Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Toliara

For one person, living is cheaper in Toliara: $174 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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

Toliara

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$174

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $174 in Toliara.

Mexico City $1,608
Toliara $174

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $261 in Toliara.

Mexico City $2,549
Toliara $261

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $349 in Toliara.

Mexico City $3,490
Toliara $349

Living in Mexico City is roughly 823% more expensive than in Toliara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Toliara is 87% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

$1.72 MGA 7,855

517.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$906

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.2

$0.78 MGA 3,585

373.08%

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

$1.67 MX$31.23

$0.67 MGA 3,082

149.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.71

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.5

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.32

$1.42 MGA 6,505

21.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.0

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.38

$0.41 MGA 1,871

373.17%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.1

$2.08 MGA 9,499

38.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$173

$4.69 MGA 21.5K

97.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$283

$4.94 MGA 22.6K

206.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.1

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.38

$0.68 MGA 3,120

185.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.95

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.38

$1.68 MGA 7,685

37.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.14

$0.52 MGA 2,372

292.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.73

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.72

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.75

$0.67 MGA 3,071

89.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.4

$1.80 MGA 8,253

194.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$302

$5.48 MGA 25.1K

193.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.16

$0.63 MGA 2,877

214.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.72

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.44

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.31

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

$21.8K MX$407.7K

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

$24.0K MX$449.5K

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

$63.0 MX$1,180

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

$27.39 MX$513

$16.30 MGA 74.6K

68.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$668

$33.49 MGA 153.3K

6.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,105

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$443

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

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

$432 MX$8,088

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,278

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$996

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,020

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,198

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.7K

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 Toliara: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Toliara

–

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Toliara

–

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Toliara

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Toliara

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Toliara

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Toliara

–

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Toliara

–

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇲🇬 Toliara

🕒 Local time

10:50 10:50 AM

19:50 7:50 PM

9 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

168,756

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4,577 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD). 1 EUR = 5,108 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Toliara 16,150 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Toliara

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 Toliara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $174 in Toliara, so Toliara is about 89% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,412 in Mexico City and $261 in Toliara 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 224% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,608 per month in Mexico City versus $174 in Toliara – Toliara is about 89% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $174 in Toliara versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $800 budget is realistic in Toliara but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Toliara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.