Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mahajanga and Phuket

Name: Phuket
Address: Phuket, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahajanga: $538 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$538

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mahajanga and in Phuket

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

A single person spends $538 per month in Mahajanga vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Mahajanga $538
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $792 per month in Mahajanga vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Mahajanga $792
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $1,045 per month in Mahajanga vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Mahajanga $1,045
Phuket $3,154

Mahajanga is about 58% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mahajanga and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Mahajanga 60% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.02 MGA 9,238

$4.47 ฿151

-54.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.69 MGA 81.0K

$32.41 ฿1,093

-45.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

Cappuccino

$0.64 MGA 2,927

$2.83 ฿95.4

-77.39%

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

$0.90 MGA 4,108

$0.87 ฿29.40

3.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MGA 3,850

$0.49 ฿16.65

71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.97 MGA 4,431

$2.56 ฿86.3

-62.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 MGA 7,197

$3.68 ฿124

-57.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 MGA 6,128

$1.66 ฿55.9

-19.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 MGA 3,726

$1.46 ฿49.29

-44.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.60 MGA 2,740

$1.50 ฿50.5

-60.00%

Eggs

$2.06 MGA 9,446

$2.09 ฿70.5

-1.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.55 MGA 30.0K

$19.07 ฿643

-65.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.55 MGA 30.0K

$3.30 ฿111

98.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.46 MGA 15.9K

$10.91 ฿368

-68.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.07 MGA 4,898

$2.93 ฿98.8

-63.48%

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 MGA 2,866

$1.69 ฿57.0

-62.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.68 MGA 3,110

$2.25 ฿75.7

-69.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 MGA 3,134

$2.08 ฿70.0

-67.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 MGA 2,366

$1.51 ฿51.0

-65.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 MGA 2,463

$1.38 ฿46.51

-60.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 MGA 1,450

$1.07 ฿35.95

-70.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MGA 2,598

$0.52 ฿17.50

9.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$8.85 MGA 40.5K

$18.79 ฿634

-52.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 MGA 3,462

$1.82 ฿61.4

-58.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MGA 4,128

$2.84 ฿95.8

-68.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 MGA 1,104

$1.45 ฿48.97

-83.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,911

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.32

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MGA 6,110

$1.47 ฿49.75

-9.52%

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

$26.8K ฿903.2K

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

$26.7K ฿900.3K

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

$43.81 MGA 200.5K

$96.4 ฿3,250

-54.53%

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

$6.56 MGA 30.0K

$11.26 ฿380

-41.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.87 MGA 100.1K

$16.85 ฿568

29.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.71 MGA 81.0K

$67.2 ฿2,268

-73.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,103

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,180

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,894

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$325 MGA 1.5M

$716 ฿24.1K

-54.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 MGA 1.2M

$491 ฿16.6K

-46.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$661 MGA 3.0M

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-65.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 MGA 2.0M

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-69.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Mahajanga: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mahajanga

–

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Groceries & Markets

Mahajanga

–

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mahajanga

–

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Mahajanga

–

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Eating Out

Mahajanga

–

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Mahajanga

–

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Getting Around

Mahajanga

–

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $325 in Mahajanga versus $716 in Phuket. 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 in Mahajanga versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $144 vs $266 – making Mahajanga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Mahajanga

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

19:49 7:49 PM

23:49 11:49 PM

4 h ahead of Mahajanga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

246,022

79,308

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MGA – Malagasy Ariary Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇬 Malagasy Ariary (Ar)

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4,577 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD). 1 EUR = 5,108 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MGA in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mahajanga Phuket 6,310 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Mahajanga
Phuket

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 137% more than Mahajanga, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $808 per month in Mahajanga and $1,917 in Phuket. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $325 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $538 in Mahajanga and $1,278 in Phuket. That makes Mahajanga about 58% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 85% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Mahajanga, where all-in costs run around $538, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Mahajanga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $538 in Mahajanga to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.