Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mahajanga and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahajanga: $557 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$557

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mahajanga and in Cape Town

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

A single person spends $557 per month in Mahajanga vs $1,568 in Cape Town, rent included.

Mahajanga $557
Cape Town $1,568

A couple spends around $813 per month in Mahajanga vs $2,438 in Cape Town, rent included.

Mahajanga $813
Cape Town $2,438

A family of three spends $1,069 per month in Mahajanga vs $3,307 in Cape Town, rent included.

Mahajanga $1,069
Cape Town $3,307

Mahajanga is about 64% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Mahajanga sits 58% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.02 MGA 9,027

$11.78 R 194

-82.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.34 MGA 82.0K

$46.55 R 768

-60.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 R 98.4

Cappuccino

$0.69 MGA 3,104

$2.47 R 40.80

-72.06%

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

$0.93 MGA 4,169

$1.33 R 21.91

-30.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MGA 4,013

$1.03 R 16.99

-12.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 MGA 4,710

$3.01 R 49.72

-65.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 MGA 7,211

$3.66 R 60.4

-56.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 MGA 6,053

$1.39 R 22.96

-2.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 MGA 3,900

$1.19 R 19.60

-26.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.64 MGA 2,880

$2.11 R 34.84

-69.67%

Eggs

$2.23 MGA 9,963

$3.01 R 49.58

-25.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 MGA 30.9K

$8.96 R 148

-22.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.85 MGA 30.6K

$6.65 R 110

3.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.75 MGA 16.8K

$9.29 R 153

-59.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.12 MGA 4,990

$1.83 R 30.13

-38.80%

Banana (1kg)

$0.62 MGA 2,765

$1.90 R 31.31

-67.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.70 MGA 3,109

$1.75 R 28.83

-60.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 MGA 3,146

$2.09 R 34.41

-66.51%

Potato (1kg)

$0.53 MGA 2,382

$1.55 R 25.64

-65.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 MGA 2,333

$1.49 R 24.53

-65.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 MGA 1,574

$1.30 R 21.41

-73.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MGA 2,657

$1.16 R 19.19

-49.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 R 61.2

Wine (Bottle)

$9.30 MGA 41.6K

$6.06 R 100

53.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 MGA 3,518

$1.39 R 22.85

-43.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MGA 4,245

$2.20 R 36.32

-56.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 MGA 1,020

$1.51 R 24.98

-84.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,006

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.33

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 R 25.29

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MGA 5,996

$1.58 R 26.08

-15.19%

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

$35.5K R 585.7K

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

$31.7K R 523.8K

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

$44.71 MGA 199.8K

$116 R 1,920

-61.58%

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

$6.69 MGA 29.9K

$28.37 R 468

-76.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.67 MGA 101.3K

$40.69 R 671

-44.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.07 MGA 80.8K

$48.85 R 806

-63.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 184

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 R 146

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

$261 R 4,314

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 110.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R 914

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 532

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,939

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 R 1,766

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$337 MGA 1.5M

$1,015 R 16.7K

-66.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 MGA 1.2M

$715 R 11.8K

-61.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 MGA 3.1M

$1,801 R 29.7K

-61.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 MGA 2.0M

$1,330 R 22.0K

-66.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,636 R 27.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

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

Last update for Mahajanga: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mahajanga

–

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

Groceries & Markets

Mahajanga

–

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mahajanga

–

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

Eating Out

Mahajanga

–

Cape Town

$174 11%

Clothing & Footwear

Mahajanga

–

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Getting Around

Mahajanga

–

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Mahajanga

–

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $337 in Mahajanga versus $1,015 in Cape Town. 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 $47.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $151 vs $222 – making Mahajanga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Mahajanga

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

13:48 1:48 PM

12:48 12:48 PM

1 h behind Mahajanga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

246,022

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.24 USD

10,000 MGA = 2 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, 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).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

USD to MGA in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mahajanga Cape Town 3,450 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Mahajanga
Cape Town

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 Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 182% more than Mahajanga, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $835 per month in Mahajanga and $2,352 in Cape Town. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $557 in Mahajanga and $1,568 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 182%.

Groceries cost about 47% more in Cape Town, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mahajanga, where all-in costs run around $557, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Mahajanga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mahajanga costs $557 versus $1,568 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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