Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manakara and Ambatolampy

For one person, living is cheaper in Manakara: $397 a month against $467 in Ambatolampy, rent and utilities included – about $840 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in Manakara
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Manakara Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Ambatolampy
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Ambatolampy Living Index

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Manakara

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$397

/mo nomad

Ambatolampy

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$467

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manakara and in Ambatolampy

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Manakara and in Ambatolampy actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $397 in Manakara versus $467 in Ambatolampy.

Manakara $397
Ambatolampy $467

Estimated couple costs with rent: $609 in Manakara versus $690 in Ambatolampy.

Manakara $609
Ambatolampy $690

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $820 in Manakara versus $913 in Ambatolampy.

Manakara $820
Ambatolampy $913

Living in Manakara costs roughly 15% less than in Ambatolampy, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Manakara 71% lower, Ambatolampy 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.16 MGA 9,875

$2.71 MGA 12.4K

-20.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.51 MGA 66.3K

$10.07 MGA 46.0K

44.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.61 MGA 16.5K

$5.42 MGA 24.8K

-33.39%

Cappuccino

$1.19 MGA 5,450

$1.60 MGA 7,307

-25.63%

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

$0.60 MGA 2,744

$0.78 MGA 3,583

-23.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 MGA 2,414

$0.45 MGA 2,061

17.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 MGA 5,455

$1.00 MGA 4,584

19.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 MGA 6,483

$2.16 MGA 9,867

-34.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MGA 7,874

$0.79 MGA 3,605

117.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 MGA 4,626

$1.02 MGA 4,655

-0.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.73 MGA 3,317

$0.74 MGA 3,389

-1.35%

Eggs

$2.25 MGA 10.3K

$1.98 MGA 9,039

13.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.62 MGA 30.2K

$8.05 MGA 36.8K

-17.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.47 MGA 15.9K

$4.30 MGA 19.7K

-19.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.55 MGA 16.2K

$4.76 MGA 21.8K

-25.42%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 MGA 4,372

$1.04 MGA 4,736

-7.69%

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 MGA 3,305

$0.57 MGA 2,623

26.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.34 MGA 1,572

$1.04 MGA 4,741

-67.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.72 MGA 3,284

$0.86 MGA 3,911

-16.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 MGA 2,504

$0.54 MGA 2,483

1.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 MGA 3,504

$0.95 MGA 4,365

-18.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 MGA 1,461

$0.31 MGA 1,439

3.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 MGA 2,910

$0.66 MGA 3,007

-3.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.42 MGA 6,491

$1.51 MGA 6,890

-5.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.34 MGA 19.9K

$5.00 MGA 22.9K

-13.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 MGA 4,708

$1.02 MGA 4,643

0.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MGA 5,723

$1.84 MGA 8,391

-32.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 MGA 957

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.63 MGA 162.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 MGA 4,954

$3.28 MGA 15.0K

-67.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 MGA 10.2K

$2.00 MGA 9,130

11.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 MGA 15.2K

$4.32 MGA 19.7K

-23.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 MGA 5,368

$0.85 MGA 3,873

37.65%

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

$15.2K MGA 69.7M

$11.6K MGA 53.1M

31.29%

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

$20.2K MGA 92.5M

$24.9K MGA 113.6M

-18.59%

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

$41.78 MGA 191.0K

$73.5 MGA 336.1K

-43.16%

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

$16.43 MGA 75.1K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 MGA 241.0K

$55.1 MGA 251.9K

-4.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$11.37 MGA 52.0K

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 MGA 24.7K

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

$21.87 MGA 100.0K

$24.03 MGA 109.9K

-8.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K MGA 67.0M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.27 MGA 74.4K

$27.85 MGA 127.3K

-41.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.10 MGA 91.9K

$26.45 MGA 120.9K

-24.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.39 MGA 207.6K

$76.9 MGA 351.8K

-41.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.17 MGA 202.0K

$67.9 MGA 310.3K

-34.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$114 MGA 519.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.75

52.38%

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

Last update for Manakara: November 3, 2026

Last update for Ambatolampy: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Manakara

$130 32.7%

Ambatolampy

$137 29.4% 6% $7.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manakara

$94 * 23.8%

Ambatolampy

$145 31% 53.5% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Manakara

$57 14.3%

Ambatolampy

$90 19.2% 58.1% $33

Eating Out

Manakara

$56 14.1%

Ambatolampy

$71 15.3% 28.1% $16

Getting Around

Manakara

$49 12.3%

Ambatolampy

$13 * 2.8% 72.8% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Manakara

$11 * 2.9%

Ambatolampy

$11 * 2.3% 4.9% $0.6

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $15 in Manakara vs $10 in Ambatolampy. Groceries flip the comparison at $130 vs $137, with Manakara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Manakara

🇲🇬 Ambatolampy

🕒 Local time

23:35 11:35 PM

Same time as Manakara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,237

32,291

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.94 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Manakara Ambatolampy 310 km

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Manakara
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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

Manakara vs Ambatolampy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manakara wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Ambatolampy. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Manakara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $595 in Manakara and $701 in Ambatolampy 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.

Childcare runs $22 in Manakara versus $24 in Ambatolampy. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ambatolampy – a meal for two runs $10 versus $15 in Manakara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Manakara gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.