Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mahajanga and Antananarivo

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahajanga: $538 a month against $645 in Antananarivo, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Antananarivo despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Antananarivo
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Antananarivo Living Index

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Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$538

/mo nomad

Antananarivo

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$645

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mahajanga and in Antananarivo

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

A single person spends $538 per month in Mahajanga vs $645 in Antananarivo, rent included.

Mahajanga $538
Antananarivo $645

A couple spends around $792 per month in Mahajanga vs $991 in Antananarivo, rent included.

Mahajanga $792
Antananarivo $991

A family of three spends $1,045 per month in Mahajanga vs $1,338 in Antananarivo, rent included.

Mahajanga $1,045
Antananarivo $1,338

Mahajanga is about 17% cheaper than Antananarivo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Mahajanga and Antananarivo are more affordable than the global median – Mahajanga 60% lower, Antananarivo 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.02 MGA 9,260

$2.62 MGA 12.0K

-22.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.69 MGA 81.2K

$19.47 MGA 89.3K

-9.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 MGA 25.3K

Cappuccino

$0.64 MGA 2,933

$1.58 MGA 7,233

-59.49%

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

$0.90 MGA 4,117

$0.79 MGA 3,644

13.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MGA 3,859

$0.45 MGA 2,063

86.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.97 MGA 4,442

$1.01 MGA 4,642

-3.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 MGA 7,214

$2.14 MGA 9,804

-26.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 MGA 6,142

$0.92 MGA 4,235

45.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 MGA 3,735

$0.97 MGA 4,450

-16.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.60 MGA 2,746

$0.74 MGA 3,381

-18.92%

Eggs

$2.06 MGA 9,468

$2.02 MGA 9,271

1.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.55 MGA 30.0K

$8.07 MGA 37.0K

-18.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.55 MGA 30.0K

$4.24 MGA 19.4K

54.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.46 MGA 15.9K

$4.70 MGA 21.6K

-26.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.07 MGA 4,909

$1.07 MGA 4,914

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 MGA 2,872

$0.57 MGA 2,634

10.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.68 MGA 3,117

$0.99 MGA 4,561

-31.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 MGA 3,141

$0.79 MGA 3,625

-13.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 MGA 2,371

$0.59 MGA 2,691

-11.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 MGA 2,469

$0.95 MGA 4,368

-43.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 MGA 1,454

$0.32 MGA 1,455

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MGA 2,604

$0.71 MGA 3,250

-19.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.56 MGA 7,165

Wine (Bottle)

$8.85 MGA 40.6K

$4.98 MGA 22.8K

77.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 MGA 3,470

$0.96 MGA 4,411

-20.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MGA 4,138

$1.77 MGA 8,141

-49.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 MGA 1,106

$0.13 MGA 611

84.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 MGA 15.5K

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 MGA 8,842

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 MGA 20.4K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MGA 6,124

$1.14 MGA 5,247

16.67%

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

$11.7K MGA 53.7M

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

$25.2K MGA 115.8M

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

$43.81 MGA 201.0K

$72.7 MGA 333.3K

-39.70%

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

$6.56 MGA 30.1K

$16.30 MGA 74.8K

-59.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.87 MGA 100.3K

$56.6 MGA 259.6K

-61.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.71 MGA 81.2K

$28.53 MGA 130.9K

-37.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 MGA 31.6K

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 MGA 25.9K

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

$24.31 MGA 111.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K MGA 67.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.35 MGA 130.0K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.86 MGA 123.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.7 MGA 342.5K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.9 MGA 306.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$325 MGA 1.5M

$323 MGA 1.5M

0.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 MGA 1.2M

$149 MGA 682.4K

77.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$661 MGA 3.0M

$706 MGA 3.2M

-6.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 MGA 2.0M

$314 MGA 1.4M

38.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$665 MGA 3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$574 MGA 2.6M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$130 MGA 594.9K

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 Antananarivo: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mahajanga

–

Antananarivo

$149 23.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mahajanga

–

Antananarivo

$146 22.6%

Groceries & Markets

Mahajanga

–

Antananarivo

$138 21.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Mahajanga

–

Antananarivo

$89 13.7%

Eating Out

Mahajanga

–

Antananarivo

$71 11%

Sport & Entertainment

Mahajanga

–

Antananarivo

$40 6.2%

Getting Around

Mahajanga

–

Antananarivo

$14 * 2.1%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $325 in Mahajanga versus $323 in Antananarivo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Mahajanga versus $19 in Antananarivo. Groceries tell a different story – $144 in Mahajanga vs $138 in Antananarivo – so Antananarivo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Antananarivo

🕒 Local time

01:28 1:28 AM

Same time as Mahajanga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

246,022

1,274,225 Capital

💱 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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Between locations

Mahajanga Antananarivo 380 km

From you

Mahajanga
Antananarivo

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 Antananarivo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Antananarivo is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $808 per month in Mahajanga and $967 in Antananarivo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $325 in Mahajanga and $323 in Antananarivo. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Antananarivo – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Mahajanga and $19 in Antananarivo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $538 in Mahajanga and $645 in Antananarivo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Mahajanga has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $538 in Mahajanga to $645 in Antananarivo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.