Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mahajanga and Berlin

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahajanga: $557 a month against $2,545 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $23,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index

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Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$557

/mo nomad

Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,545

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mahajanga and in Berlin

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

A single person spends $557 per month in Mahajanga vs $2,545 in Berlin, rent included.

Mahajanga $557
Berlin $2,545

A couple spends around $813 per month in Mahajanga vs $3,901 in Berlin, rent included.

Mahajanga $813
Berlin $3,901

A family of three spends $1,069 per month in Mahajanga vs $5,257 in Berlin, rent included.

Mahajanga $1,069
Berlin $5,257

Mahajanga is about 78% cheaper than Berlin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Mahajanga sits 58% below the global median, while Berlin is 90% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.02 MGA 9,027

$16.81 €15.00

-87.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.34 MGA 82.0K

$79.6 €71.0

-76.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 €11.94

Cappuccino

$0.69 MGA 3,104

$4.27 €3.81

-83.84%

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

$0.93 MGA 4,169

$3.40 €3.03

-72.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MGA 4,013

$3.12 €2.79

-71.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 MGA 4,710

$5.48 €4.89

-80.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 MGA 7,211

$4.56 €4.07

-64.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 MGA 6,053

$1.27 €1.13

6.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 MGA 3,900

$2.45 €2.19

-64.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.64 MGA 2,880

$3.30 €2.94

-80.61%

Eggs

$2.23 MGA 9,963

$4.45 €3.97

-49.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 MGA 30.9K

$17.10 €15.26

-59.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.85 MGA 30.6K

$12.19 €10.88

-43.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.75 MGA 16.8K

$18.30 €16.33

-79.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.12 MGA 4,990

$3.58 €3.19

-68.72%

Banana (1kg)

$0.62 MGA 2,765

$1.98 €1.77

-68.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.70 MGA 3,109

$3.27 €2.92

-78.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 MGA 3,146

$3.81 €3.40

-81.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.53 MGA 2,382

$2.13 €1.90

-75.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 MGA 2,333

$2.21 €1.97

-76.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 MGA 1,574

$1.49 €1.33

-76.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MGA 2,657

$1.01 €0.90

-41.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.49 €9.37

Wine (Bottle)

$9.30 MGA 41.6K

$6.76 €6.03

37.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 MGA 3,518

$1.34 €1.20

-41.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MGA 4,245

$2.10 €1.87

-54.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 MGA 1,020

$4.37 €3.90

-94.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 €63.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 €4.72

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.05 €2.73

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.30 €32.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MGA 5,996

$2.28 €2.03

-41.23%

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

$33.2K €29.7K

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

$39.1K €34.9K

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

$44.71 MGA 199.8K

$379 €339

-88.21%

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

$6.69 MGA 29.9K

$19.31 €17.23

-65.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.67 MGA 101.3K

$48.41 €43.20

-53.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.07 MGA 80.8K

$40.31 €35.97

-55.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.51 €31.69

Cinema Ticket

$15.53 €13.86

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

$144 €128

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.6 €84.5

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.33 €41.34

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.2

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €126

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$337 MGA 1.5M

$1,488 €1,328

-77.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 MGA 1.2M

$1,098 €980

-74.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 MGA 3.1M

$2,665 €2,378

-74.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 MGA 2.0M

$2,080 €1,856

-78.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,578 €7,655

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,438 €4,853

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,487 €3,112

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

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

Last update for Mahajanga: October 4, 2026

Last update for Berlin: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mahajanga

–

Berlin

$1.1K 43.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mahajanga

–

Berlin

$447 17.6%

Groceries & Markets

Mahajanga

–

Berlin

$351 13.8%

Eating Out

Mahajanga

–

Berlin

$289 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Mahajanga

–

Berlin

$174 6.8%

Getting Around

Mahajanga

–

Berlin

$109 4.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Mahajanga

–

Berlin

$71 2.8%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $337 in Mahajanga versus $1,488 in Berlin. 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 $18.00 in Mahajanga versus $80.0 in Berlin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $151 vs $351 – making Mahajanga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Mahajanga

🇩🇪 Berlin

🕒 Local time

11:32 11:32 AM

10:32 10:32 AM

1 h behind Mahajanga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

246,022

3,769,962 Capital

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.24 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.99 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 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).

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

USD to MGA in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mahajanga Berlin 8,220 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Mahajanga
Berlin

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 Berlin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 357%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $835 per month in Mahajanga and $3,818 in Berlin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mahajanga, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 132% more in Berlin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Mahajanga and $80.0 in Berlin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mahajanga, where all-in costs run around $557, than in Berlin at $2,545. In Mahajanga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mahajanga – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Mahajanga. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Berlin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.