Madagascar. Capital cities: $209 in Cairo vs $381 in Antananarivo.

National salary averages: $137 in Egypt, $130 in Madagascar. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 161% 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 $509 per month in Egypt and $290 in Madagascar, there's a 75% 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?
Madagascar is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 Madagascar?
In Madagascar, $800 covers most cities easily. In Egypt, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to Egypt or 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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