Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mahajanga and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahajanga: $537 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$537

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mahajanga and in Athens

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $537 in Mahajanga versus $1,779 in Athens.

Mahajanga $537
Athens $1,779

Estimated couple costs with rent: $788 in Mahajanga versus $2,721 in Athens.

Mahajanga $788
Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,040 in Mahajanga versus $3,663 in Athens.

Mahajanga $1,040
Athens $3,663

Living in Mahajanga costs roughly 70% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mahajanga is 60% below, Athens is 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.93 MGA 8,838

$16.83 €14.99

-88.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.36 MGA 79.3K

$66.0 €58.8

-73.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.21 €9.98

Cappuccino

$0.63 MGA 2,876

$4.08 €3.64

-84.56%

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

$0.84 MGA 3,839

$2.77 €2.47

-69.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MGA 4,194

$0.54 €0.48

70.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 MGA 4,672

$5.70 €5.07

-82.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 MGA 7,198

$6.26 €5.58

-74.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 MGA 5,963

$1.84 €1.64

-29.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 MGA 3,938

$1.43 €1.27

-39.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.64 MGA 2,908

$2.67 €2.38

-76.03%

Eggs

$2.15 MGA 9,814

$4.95 €4.41

-56.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.43 MGA 29.4K

$15.09 €13.44

-57.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 MGA 29.3K

$10.99 €9.79

-41.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.49 MGA 15.9K

$19.77 €17.60

-82.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.13 MGA 5,149

$2.12 €1.89

-46.70%

Banana (1kg)

$0.60 MGA 2,735

$1.98 €1.76

-69.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.64 MGA 2,938

$1.33 €1.18

-51.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 MGA 2,912

$2.16 €1.92

-70.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.48 MGA 2,172

$1.06 €0.94

-54.72%

Onion (1kg)

$0.50 MGA 2,264

$1.15 €1.02

-56.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.34 MGA 1,567

$1.08 €0.96

-68.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MGA 2,456

$0.85 €0.75

-36.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 €4.86

Wine (Bottle)

$9.03 MGA 41.3K

$10.03 €8.93

-9.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 MGA 3,379

$2.04 €1.82

-63.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 MGA 4,078

$2.38 €2.12

-62.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 MGA 1,005

$1.35 €1.20

-83.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.52 €27.18

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.39

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.49 €14.68

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MGA 5,927

$2.34 €2.09

-44.44%

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

$27.8K €24.7K

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

$26.6K €23.7K

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

$43.20 MGA 197.4K

$202 €180

-78.64%

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

$6.50 MGA 29.7K

$26.81 €23.87

-75.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.96 MGA 100.4K

$30.49 €27.14

-27.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.86 MGA 81.6K

$54.1 €48.14

-66.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.40 €24.40

Cinema Ticket

$10.44 €9.30

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

$568 €505

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 €80.7

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.32 €35.01

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.7

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €115

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$329 MGA 1.5M

$742 €661

-55.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 MGA 1.2M

$648 €577

-59.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$651 MGA 3.0M

$1,271 €1,132

-48.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 MGA 2.0M

$1,122 €999

-61.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,999 €3,561

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,281 €2,921

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 €1,109

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

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

Last update for Mahajanga: November 2, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mahajanga

–

Athens

$648 36.4%

Groceries & Markets

Mahajanga

–

Athens

$316 17.8%

Eating Out

Mahajanga

–

Athens

$272 15.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mahajanga

–

Athens

$260 14.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Mahajanga

–

Athens

$164 9.2%

Sport & Entertainment

Mahajanga

–

Athens

$75 4.2%

Getting Around

Mahajanga

–

Athens

$45 2.5%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $329 in Mahajanga and $742 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $17 in Mahajanga vs $66 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $143 vs $316 per month, with Mahajanga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Mahajanga

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

15:03 3:03 PM

14:03 2:03 PM

1 h behind Mahajanga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

246,022

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MGA – Malagasy Ariary Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇬 Malagasy Ariary (Ar)

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4,571 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD). 1 EUR = 5,133 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to MGA in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mahajanga Athens 6,420 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Mahajanga
Athens

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 Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mahajanga wins on cost – living expenses run 70% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mahajanga the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $805 in Mahajanga and $2,669 in Athens 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $329 in Mahajanga versus $742 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $537 per month in Mahajanga versus $1,779 in Athens – Mahajanga is about 70% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 121% higher in Athens. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $537 in Mahajanga versus $1,779 in Athens, a $800 budget is realistic in Mahajanga but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Mahajanga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.