Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mahajanga and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahajanga: $557 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $25,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$557

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mahajanga and in Austin, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $557 in Mahajanga versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Mahajanga $557
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $813 in Mahajanga versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Mahajanga $813
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,069 in Mahajanga versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Mahajanga $1,069
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Mahajanga costs roughly 79% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mahajanga is 58% below, Austin, TX is 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.02 MGA 9,027

$20.22 $20.22

-90.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.34 MGA 82.0K

$85.0 $85.0

-78.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

Cappuccino

$0.69 MGA 3,104

$5.47 $5.47

-87.39%

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

$0.93 MGA 4,169

$3.82 $3.82

-75.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MGA 4,013

$2.50 $2.50

-64.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 MGA 4,710

$8.06 $8.06

-86.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 MGA 7,211

$8.99 $8.99

-82.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 MGA 6,053

$1.13 $1.13

19.47%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 MGA 3,900

$3.78 $3.78

-76.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.64 MGA 2,880

$3.25 $3.25

-80.31%

Eggs

$2.23 MGA 9,963

$4.14 $4.14

-46.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 MGA 30.9K

$13.08 $13.08

-47.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.85 MGA 30.6K

$14.31 $14.31

-52.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.75 MGA 16.8K

$15.96 $15.96

-76.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.12 MGA 4,990

$4.38 $4.38

-74.43%

Banana (1kg)

$0.62 MGA 2,765

$1.45 $1.45

-57.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.70 MGA 3,109

$4.54 $4.54

-84.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 MGA 3,146

$4.19 $4.19

-83.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.53 MGA 2,382

$2.63 $2.63

-79.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 MGA 2,333

$2.36 $2.36

-77.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 MGA 1,574

$1.76 $1.76

-80.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MGA 2,657

$2.16 $2.16

-72.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

Wine (Bottle)

$9.30 MGA 41.6K

$14.72 $14.72

-36.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 MGA 3,518

$2.78 $2.78

-71.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MGA 4,245

$3.48 $3.48

-72.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 MGA 1,020

$1.49 $1.49

-84.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MGA 5,996

$0.99 $0.99

35.35%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

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

$27.2K $27.2K

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

$44.71 MGA 199.8K

$219 $219

-79.61%

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

$6.69 MGA 29.9K

$58.0 $58.0

-88.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.67 MGA 101.3K

$68.4 $68.4

-66.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.07 MGA 80.8K

$57.9 $57.9

-68.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

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

$1,509 $1,509

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$337 MGA 1.5M

$1,932 $1,932

-82.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 MGA 1.2M

$1,272 $1,272

-78.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 MGA 3.1M

$3,670 $3,670

-81.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 MGA 2.0M

$2,525 $2,525

-82.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

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

Last update for Mahajanga: October 4, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mahajanga

–

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Groceries & Markets

Mahajanga

–

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Eating Out

Mahajanga

–

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mahajanga

–

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Mahajanga

–

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Mahajanga

–

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Getting Around

Mahajanga

–

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $337 in Mahajanga and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $18.00 in Mahajanga vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $151 vs $403 per month, with Mahajanga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Mahajanga

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

09:46 9:46 AM

01:46 1:46 AM

8 h behind Mahajanga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

246,022

974,447

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.24 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.99 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MGA – Malagasy Ariary Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇬 Malagasy Ariary (Ar)

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4,470 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.24 USD). 1 EUR = 5,013 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.99 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to MGA in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mahajanga Austin, TX 16,020 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Mahajanga
Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mahajanga wins on cost – living expenses run 386% lower than in Austin, TX. 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 $835 in Mahajanga and $4,055 in Austin, TX 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: $337 in Mahajanga versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $557 per month in Mahajanga versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 386% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 166% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $557 in Mahajanga versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mahajanga but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. 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.

Expats usually find Mahajanga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 386% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.