Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mahajanga and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahajanga: $557 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$557

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mahajanga and in Budapest

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

A single person spends $557 per month in Mahajanga vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Mahajanga $557
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $813 per month in Mahajanga vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Mahajanga $813
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $1,069 per month in Mahajanga vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Mahajanga $1,069
Budapest $3,489

Mahajanga is about 66% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Mahajanga sits 58% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.02 MGA 9,027

$13.99 Ft 4,551

-85.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.34 MGA 82.0K

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-69.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

Cappuccino

$0.69 MGA 3,104

$3.38 Ft 1,100

-79.59%

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

$0.93 MGA 4,169

$2.13 Ft 692

-56.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MGA 4,013

$1.87 Ft 608

-51.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 MGA 4,710

$3.75 Ft 1,221

-72.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 MGA 7,211

$3.57 Ft 1,162

-54.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 MGA 6,053

$1.13 Ft 368

19.47%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 MGA 3,900

$1.84 Ft 599

-52.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.64 MGA 2,880

$2.39 Ft 777

-73.22%

Eggs

$2.23 MGA 9,963

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-41.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 MGA 30.9K

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-39.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.85 MGA 30.6K

$6.74 Ft 2,192

1.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.75 MGA 16.8K

$14.69 Ft 4,780

-74.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.12 MGA 4,990

$1.84 Ft 597

-39.13%

Banana (1kg)

$0.62 MGA 2,765

$2.01 Ft 653

-69.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.70 MGA 3,109

$2.36 Ft 767

-70.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 MGA 3,146

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-81.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.53 MGA 2,382

$0.96 Ft 313

-44.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 MGA 2,333

$1.03 Ft 334

-49.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 MGA 1,574

$1.56 Ft 509

-77.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MGA 2,657

$0.66 Ft 216

-10.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

Wine (Bottle)

$9.30 MGA 41.6K

$6.01 Ft 1,954

54.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 MGA 3,518

$1.30 Ft 421

-39.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MGA 4,245

$2.08 Ft 676

-54.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 MGA 1,020

$1.50 Ft 489

-84.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MGA 5,996

$1.81 Ft 591

-25.97%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

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

$44.71 MGA 199.8K

$170 Ft 55.3K

-73.69%

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

$6.69 MGA 29.9K

$23.98 Ft 7,802

-72.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.67 MGA 101.3K

$23.42 Ft 7,621

-3.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.07 MGA 80.8K

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-72.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$337 MGA 1.5M

$805 Ft 262.0K

-58.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 MGA 1.2M

$629 Ft 204.7K

-56.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 MGA 3.1M

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

-55.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 MGA 2.0M

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

-61.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

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

Last update for Mahajanga: October 4, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mahajanga

–

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Groceries & Markets

Mahajanga

–

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Eating Out

Mahajanga

–

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mahajanga

–

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Mahajanga

–

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Sport & Entertainment

Mahajanga

–

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Getting Around

Mahajanga

–

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $337 in Mahajanga versus $805 in Budapest. 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 $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $151 vs $258 – making Mahajanga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Mahajanga

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

11:34 11:34 AM

10:34 10:34 AM

1 h behind Mahajanga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

246,022

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.24 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.99 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, 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).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to MGA in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mahajanga Budapest 7,540 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Mahajanga
Budapest

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 Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 191%, 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 $2,432 in Budapest. 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 70% more in Budapest, 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 $60.0 in Budapest. 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 Budapest at $1,621. In Mahajanga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest 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, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.