Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Mahajanga

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahajanga: $538 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$538

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $538 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Mexico City $1,608
Mahajanga $538

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $792 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Mexico City $2,549
Mahajanga $792

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $1,045 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Mexico City $3,490
Mahajanga $1,045

Mexico City costs about 199% more than Mahajanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 18% above the global median, while Mahajanga is 60% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$2.02 MGA 9,260

425.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$17.69 MGA 81.2K

173.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.8

$0.64 MGA 2,933

476.56%

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

$1.67 MX$31.07

$0.90 MGA 4,117

85.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.59

$0.84 MGA 3,859

51.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$0.97 MGA 4,442

228.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$1.57 MGA 7,214

238.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.15

$1.34 MGA 6,142

28.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.7

$0.81 MGA 3,735

275.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$0.60 MGA 2,746

223.33%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$2.06 MGA 9,468

40.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$6.55 MGA 30.0K

67.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$6.55 MGA 30.0K

41.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$3.46 MGA 15.9K

337.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$1.07 MGA 4,909

185.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$0.63 MGA 2,872

207.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.75

$0.68 MGA 3,117

198.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.15

$0.68 MGA 3,141

239.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.94

$0.52 MGA 2,371

292.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.55

$0.54 MGA 2,469

233.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.58

$0.32 MGA 1,454

362.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.63

$0.57 MGA 2,604

122.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.9

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$8.85 MGA 40.6K

81.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.97

$0.76 MGA 3,470

160.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.3

$0.90 MGA 4,138

372.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.69

$0.24 MGA 1,106

29.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.25

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.16

$1.33 MGA 6,124

13.53%

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

$21.8K MX$405.5K

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

$24.0K MX$447.1K

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

$63.0 MX$1,174

$43.81 MGA 201.0K

43.76%

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

$27.39 MX$511

$6.56 MGA 30.1K

317.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$665

$21.87 MGA 100.3K

63.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,099

$17.71 MGA 81.2K

232.81%

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)

$432 MX$8,045

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,272

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,009

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,186

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$325 MGA 1.5M

242.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$265 MGA 1.2M

168.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$661 MGA 3.0M

291.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$436 MGA 2.0M

222.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mahajanga: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Mahajanga

–

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Mahajanga

–

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Mahajanga

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Mahajanga

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Mahajanga

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Mahajanga

–

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Mahajanga

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $325 in Mahajanga. 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 $48 in Mexico City versus $18 in Mahajanga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $144 – making Mahajanga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇲🇬 Mahajanga

🕒 Local time

12:07 12:07 PM

21:07 9:07 PM

9 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

246,022

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.96 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4,587 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD). 1 EUR = 5,107 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Mahajanga 16,340 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Mahajanga

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 Mahajanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City costs about 199% more than Mahajanga, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $808 in Mahajanga. 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 $325 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $538 in Mahajanga. That’s a gap of about 199%.

Groceries cost about 122% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Mahajanga, where all-in costs run around $538, than in Mexico City at $1,608. In Mahajanga 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 $538 in Mahajanga to $1,608 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.