Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between India and Madagascar

Name: Madagascar
Address: MG

For one person, living is cheaper in India: $399 a month against $615 in Madagascar, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in India
Learn more

India Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Madagascar
Learn more

Madagascar Living Index

Jump to prices

🇮🇳 India

$399

/mo nomad

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$615

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in India and in Madagascar

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in India and in Madagascar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $399 in India versus $615 in Madagascar.

India $399
Madagascar $615

Estimated couple costs with rent: $639 in India versus $959 in Madagascar.

India $639
Madagascar $959

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $879 in India versus $1,303 in Madagascar.

India $879
Madagascar $1,303

India ($230–$813) and Madagascar ($174–$645) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in India costs about 35% less than in Madagascar on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: India 71% lower, Madagascar 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 ₹203

$2.14 MGA 9,816

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.46 ₹993

$17.92 MGA 82.0K

-41.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.80 ₹361

$4.70 MGA 21.5K

-19.15%

Cappuccino

$1.68 ₹159

$1.31 MGA 6,013

28.24%

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

$0.38 ₹35.93

$0.75 MGA 3,412

-49.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹14.58

$0.58 MGA 2,645

-74.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 ₹177

$1.08 MGA 4,955

73.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₹302

$1.79 MGA 8,178

77.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.62 ₹59.1

$1.14 MGA 5,215

-45.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 ₹47.69

$1.00 MGA 4,580

-50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.63 ₹60.2

$0.75 MGA 3,443

-16.00%

Eggs

$0.96 ₹91.1

$1.97 MGA 9,032

-51.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.85 ₹460

$8.41 MGA 38.5K

-42.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.84 ₹270

$4.83 MGA 22.1K

-41.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.70 MGA 21.5K

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 ₹190

$1.04 MGA 4,768

92.31%

Banana (1kg)

$0.65 ₹61.3

$0.62 MGA 2,820

4.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 ₹92.1

$0.92 MGA 4,226

5.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.47 ₹44.23

$0.86 MGA 3,927

-45.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 ₹31.82

$0.59 MGA 2,686

-42.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 ₹39.66

$0.76 MGA 3,474

-44.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 ₹44.32

$0.36 MGA 1,630

30.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.63

$0.61 MGA 2,790

-49.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.08 ₹482

$1.52 MGA 6,979

234.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.31 ₹694

$5.03 MGA 23.0K

45.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₹154

$0.87 MGA 3,983

87.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ₹262

$1.59 MGA 7,258

73.58%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.11 ₹485

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₹24.82

$0.12 MGA 530

116.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.58 ₹815

$17.30 MGA 79.2K

-50.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 ₹94.5

$3.22 MGA 14.7K

-68.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹25.69

$2.26 MGA 10.4K

-88.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 ₹146

$4.46 MGA 20.4K

-65.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ₹102

$1.14 MGA 5,195

-6.14%

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

$11.2K ₹1.1M

$12.1K MGA 55.6M

-7.62%

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

$20.1K ₹1.9M

$24.1K MGA 110.4M

-16.91%

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

$37.08 ₹3,521

$64.6 MGA 295.4K

-42.56%

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

$3.58 ₹340

$17.45 MGA 79.9K

-79.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.15 ₹679

$52.5 MGA 240.1K

-86.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.00 ₹1,424

$23.01 MGA 105.3K

-34.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.17 ₹681

$7.14 MGA 32.7K

0.42%

Cinema Ticket

$3.20 ₹303

$6.22 MGA 28.5K

-48.55%

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

$58.8 ₹5,583

$25.46 MGA 116.5K

130.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,667 ₹158.2K

$14.8K MGA 67.7M

-88.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.03 ₹2,187

$20.33 MGA 93.0K

13.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.17 ₹2,295

$25.07 MGA 114.7K

-3.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.20 ₹3,912

$67.2 MGA 307.3K

-38.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.62 ₹2,812

$46.30 MGA 211.9K

-36.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$146 ₹13.9K

$294 MGA 1.3M

-50.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$96.4 ₹9,150

$138 MGA 629.5K

-29.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$343 ₹32.6K

$681 MGA 3.1M

-49.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$234 ₹22.2K

$314 MGA 1.4M

-25.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,177 ₹111.7K

$658 MGA 3.0M

78.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$633 ₹60.1K

$560 MGA 2.6M

13.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$409 ₹38.8K

$122 MGA 557.7K

235.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.93

19.75

-54.78%

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

Last update for India: October 25, 2026

Last update for Madagascar: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

India

$102 25.6%

Madagascar

$142 23.1% 39.2% $40

Accommodation & Living

India

$96 24.1%

Madagascar

$138 22.4% 42.7% $41

Eating Out

India

$67 16.7%

Madagascar

$61 10% 7.8% $5.2

Clothing & Footwear

India

$53 13.3%

Madagascar

$71 11.6% 34.6% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

India

$48 12%

Madagascar

$134 21.9% 181% $87

Sport & Entertainment

India

$21 5.4%

Madagascar

$35 5.8% 65.7% $14

Getting Around

India

$12 3%

Madagascar

$32 5.3% 170% $20

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $120 in India, $260 in Madagascar. Capital cities: $277 in Delhi vs $323 in Antananarivo.

National salary averages: $412 in India, $126 in Madagascar. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 117% higher in Madagascar.

Dining out costs 45% more in Madagascar.

Public transport is 338% more expensive in Madagascar.

Salaries are about 3.3 times higher in India, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.

Good to know

🇮🇳 India

🇲🇬 Madagascar

🕒 Local time

04:25 4:25 AM

01:55 1:55 AM

2 h 30 min behind India

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,326,093,247

25,570,895

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MGA, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 4,577 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD). 1 EUR = 5,110 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

India Madagascar 6,180 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

India
Madagascar

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

India vs Madagascar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $399 per month in India and $615 in Madagascar, India comes out about 35% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in India: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $260 in Madagascar and $120 in India. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: India wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.