Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Antananarivo

For one person, living is cheaper in Antananarivo: $649 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Antananarivo
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Antananarivo Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Antananarivo

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$649

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City 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 Mexico City and in Antananarivo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,674 per month in Mexico City vs $649 in Antananarivo, rent included.

Mexico City $1,674
Antananarivo $649

A couple spends around $2,606 per month in Mexico City vs $1,001 in Antananarivo, rent included.

Mexico City $2,606
Antananarivo $1,001

A family of three spends $3,537 per month in Mexico City vs $1,354 in Antananarivo, rent included.

Mexico City $3,537
Antananarivo $1,354

Mexico City costs about 158% more than Antananarivo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 24% above the global median, while Antananarivo is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$199

$2.60 MGA 11.9K

307.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$976

$19.83 MGA 90.6K

162.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 MX$201

$5.38 MGA 24.6K

99.44%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$71.3

$1.60 MGA 7,328

137.50%

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

$1.61 MX$30.28

$0.76 MGA 3,477

111.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.76

$0.42 MGA 1,897

188.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.7

$0.97 MGA 4,435

227.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$102

$2.16 MGA 9,855

151.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.26

$0.92 MGA 4,225

86.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 MX$55.7

$1.01 MGA 4,625

194.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$36.17

$0.69 MGA 3,175

179.71%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$52.1

$2.00 MGA 9,134

38.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$219

$8.31 MGA 38.0K

40.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 MX$178

$4.44 MGA 20.3K

113.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$289

$4.68 MGA 21.4K

228.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$58.3

$1.04 MGA 4,744

198.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.82

$0.53 MGA 2,433

269.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$37.22

$0.99 MGA 4,541

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.86

$0.82 MGA 3,762

185.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$38.00

$0.58 MGA 2,656

248.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$34.26

$0.91 MGA 4,149

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$29.00

$0.35 MGA 1,577

340.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.64

$0.70 MGA 3,217

87.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$100

$1.58 MGA 7,207

238.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$304

$4.94 MGA 22.6K

227.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.79

$0.98 MGA 4,479

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$81.7

$1.77 MGA 8,111

145.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.72

$0.12 MGA 561

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$366

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$36.01

$3.41 MGA 15.6K

-43.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.88

$2.24 MGA 10.2K

-79.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$102

$4.53 MGA 20.7K

19.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.86

$1.16 MGA 5,311

27.59%

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

$21.4K MX$401.4K

$11.6K MGA 53.1M

83.86%

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

$23.8K MX$446.1K

$24.8K MGA 113.6M

-4.40%

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

$62.0 MX$1,164

$73.6 MGA 336.3K

-15.75%

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

$28.47 MX$535

$16.88 MGA 77.2K

68.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 MX$641

$56.2 MGA 257.1K

-39.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,097

$28.59 MGA 130.7K

104.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$460

$7.13 MGA 32.6K

243.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MX$124

$5.47 MGA 25.0K

20.48%

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

$434 MX$8,155

$24.67 MGA 112.7K

1660.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K MX$263.6K

$27.3K MGA 124.7M

-48.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,284

$28.87 MGA 132.0K

136.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,029

$26.99 MGA 123.3K

103.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,082

$75.0 MGA 342.9K

47.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,178

$67.7 MGA 309.3K

71.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$22.1K

$320 MGA 1.5M

268.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.5K

$149 MGA 679.0K

418.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$48.3K

$726 MGA 3.3M

253.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.7K

$319 MGA 1.5M

344.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$67.3K

$669 MGA 3.1M

436.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.8K

$574 MGA 2.6M

259.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.8K

$130 MGA 596.2K

668.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

15.75

-27.94%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Antananarivo: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Antananarivo

$149 22.9% 80.7% $622

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Antananarivo

$139 21.5% 56.9% $184

Eating Out

Mexico City

$201 12%

Antananarivo

$70 10.8% 65.1% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Antananarivo

$89 13.8% 43.3% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Antananarivo

$147 22.6% 17.8% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Antananarivo

$40 6.1% 44.8% $32

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Antananarivo

$15 * 2.3% 39.6% $9.9

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,179 in Mexico City versus $320 in Antananarivo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Mexico City are about 7.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Mexico City versus $20 in Antananarivo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $139 – making Antananarivo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇲🇬 Antananarivo

🕒 Local time

11:24 11:24 AM

20:24 8:24 PM

9 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

1,274,225 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MGA, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

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).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Antananarivo 16,520 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Antananarivo

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

Mexico City vs Antananarivo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 158%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,510 per month in Mexico City and $973 in Antananarivo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Antananarivo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $320 there versus $1,179 in Mexico City.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,674 in Mexico City and $649 in Antananarivo. That makes Antananarivo about 61% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $434 per month in Mexico City and $25 in Antananarivo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Antananarivo, where all-in costs run around $649, than in Mexico City at $1,674. In Antananarivo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Antananarivo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Antananarivo. 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.