Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madagascar and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

For one person, living is cheaper in Madagascar: $615 a month against $1,203 in South Africa, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Madagascar
Learn more

Madagascar Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in South Africa
Learn more

South Africa Living Index

Jump to prices

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$615

/mo nomad

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,203

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madagascar and in South Africa

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 South Africa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $615 per month in Madagascar vs $1,203 in South Africa, rent included.

Madagascar $615
South Africa $1,203

A couple spends around $959 per month in Madagascar vs $1,893 in South Africa, rent included.

Madagascar $959
South Africa $1,893

A family of three spends $1,303 per month in Madagascar vs $2,583 in South Africa, rent included.

Madagascar $1,303
South Africa $2,583

The regional cost range is wider in South Africa ($618–$1,556) than in Madagascar ($174–$645), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Madagascar is roughly 49% lower than in South Africa on average.

Both Madagascar and South Africa are more affordable than the global median – Madagascar 55% lower, South Africa 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 MGA 9,816

$10.67 R 178

-79.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.92 MGA 82.0K

$41.66 R 695

-56.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.70 MGA 21.5K

$5.80 R 96.8

-18.97%

Cappuccino

$1.31 MGA 6,013

$2.36 R 39.36

-44.49%

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

$0.75 MGA 3,412

$1.12 R 18.62

-33.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 MGA 2,645

$0.90 R 15.05

-35.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 MGA 4,955

$2.42 R 40.33

-55.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 MGA 8,178

$3.06 R 51.1

-41.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 MGA 5,215

$1.18 R 19.65

-3.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 MGA 4,580

$1.13 R 18.89

-11.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.75 MGA 3,443

$1.74 R 29.00

-56.90%

Eggs

$1.97 MGA 9,032

$2.57 R 42.94

-23.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.41 MGA 38.5K

$8.43 R 141

-0.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.83 MGA 22.1K

$5.12 R 85.4

-5.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.70 MGA 21.5K

$7.59 R 127

-38.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.04 MGA 4,768

$1.77 R 29.62

-41.24%

Banana (1kg)

$0.62 MGA 2,820

$1.74 R 28.99

-64.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.92 MGA 4,226

$1.77 R 29.53

-48.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.86 MGA 3,927

$1.76 R 29.36

-51.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 MGA 2,686

$1.49 R 24.89

-60.40%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 MGA 3,474

$1.47 R 24.46

-48.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.36 MGA 1,630

$1.23 R 20.59

-70.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 MGA 2,790

$1.10 R 18.31

-44.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.52 MGA 6,979

$3.24 R 54.2

-53.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.03 MGA 23.0K

$5.00 R 83.5

0.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 MGA 3,983

$1.50 R 24.99

-42.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 MGA 7,258

$1.94 R 32.37

-18.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.12 MGA 530

$1.48 R 24.67

-91.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.30 MGA 79.2K

$59.3 R 990

-70.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 MGA 14.7K

$1.09 R 18.27

195.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 MGA 10.4K

$0.99 R 16.52

128.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 MGA 20.4K

$7.46 R 125

-40.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 MGA 5,195

$1.43 R 23.84

-20.28%

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

$12.1K MGA 55.6M

$35.3K R 589.3K

-65.62%

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

$24.1K MGA 110.4M

$32.4K R 541.5K

-25.60%

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

$64.6 MGA 295.4K

$133 R 2,216

-51.37%

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

$17.45 MGA 79.9K

$34.83 R 581

-49.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.5 MGA 240.1K

$39.76 R 664

31.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.01 MGA 105.3K

$33.09 R 552

-30.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.14 MGA 32.7K

$11.65 R 194

-38.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.22 MGA 28.5K

$7.18 R 120

-13.37%

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

$25.46 MGA 116.5K

$224 R 3,741

-88.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K MGA 67.7M

$5,462 R 91.2K

170.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.33 MGA 93.0K

$54.2 R 905

-62.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.07 MGA 114.7K

$34.13 R 570

-26.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.2 MGA 307.3K

$102 R 1,704

-34.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.30 MGA 211.9K

$88.5 R 1,477

-47.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$294 MGA 1.3M

$492 R 8,216

-40.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 MGA 629.5K

$398 R 6,640

-65.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$681 MGA 3.1M

$946 R 15.8K

-27.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 MGA 1.4M

$827 R 13.8K

-62.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$658 MGA 3.0M

$1,099 R 18.3K

-40.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$560 MGA 2.6M

$769 R 12.8K

-27.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$122 MGA 557.7K

$1,502 R 25.1K

-91.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.75

11.23

75.87%

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

Last update for Madagascar: October 26, 2026

Last update for South Africa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Madagascar

$142 23.1%

South Africa

$196 16.3% 37.8% $54

Accommodation & Living

Madagascar

$138 22.4%

South Africa

$398 33.1% 189% $260

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madagascar

$134 21.9%

South Africa

$207 17.2% 54.2% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Madagascar

$71 11.6%

South Africa

$126 10.4% 75.6% $54

Eating Out

Madagascar

$61 10%

South Africa

$157 13.1% 157% $96

Sport & Entertainment

Madagascar

$35 5.8%

South Africa

$47 4% 33.8% $12

Getting Around

Madagascar

$32 5.3%

South Africa

$71 5.9% 121% $39

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $260 in Madagascar vs $422 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $323 in Antananarivo and $450 in Pretoria.

Average salary: $126 in Madagascar vs $1,488 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 62% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 144% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 74% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are about 12 times higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Madagascar

🇿🇦 South Africa

🕒 Local time

16:55 4:55 PM

15:55 3:55 PM

1 h behind Madagascar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,570,895

62,027,503

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR

100 ZAR = 5.99 USD

100 ZAR = 5.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to MGA – Malagasy Ariary Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇬 Malagasy Ariary (Ar)

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4,577 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD). 1 EUR = 5,108 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 16.69 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.99 USD). 1 EUR = 18.63 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.37 EUR).

USD to MGA in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Madagascar South Africa 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Madagascar
South Africa

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 South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Madagascar is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 49% lower on average.

Housing costs more in South Africa: a central one-bedroom averages $422 versus $260 in Madagascar.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Madagascar – part of why living there is about 49% cheaper overall.

$800 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Madagascar, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Madagascar is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.