Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manakara and Antananarivo

For one person, living is cheaper in Manakara: $397 a month against $649 in Antananarivo, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in Manakara
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Manakara Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Antananarivo
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Antananarivo Living Index

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Manakara

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$397

/mo nomad

Antananarivo

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$649

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manakara and in Antananarivo

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

A single person spends $397 per month in Manakara vs $649 in Antananarivo, rent included.

Manakara $397
Antananarivo $649

A couple spends around $609 per month in Manakara vs $1,001 in Antananarivo, rent included.

Manakara $609
Antananarivo $1,001

A family of three spends $820 per month in Manakara vs $1,354 in Antananarivo, rent included.

Manakara $820
Antananarivo $1,354

Manakara is about 39% cheaper than Antananarivo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Manakara and Antananarivo are more affordable than the global median – Manakara 71% lower, Antananarivo 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.16 MGA 9,875

$2.60 MGA 11.9K

-16.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.51 MGA 66.3K

$19.83 MGA 90.7K

-26.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.61 MGA 16.5K

$5.38 MGA 24.6K

-32.90%

Cappuccino

$1.19 MGA 5,450

$1.60 MGA 7,330

-25.63%

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

$0.60 MGA 2,744

$0.76 MGA 3,479

-21.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 MGA 2,414

$0.42 MGA 1,898

26.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 MGA 5,455

$0.97 MGA 4,436

22.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 MGA 6,483

$2.16 MGA 9,858

-34.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MGA 7,874

$0.92 MGA 4,227

86.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 MGA 4,626

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.73 MGA 3,317

$0.69 MGA 3,176

5.80%

Eggs

$2.25 MGA 10.3K

$2.00 MGA 9,137

12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.62 MGA 30.2K

$8.31 MGA 38.0K

-20.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.47 MGA 15.9K

$4.44 MGA 20.3K

-21.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.55 MGA 16.2K

$4.68 MGA 21.4K

-24.15%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 MGA 4,372

$1.04 MGA 4,745

-7.69%

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 MGA 3,305

$0.53 MGA 2,434

35.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.34 MGA 1,572

$0.99 MGA 4,542

-65.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.72 MGA 3,284

$0.82 MGA 3,763

-12.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 MGA 2,504

$0.58 MGA 2,657

-5.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 MGA 3,504

$0.91 MGA 4,150

-15.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 MGA 1,461

$0.35 MGA 1,578

-8.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 MGA 2,910

$0.70 MGA 3,218

-8.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.42 MGA 6,491

$1.58 MGA 7,209

-10.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.34 MGA 19.9K

$4.94 MGA 22.6K

-12.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 MGA 4,708

$0.98 MGA 4,481

5.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MGA 5,723

$1.77 MGA 8,113

-29.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 MGA 957

$0.12 MGA 561

75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.63 MGA 162.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 MGA 4,954

$3.41 MGA 15.6K

-68.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 MGA 10.2K

$2.24 MGA 10.2K

-0.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 MGA 15.2K

$4.53 MGA 20.7K

-26.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 MGA 5,368

$1.16 MGA 5,313

0.86%

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

$15.2K MGA 69.7M

$11.6K MGA 53.1M

31.09%

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

$20.2K MGA 92.5M

$24.8K MGA 113.6M

-18.57%

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

$41.78 MGA 191.0K

$73.6 MGA 336.4K

-43.22%

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

$16.88 MGA 77.2K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 MGA 241.0K

$56.2 MGA 257.2K

-6.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$11.37 MGA 52.0K

$28.59 MGA 130.7K

-60.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.13 MGA 32.6K

Cinema Ticket

$5.47 MGA 25.0K

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

$21.87 MGA 100.0K

$24.67 MGA 112.8K

-11.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.3K MGA 124.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.27 MGA 74.4K

$28.87 MGA 132.0K

-43.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.10 MGA 91.9K

$26.99 MGA 123.4K

-25.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.39 MGA 207.6K

$75.0 MGA 343.0K

-39.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.17 MGA 202.0K

$67.7 MGA 309.4K

-34.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$320 MGA 1.5M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$149 MGA 679.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$726 MGA 3.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 MGA 1.5M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$669 MGA 3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$574 MGA 2.6M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$114 MGA 519.3K

$130 MGA 596.3K

-12.93%

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 Antananarivo: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Manakara

$130 32.7%

Antananarivo

$139 21.5% 7.6% $9.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manakara

$94 * 23.8%

Antananarivo

$147 22.6% 55.3% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Manakara

$57 14.3%

Antananarivo

$89 13.8% 57.7% $33

Eating Out

Manakara

$56 14.1%

Antananarivo

$70 10.8% 25.8% $14

Getting Around

Manakara

$49 12.3%

Antananarivo

$15 * 2.3% 69% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Manakara

$11 * 2.9%

Antananarivo

$40 6.1% 248% $28

Accommodation & Living

Manakara

- * 0%

Antananarivo

$149 22.9%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 15% higher in Antananarivo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15 in Manakara versus $20 in Antananarivo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $130 vs $139 – making Manakara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Manakara

🇲🇬 Antananarivo

🕒 Local time

23:35 11:35 PM

Same time as Manakara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,237

1,274,225 Capital

💱 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 Antananarivo 360 km

From you

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 Antananarivo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Antananarivo is pricier by about 64%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $595 per month in Manakara and $973 in Antananarivo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $397 in Manakara and $649 in Antananarivo. That makes Manakara about 39% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $22 per month in Manakara and $25 in Antananarivo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $397 in Manakara and $649 in Antananarivo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Manakara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $397 in Manakara to $649 in Antananarivo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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