Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mahajanga and Ambatolampy

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambatolampy: $466 a month against $538 in Mahajanga, rent and utilities included – about $860 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mahajanga outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Ambatolampy
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Ambatolampy Living Index

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Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$538

/mo nomad

Ambatolampy

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$466

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mahajanga and in Ambatolampy

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $538 in Mahajanga versus $466 in Ambatolampy.

Mahajanga $538
Ambatolampy $466

Estimated couple costs with rent: $792 in Mahajanga versus $689 in Ambatolampy.

Mahajanga $792
Ambatolampy $689

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,045 in Mahajanga versus $912 in Ambatolampy.

Mahajanga $1,045
Ambatolampy $912

Living in Mahajanga is roughly 16% more expensive than in Ambatolampy, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mahajanga 60% lower, Ambatolampy 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.02 MGA 9,260

$2.60 MGA 11.9K

-22.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.69 MGA 81.2K

$9.84 MGA 45.1K

79.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.64 MGA 25.9K

Cappuccino

$0.64 MGA 2,933

$1.58 MGA 7,263

-59.49%

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

$0.90 MGA 4,117

$0.75 MGA 3,432

20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MGA 3,859

$0.45 MGA 2,058

86.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.97 MGA 4,442

$0.94 MGA 4,327

3.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 MGA 7,214

$2.14 MGA 9,798

-26.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 MGA 6,142

$0.85 MGA 3,898

57.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 MGA 3,735

$0.98 MGA 4,488

-17.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.60 MGA 2,746

$0.70 MGA 3,230

-14.29%

Eggs

$2.06 MGA 9,468

$1.95 MGA 8,945

5.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.55 MGA 30.0K

$8.48 MGA 38.9K

-22.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.55 MGA 30.0K

$4.39 MGA 20.1K

49.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.46 MGA 15.9K

$4.86 MGA 22.3K

-28.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.07 MGA 4,909

$1.03 MGA 4,727

3.88%

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 MGA 2,872

$0.56 MGA 2,588

12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.68 MGA 3,117

$1.03 MGA 4,704

-33.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 MGA 3,141

$0.82 MGA 3,744

-17.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 MGA 2,371

$0.54 MGA 2,489

-3.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 MGA 2,469

$0.91 MGA 4,154

-40.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 MGA 1,454

$0.31 MGA 1,440

3.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MGA 2,604

$0.71 MGA 3,262

-19.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.57 MGA 7,185

Wine (Bottle)

$8.85 MGA 40.6K

$4.83 MGA 22.1K

83.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 MGA 3,470

$1.01 MGA 4,612

-24.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MGA 4,138

$1.82 MGA 8,346

-50.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 MGA 1,106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 MGA 15.3K

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 MGA 8,891

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 MGA 20.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MGA 6,124

$0.83 MGA 3,815

60.24%

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

$11.7K MGA 53.8M

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

$25.3K MGA 116.2M

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

$43.81 MGA 201.0K

$71.4 MGA 327.7K

-38.68%

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

$6.56 MGA 30.1K

$16.52 MGA 75.8K

-60.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.87 MGA 100.3K

$54.7 MGA 250.9K

-60.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.71 MGA 81.2K

Cinema Ticket

$5.37 MGA 24.6K

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

$23.91 MGA 109.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K MGA 66.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.41 MGA 130.3K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.96 MGA 123.7K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MGA 347.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.6 MGA 314.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$325 MGA 1.5M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 MGA 1.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$661 MGA 3.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 MGA 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.75

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

Last update for Mahajanga: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ambatolampy: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mahajanga

–

Ambatolampy

$143 30.6%

Groceries & Markets

Mahajanga

–

Ambatolampy

$139 29.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Mahajanga

–

Ambatolampy

$90 19.3%

Eating Out

Mahajanga

–

Ambatolampy

$70 15.1%

Getting Around

Mahajanga

–

Ambatolampy

$13 * 2.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Mahajanga

–

Ambatolampy

$11 * 2.3%

Accommodation & Living

Mahajanga

–

Ambatolampy

- * 0%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $18 in Mahajanga vs $10 in Ambatolampy for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $144 vs $139 per month, with Ambatolampy cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Ambatolampy

🕒 Local time

01:23 1:23 AM

Same time as Mahajanga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

246,022

32,291

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Mahajanga Ambatolampy 420 km

From you

Mahajanga
Ambatolampy

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

Mahajanga vs Ambatolampy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ambatolampy wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Mahajanga. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ambatolampy the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $808 in Mahajanga and $699 in Ambatolampy to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

All in, you’ll spend $538 per month in Mahajanga versus $466 in Ambatolampy – Ambatolampy is about 13% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Mahajanga. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Ambatolampy gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.