Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mahajanga and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahajanga: $537 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$537

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mahajanga and in Playa del Carmen

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 Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $537 per month in Mahajanga vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Mahajanga $537
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $788 per month in Mahajanga vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Mahajanga $788
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,040 per month in Mahajanga vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Mahajanga $1,040
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Mahajanga is about 55% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mahajanga and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Mahajanga 60% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.93 MGA 8,838

$10.67 MX$200

-81.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.36 MGA 79.3K

$43.80 MX$819

-60.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$220

Cappuccino

$0.63 MGA 2,876

$3.79 MX$70.8

-83.38%

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

$0.84 MGA 3,839

$1.30 MX$24.26

-35.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MGA 4,194

$0.83 MX$15.59

10.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 MGA 4,672

$3.15 MX$58.9

-67.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 MGA 7,198

$4.93 MX$92.3

-68.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 MGA 5,963

$1.41 MX$26.35

-7.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 MGA 3,938

$2.20 MX$41.07

-60.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.64 MGA 2,908

$1.47 MX$27.54

-56.46%

Eggs

$2.15 MGA 9,814

$2.50 MX$46.70

-14.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.43 MGA 29.4K

$7.29 MX$136

-11.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 MGA 29.3K

$7.95 MX$149

-19.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.49 MGA 15.9K

$12.86 MX$241

-72.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.13 MGA 5,149

$2.90 MX$54.2

-61.03%

Banana (1kg)

$0.60 MGA 2,735

$1.38 MX$25.87

-56.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.64 MGA 2,938

$2.49 MX$46.59

-74.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 MGA 2,912

$2.03 MX$37.97

-68.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.48 MGA 2,172

$2.02 MX$37.88

-76.24%

Onion (1kg)

$0.50 MGA 2,264

$1.90 MX$35.60

-73.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.34 MGA 1,567

$1.14 MX$21.41

-70.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MGA 2,456

$1.24 MX$23.17

-56.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.9

Wine (Bottle)

$9.03 MGA 41.3K

$9.81 MX$184

-7.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 MGA 3,379

$1.59 MX$29.66

-53.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 MGA 4,078

$2.75 MX$51.3

-67.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 MGA 1,005

$0.51 MX$9.63

-56.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$512

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$89.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.8

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MGA 5,927

$1.53 MX$28.58

-15.03%

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

$21.2K MX$396.8K

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

$23.3K MX$435.1K

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

$43.20 MGA 197.4K

$83.5 MX$1,562

-48.26%

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

$6.50 MGA 29.7K

$23.19 MX$434

-71.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.96 MGA 100.4K

$27.61 MX$516

-20.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.86 MGA 81.6K

$56.4 MX$1,056

-68.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$527

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.5

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

$207 MX$3,873

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$813

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$796

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,361

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,653

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$329 MGA 1.5M

$995 MX$18.6K

-66.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 MGA 1.2M

$382 MX$7,152

-30.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$651 MGA 3.0M

$1,674 MX$31.3K

-61.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 MGA 2.0M

$1,081 MX$20.2K

-59.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$73.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Mahajanga: November 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mahajanga

–

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Groceries & Markets

Mahajanga

–

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Eating Out

Mahajanga

–

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mahajanga

–

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Mahajanga

–

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Mahajanga

–

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Getting Around

Mahajanga

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $329 in Mahajanga versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. 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 $17 in Mahajanga versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $143 vs $257 – making Mahajanga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Mahajanga

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

19:19 7:19 PM

11:19 11:19 AM

8 h behind Mahajanga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

246,022

149,923

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to MGA – Malagasy Ariary Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇬 Malagasy Ariary (Ar)

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4,571 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD). 1 EUR = 5,133 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 21.01 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

USD to MGA in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mahajanga Playa del Carmen 15,080 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Mahajanga
Playa del Carmen

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 Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 124% more than Mahajanga, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $805 per month in Mahajanga and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. 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 $329 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $537 in Mahajanga and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Mahajanga about 55% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 80% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Mahajanga, where all-in costs run around $537, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Mahajanga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $537 in Mahajanga to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.