Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mahajanga and Antsirabe

For one person, living is cheaper in Antsirabe: $450 a month against $538 in Mahajanga, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 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 Antsirabe
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Antsirabe Living Index

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Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$538

/mo nomad

Antsirabe

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$450

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mahajanga and in Antsirabe

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $538 in Mahajanga versus $450 in Antsirabe.

Mahajanga $538
Antsirabe $450

Estimated couple costs with rent: $792 in Mahajanga versus $677 in Antsirabe.

Mahajanga $792
Antsirabe $677

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,045 in Mahajanga versus $903 in Antsirabe.

Mahajanga $1,045
Antsirabe $903

Living in Mahajanga is roughly 20% more expensive than in Antsirabe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mahajanga 60% lower, Antsirabe 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.02 MGA 9,260

$1.13 MGA 5,165

78.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.69 MGA 81.2K

$15.30 MGA 70.2K

15.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 MGA 25.7K

Cappuccino

$0.64 MGA 2,933

$1.36 MGA 6,217

-52.94%

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

$0.90 MGA 4,117

$0.74 MGA 3,406

21.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MGA 3,859

$0.44 MGA 2,020

90.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.97 MGA 4,442

$0.97 MGA 4,430

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 MGA 7,214

$2.15 MGA 9,884

-26.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 MGA 6,142

$0.97 MGA 4,445

38.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 MGA 3,735

$1.01 MGA 4,652

-19.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.60 MGA 2,746

$0.71 MGA 3,241

-15.49%

Eggs

$2.06 MGA 9,468

$2.03 MGA 9,327

1.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.55 MGA 30.0K

$8.29 MGA 38.0K

-20.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.55 MGA 30.0K

$4.24 MGA 19.4K

54.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.46 MGA 15.9K

$4.65 MGA 21.3K

-25.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.07 MGA 4,909

$1.04 MGA 4,770

2.88%

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 MGA 2,872

$0.53 MGA 2,415

18.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.68 MGA 3,117

$0.98 MGA 4,503

-30.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 MGA 3,141

$0.86 MGA 3,933

-20.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 MGA 2,371

$0.55 MGA 2,543

-5.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 MGA 2,469

$0.97 MGA 4,469

-44.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 MGA 1,454

$0.31 MGA 1,443

3.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MGA 2,604

$0.46 MGA 2,112

23.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.58 MGA 7,238

Wine (Bottle)

$8.85 MGA 40.6K

$5.08 MGA 23.3K

74.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 MGA 3,470

$0.97 MGA 4,433

-21.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MGA 4,138

$1.77 MGA 8,108

-49.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 MGA 1,106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MGA 14.9K

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 MGA 8,941

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 MGA 20.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MGA 6,124

$1.15 MGA 5,283

15.65%

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

$11.6K MGA 53.0M

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

$25.2K MGA 115.7M

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

$43.81 MGA 201.0K

$73.7 MGA 338.2K

-40.58%

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

$6.56 MGA 30.1K

$16.33 MGA 74.9K

-59.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.87 MGA 100.3K

$54.8 MGA 251.6K

-60.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.71 MGA 81.2K

Cinema Ticket

$5.34 MGA 24.5K

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

$24.61 MGA 112.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K MGA 67.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.16 MGA 129.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.58 MGA 121.9K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MGA 347.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 MGA 313.4K

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 Antsirabe: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mahajanga

–

Antsirabe

$145 32.2%

Groceries & Markets

Mahajanga

–

Antsirabe

$136 30.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Mahajanga

–

Antsirabe

$89 19.9%

Eating Out

Mahajanga

–

Antsirabe

$56 12.4%

Getting Around

Mahajanga

–

Antsirabe

$13 * 2.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Mahajanga

–

Antsirabe

$11 * 2.4%

Accommodation & Living

Mahajanga

–

Antsirabe

- * 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 $15 in Antsirabe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $144 vs $136 per month, with Antsirabe cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Antsirabe

🕒 Local time

22:02 10:02 PM

Same time as Mahajanga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

246,022

246,354

💱 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 Antsirabe 470 km

From you

Mahajanga
Antsirabe

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 Antsirabe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Antsirabe is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and leisure. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $808 in Mahajanga and $675 in Antsirabe 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Mahajanga. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Antsirabe – a meal for two runs $15 versus $18 in Mahajanga. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Antsirabe 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.