Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manakara and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Manakara: $397 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 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
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Manakara

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$397

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manakara and in Mexico City

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

A single person spends $397 per month in Manakara vs $1,608 in Mexico City, rent included.

Manakara $397
Mexico City $1,608

A couple spends around $610 per month in Manakara vs $2,549 in Mexico City, rent included.

Manakara $610
Mexico City $2,549

A family of three spends $822 per month in Manakara vs $3,490 in Mexico City, rent included.

Manakara $822
Mexico City $3,490

Manakara is about 75% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Manakara sits 71% below the global median, while Mexico City is 18% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.23 MGA 10.2K

$10.62 MX$198

-79.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.74 MGA 67.5K

$48.35 MX$901

-69.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.58 MGA 16.4K

$10.35 MX$193

-65.41%

Cappuccino

$1.14 MGA 5,205

$3.69 MX$68.7

-69.11%

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

$0.61 MGA 2,771

$1.67 MX$31.05

-63.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 MGA 2,424

$1.27 MX$23.58

-58.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 MGA 5,424

$3.19 MX$59.5

-63.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 MGA 6,721

$5.31 MX$98.9

-72.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 MGA 8,161

$1.72 MX$32.13

3.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 MGA 4,685

$3.04 MX$56.6

-66.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.67 MGA 3,057

$1.94 MX$36.17

-65.46%

Eggs

$2.28 MGA 10.4K

$2.89 MX$53.8

-21.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.56 MGA 30.0K

$10.97 MX$204

-40.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 MGA 15.6K

$9.25 MX$172

-63.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.60 MGA 16.5K

$15.13 MX$282

-76.21%

Apples (1kg)

$0.95 MGA 4,365

$3.05 MX$56.8

-68.85%

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 MGA 3,304

$1.94 MX$36.17

-62.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.37 MGA 1,696

$2.03 MX$37.73

-81.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 MGA 3,265

$2.31 MX$43.12

-69.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 MGA 2,679

$2.04 MX$37.91

-71.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 MGA 3,203

$1.80 MX$33.53

-61.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 MGA 1,584

$1.48 MX$27.56

-76.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 MGA 2,903

$1.27 MX$23.62

-50.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.36 MGA 6,248

$5.30 MX$98.8

-74.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.34 MGA 19.9K

$16.10 MX$300

-73.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MGA 4,858

$1.98 MX$36.95

-46.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MGA 5,707

$4.25 MX$79.2

-70.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 MGA 961

$0.31 MX$5.68

-32.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.72 MGA 159.0K

$19.73 MX$368

75.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 MGA 5,152

$1.84 MX$34.23

-39.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 MGA 10.4K

$0.53 MX$9.94

326.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.32 MGA 15.2K

$5.30 MX$98.7

-37.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 MGA 5,111

$1.51 MX$28.14

-25.83%

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

$15.2K MGA 69.6M

$21.8K MX$405.3K

-30.12%

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

$20.7K MGA 94.7M

$24.0K MX$446.9K

-13.83%

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

$42.29 MGA 193.7K

$63.0 MX$1,173

-32.85%

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

$27.39 MX$510

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 MGA 245.6K

$35.67 MX$664

50.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$11.63 MGA 53.3K

$58.9 MX$1,098

-80.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

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

$22.17 MGA 101.5K

$432 MX$8,041

-94.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.20 MGA 74.2K

$68.2 MX$1,271

-76.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.07 MGA 91.9K

$53.1 MX$990

-62.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.60 MGA 204.3K

$108 MX$2,008

-58.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.80 MGA 200.6K

$117 MX$2,185

-62.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$115 MGA 527.9K

$946 MX$17.6K

-87.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

111.45%

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

Last update for Manakara: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Manakara

$130 32.7%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 146% $189

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manakara

$96 * 24.1%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 31.4% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Manakara

$56 14.1%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 178% $100

Eating Out

Manakara

$56 14%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 257% $143

Getting Around

Manakara

$48 12.1%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 46.9% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Manakara

$12 * 2.9%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 517% $60

Accommodation & Living

Manakara

- * 0%

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Mexico City are about 8.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15 in Manakara versus $48 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $130 vs $320 – making Manakara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Manakara

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

07:27 7:27 AM

22:27 10:27 PM

9 h behind Manakara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,237

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 4,580 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD). 1 EUR = 5,099 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to MGA in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manakara Mexico City 16,590 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Manakara
Mexico City

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 305%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $596 per month in Manakara and $2,412 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Kindergarten costs $22 per month in Manakara and $432 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 146% more in Mexico City, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Manakara, where all-in costs run around $397, than in Mexico City at $1,608. In Manakara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $397 in Manakara to $1,608 in Mexico City. 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, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.