Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madagascar and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in Madagascar: $615 a month against $791 in China, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Madagascar
Learn more

Madagascar Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index

Jump to prices

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$615

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madagascar and in China

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $615 in Madagascar versus $791 in China.

Madagascar $615
China $791

Estimated couple costs with rent: $959 in Madagascar versus $1,251 in China.

Madagascar $959
China $1,251

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,303 in Madagascar versus $1,711 in China.

Madagascar $1,303
China $1,711

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $465 to $1,222, compared to $174–$645 in Madagascar. City choice carries more weight in China.

Living in Madagascar costs about 22% less than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Madagascar 55% lower, China 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 MGA 9,816

$2.98 ¥19.81

-28.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.92 MGA 82.0K

$22.09 ¥147

-18.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.70 MGA 21.5K

$5.20 ¥34.60

-9.62%

Cappuccino

$1.31 MGA 6,013

$2.97 ¥19.74

-55.89%

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

$0.75 MGA 3,412

$0.48 ¥3.19

56.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 MGA 2,645

$0.30 ¥2.01

93.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 MGA 4,955

$1.08 ¥7.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 MGA 8,178

$2.28 ¥15.15

-21.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 MGA 5,215

$1.80 ¥11.96

-36.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 MGA 4,580

$1.68 ¥11.15

-40.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.75 MGA 3,443

$0.92 ¥6.13

-18.48%

Eggs

$1.97 MGA 9,032

$1.61 ¥10.73

22.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.41 MGA 38.5K

$13.38 ¥89.0

-37.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.83 MGA 22.1K

$3.35 ¥22.28

44.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.70 MGA 21.5K

$11.35 ¥75.5

-58.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.04 MGA 4,768

$1.82 ¥12.12

-42.86%

Banana (1kg)

$0.62 MGA 2,820

$1.31 ¥8.69

-52.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.92 MGA 4,226

$1.49 ¥9.89

-38.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.86 MGA 3,927

$1.27 ¥8.47

-32.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 MGA 2,686

$0.71 ¥4.73

-16.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 MGA 3,474

$0.93 ¥6.21

-18.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.36 MGA 1,630

$0.62 ¥4.12

-41.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 MGA 2,790

$0.56 ¥3.74

8.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.52 MGA 6,979

$3.78 ¥25.15

-59.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.03 MGA 23.0K

$12.13 ¥80.7

-58.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 MGA 3,983

$0.83 ¥5.54

4.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 MGA 7,258

$1.68 ¥11.21

-5.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.12 MGA 530

$0.29 ¥1.91

-58.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.30 MGA 79.2K

$17.83 ¥119

-2.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 MGA 14.7K

$1.49 ¥9.89

116.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 MGA 10.4K

$0.37 ¥2.49

510.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 MGA 20.4K

$7.10 ¥47.23

-37.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 MGA 5,195

$1.26 ¥8.37

-9.52%

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

$12.1K MGA 55.6M

$19.4K ¥129.4K

-37.57%

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

$24.1K MGA 110.4M

$17.5K ¥116.7K

37.61%

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

$64.6 MGA 295.4K

$54.6 ¥363

18.31%

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

$17.45 MGA 79.9K

$8.73 ¥58.1

99.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.5 MGA 240.1K

$11.07 ¥73.6

373.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.01 MGA 105.3K

$40.77 ¥271

-43.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.14 MGA 32.7K

$14.48 ¥96.4

-50.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.22 MGA 28.5K

$6.78 ¥45.12

-8.26%

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

$25.46 MGA 116.5K

$517 ¥3,437

-95.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K MGA 67.7M

$19.8K ¥131.8K

-25.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.33 MGA 93.0K

$46.53 ¥310

-56.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.07 MGA 114.7K

$35.66 ¥237

-29.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.2 MGA 307.3K

$77.0 ¥512

-12.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.30 MGA 211.9K

$80.3 ¥534

-42.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$294 MGA 1.3M

$386 ¥2,567

-23.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 MGA 629.5K

$235 ¥1,561

-41.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$681 MGA 3.1M

$822 ¥5,469

-17.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 MGA 1.4M

$453 ¥3,015

-30.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$658 MGA 3.0M

$4,697 ¥31.3K

-85.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$560 MGA 2.6M

$2,372 ¥15.8K

-76.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$122 MGA 557.7K

$1,093 ¥7,274

-88.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.75

3.46

470.81%

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

Last update for Madagascar: October 26, 2026

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Madagascar

$142 23.1%

China

$210 26.5% 47.7% $68

Accommodation & Living

Madagascar

$138 22.4%

China

$235 29.6% 70.5% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madagascar

$134 21.9%

China

$74 9.4% 44.7% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Madagascar

$71 11.6%

China

$108 13.6% 50.7% $36

Eating Out

Madagascar

$61 10%

China

$88 11.1% 43.7% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Madagascar

$35 5.8%

China

$54 6.9% 53.3% $19

Getting Around

Madagascar

$32 5.3%

China

$22 2.8% 30.8% $10

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $260 in Madagascar, $298 in China. Capital cities: $323 in Antananarivo vs $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $126 in Madagascar, $873 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 15% higher in China.

Dining out costs 38% more in China.

Public transport is 94% more expensive in Madagascar.

Salaries are about 6.9 times higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Madagascar

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

00:52 12:52 AM

05:52 5:52 AM

5 h ahead of Madagascar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,570,895

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to MGA – Malagasy Ariary Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇬 Malagasy Ariary (Ar)

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).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.43 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to MGA in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Madagascar China 9,660 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Madagascar
China

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

Madagascar vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $615 in Madagascar, Madagascar comes out about 22% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $298 in China and $260 in Madagascar. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Madagascar, $800 covers most cities easily; in China it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

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