Cost of Living Comparison Between Madagascar and South Africa Cost of Living Comparison Between Madagascar and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $195 per month in Madagascar vs $1,020 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $336 per month in Madagascar vs $1,598 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $476 per month in Madagascar vs $2,175 in South Africa, rent included.

Madagascar is roughly 81% cheaper than South Africa on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Madagascar and South Africa are more affordable than the global median – Madagascar 85% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.74 MGA 11.5K

$9.05 R 147

-69.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.59 MGA 73.8K

$39.48 R 642

-55.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.35 MGA 18.2K

$4.94 R 80.3

-11.94%

Cappuccino

$1.28 MGA 5,377

$2.06 R 33.47

-37.86%

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

$0.90 MGA 3,762

$0.95 R 15.40

-5.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 MGA 2,617

$0.81 R 13.13

-23.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 MGA 4,285

$2.21 R 35.90

-53.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 MGA 6,429

$2.48 R 40.33

-38.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 MGA 4,667

$1.11 R 18.07

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 MGA 4,103

$1.02 R 16.64

-3.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.71 MGA 2,994

$1.56 R 25.28

-54.49%

Eggs

$2.00 MGA 8,368

$2.34 R 38.05

-14.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.82 MGA 41.2K

$7.73 R 126

27.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.77 MGA 20.0K

$4.49 R 73.1

6.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.21 MGA 17.6K

$6.73 R 109

-37.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 MGA 4,898

$1.56 R 25.40

-25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 MGA 2,650

$1.43 R 23.22

-55.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 MGA 4,280

$1.44 R 23.48

-29.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.88 MGA 3,704

$1.51 R 24.55

-41.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.53 MGA 2,238

$1.22 R 19.81

-56.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 MGA 3,163

$1.28 R 20.74

-41.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 MGA 1,462

$1.04 R 16.89

-66.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 MGA 2,662

$0.94 R 15.21

-32.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.76 MGA 7,373

$2.99 R 48.55

-41.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.46 MGA 22.9K

$5.16 R 83.8

5.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 MGA 3,509

$1.39 R 22.55

-39.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MGA 5,366

$1.66 R 26.93

-22.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 MGA 622

$1.63 R 26.48

-90.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.08 MGA 38.1K

$45.05 R 732

-79.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 MGA 9,429

$1.13 R 18.41

99.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 MGA 8,535

$1.10 R 17.93

85.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.55 MGA 19.1K

$4.86 R 78.9

-6.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MGA 5,346

$1.24 R 20.15

3.23%

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

$13.6K MGA 56.9M

$20.3K R 330.2K

-33.23%

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

$23.5K MGA 98.5M

$23.5K R 381.4K

0.13%

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

$46.66 MGA 195.6K

$113 R 1,843

-58.86%

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

$15.15 MGA 63.5K

$32.36 R 526

-53.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 MGA 216.0K

$41.45 R 674

24.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.18 MGA 93.0K

$31.59 R 513

-29.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 MGA 26.6K

$9.61 R 156

-33.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.69 MGA 28.1K

$6.83 R 111

-2.05%

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

$71.4 MGA 299.2K

$187 R 3,039

-61.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K MGA 48.3M

$4,362 R 70.9K

164.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.60 MGA 111.5K

$49.50 R 804

-46.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.46 MGA 115.1K

$30.42 R 494

-9.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.8 MGA 301.2K

$91.7 R 1,489

-21.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.4 MGA 219.8K

$78.9 R 1,281

-33.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$303 MGA 1.3M

$442 R 7,175

-31.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$101 MGA 421.5K

$367 R 5,963

-72.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 MGA 2.2M

$884 R 14.4K

-39.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 MGA 1.5M

$723 R 11.8K

-49.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$686 MGA 2.9M

$1,090 R 17.7K

-37.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$589 MGA 2.5M

$780 R 12.7K

-24.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$130 MGA 544.8K

$1,558 R 25.3K

-91.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

17.25

11.55

49.35%

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

Last update for Madagascar: June 2, 2026

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $71.0 in Madagascar vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $382 in Antananarivo and $765 in Cape Town.

Average salary: $130 in Madagascar vs $1,520 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 418% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 400% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 700% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 1069% higher in South Africa, giving South Africa stronger purchasing power.

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 278% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in South Africa, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but South Africa consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Madagascar, contributing to the overall 278% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$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 – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.