Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mahajanga and Buenos Aires

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahajanga: $557 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
Learn more

Buenos Aires Living Index

Jump to prices

Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$557

/mo nomad

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mahajanga and in Buenos Aires

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $557 in Mahajanga versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires.

Mahajanga $557
Buenos Aires $1,685

Estimated couple costs with rent: $813 in Mahajanga versus $2,742 in Buenos Aires.

Mahajanga $813
Buenos Aires $2,742

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,069 in Mahajanga versus $3,799 in Buenos Aires.

Mahajanga $1,069
Buenos Aires $3,799

Living in Mahajanga costs roughly 67% less than in Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mahajanga is 58% below, Buenos Aires is 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.02 MGA 9,027

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

-89.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.34 MGA 82.0K

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

-71.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

Cappuccino

$0.69 MGA 3,104

$3.98 ARS 6,029

-82.66%

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

$0.93 MGA 4,169

$2.05 ARS 3,103

-54.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MGA 4,013

$1.55 ARS 2,349

-41.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 MGA 4,710

$3.84 ARS 5,830

-72.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 MGA 7,211

$4.60 ARS 6,970

-65.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 MGA 6,053

$1.44 ARS 2,181

-6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 MGA 3,900

$2.46 ARS 3,738

-64.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.64 MGA 2,880

$1.63 ARS 2,467

-60.74%

Eggs

$2.23 MGA 9,963

$2.89 ARS 4,385

-22.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 MGA 30.9K

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

-35.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.85 MGA 30.6K

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

-31.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.75 MGA 16.8K

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

-72.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.12 MGA 4,990

$2.75 ARS 4,166

-59.27%

Banana (1kg)

$0.62 MGA 2,765

$2.18 ARS 3,300

-71.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.70 MGA 3,109

$1.45 ARS 2,205

-51.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 MGA 3,146

$1.99 ARS 3,013

-64.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.53 MGA 2,382

$1.24 ARS 1,885

-57.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 MGA 2,333

$1.27 ARS 1,921

-59.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 MGA 1,574

$1.70 ARS 2,575

-79.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MGA 2,657

$1.73 ARS 2,617

-65.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

Wine (Bottle)

$9.30 MGA 41.6K

$5.80 ARS 8,790

60.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 MGA 3,518

$2.09 ARS 3,163

-62.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MGA 4,245

$2.77 ARS 4,198

-65.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 MGA 1,020

$0.75 ARS 1,132

-69.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MGA 5,996

$1.36 ARS 2,058

-1.47%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

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

$44.71 MGA 199.8K

$216 ARS 326.9K

-79.26%

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

$6.69 MGA 29.9K

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

-73.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.67 MGA 101.3K

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

-27.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.07 MGA 80.8K

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

-63.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$337 MGA 1.5M

$763 ARS 1.2M

-55.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 MGA 1.2M

$505 ARS 766.1K

-45.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 MGA 3.1M

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

-56.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 MGA 2.0M

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

-62.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

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

Last update for Mahajanga: October 4, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mahajanga

–

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Groceries & Markets

Mahajanga

–

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Eating Out

Mahajanga

–

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mahajanga

–

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Mahajanga

–

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Mahajanga

–

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Getting Around

Mahajanga

–

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $337 in Mahajanga and $763 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $18.00 in Mahajanga vs $64.0 in Buenos Aires for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $151 vs $284 per month, with Mahajanga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Mahajanga

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🕒 Local time

12:45 12:45 PM

06:45 6:45 AM

6 h behind Mahajanga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

246,022

2,891,082 Capital

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.24 USD

10,000 MGA = 2 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, 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 = 5,009 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

USD to MGA in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mahajanga Buenos Aires 10,310 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Mahajanga
Buenos Aires

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 Buenos Aires: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mahajanga and Buenos Aires differ by about 203% in total monthly costs ($557 vs $1,685 including rent). Mahajanga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $835 in Mahajanga and $2,528 in Buenos Aires 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 $763 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mahajanga – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $64.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $557 per month in Mahajanga versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires – a 203% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $557 in Mahajanga versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mahajanga but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. 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.

Safety-wise, Mahajanga and Buenos Aires are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mahajanga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 203% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.