Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mahajanga and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahajanga: $538 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $20,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index

Jump to prices

Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$538

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mahajanga and in Lisbon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $538 in Mahajanga versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Mahajanga $538
Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $792 in Mahajanga versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

Mahajanga $792
Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,045 in Mahajanga versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

Mahajanga $1,045
Lisbon $4,341

Living in Mahajanga costs roughly 76% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mahajanga is 60% below, Lisbon is 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.02 MGA 9,260

$16.65 €14.95

-87.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.69 MGA 81.2K

$61.7 €55.5

-71.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.20

Cappuccino

$0.64 MGA 2,933

$2.97 €2.67

-78.45%

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

$0.90 MGA 4,117

$2.29 €2.06

-60.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MGA 3,859

$1.74 €1.56

-51.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.97 MGA 4,442

$3.40 €3.06

-71.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 MGA 7,214

$3.31 €2.97

-52.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 MGA 6,142

$1.16 €1.04

15.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 MGA 3,735

$1.91 €1.72

-57.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.60 MGA 2,746

$1.51 €1.36

-60.26%

Eggs

$2.06 MGA 9,468

$4.02 €3.61

-48.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.55 MGA 30.0K

$12.94 €11.62

-49.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.55 MGA 30.0K

$7.77 €6.98

-15.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.46 MGA 15.9K

$17.76 €15.95

-80.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.07 MGA 4,909

$2.30 €2.07

-53.48%

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 MGA 2,872

$1.73 €1.56

-63.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.68 MGA 3,117

$1.86 €1.67

-63.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 MGA 3,141

$2.59 €2.33

-73.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 MGA 2,371

$1.82 €1.64

-71.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 MGA 2,469

$1.97 €1.77

-72.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 MGA 1,454

$1.47 €1.32

-78.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MGA 2,604

$0.72 €0.65

-20.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.91

Wine (Bottle)

$8.85 MGA 40.6K

$5.61 €5.04

57.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 MGA 3,470

$1.36 €1.22

-44.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MGA 4,138

$2.14 €1.92

-57.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 MGA 1,106

$2.33 €2.10

-89.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.46

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.79

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MGA 6,124

$2.20 €1.98

-39.55%

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

$34.2K €30.7K

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

$38.7K €34.8K

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

$43.81 MGA 201.0K

$161 €145

-72.83%

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

$6.56 MGA 30.1K

$18.41 €16.54

-64.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.87 MGA 100.3K

$32.74 €29.41

-33.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.71 MGA 81.2K

$44.55 €40.02

-60.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.16

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.62

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

$668 €600

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.6

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.94

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.5

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$325 MGA 1.5M

$1,608 €1,445

-79.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 MGA 1.2M

$1,190 €1,069

-77.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$661 MGA 3.0M

$2,812 €2,526

-76.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 MGA 2.0M

$2,013 €1,808

-78.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,042

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,110

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,415

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Mahajanga: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mahajanga

–

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Groceries & Markets

Mahajanga

–

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Eating Out

Mahajanga

–

Lisbon

$243 11%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mahajanga

–

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Mahajanga

–

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Mahajanga

–

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Getting Around

Mahajanga

–

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $325 in Mahajanga and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $18 in Mahajanga vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $144 vs $272 per month, with Mahajanga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Mahajanga

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

01:59 1:59 AM

22:59 10:59 PM

3 h behind Mahajanga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

246,022

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4,587 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD). 1 EUR = 5,107 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

USD to MGA in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mahajanga Lisbon 8,350 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Mahajanga
Lisbon

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $538 in Mahajanga and $2,210 in Lisbon, so Mahajanga is about 76% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $808 in Mahajanga and $3,315 in Lisbon 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: $325 in Mahajanga versus $1,608 in Lisbon. 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 versus $62 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $538 per month in Mahajanga versus $2,210 in Lisbon – Mahajanga is about 76% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $538 in Mahajanga versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $800 budget is realistic in Mahajanga but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. 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.