Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Antsiranana

For one person, living is cheaper in Antsiranana: $305 a month against $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,215
/mo nomad
Antsiranana
🇲🇬 Madagascar
$305
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Antsiranana

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Antsiranana actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $305 in Antsiranana, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,215
  • Antsiranana $305

A couple spends around $2,144 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $622 in Antsiranana, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,144
  • Antsiranana $622

A family of three spends $3,072 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $938 in Antsiranana, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,072
  • Antsiranana $938

Playa del Carmen costs about 298% more than Antsiranana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Antsiranana are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 9% lower, Antsiranana 77% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Antsiranana
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.97 MX$201
$1.56 MGA 6,974
603.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.85 MX$823
$15.73 MGA 70.3K
185.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.92 MX$219
-
-
Cappuccino
$3.80 MX$69.9
$1.17 MGA 5,233
224.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 MX$24.08
-
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.86 MX$15.72
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.21 MX$59.0
$1.19 MGA 5,339
169.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.01 MX$92.0
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Antsiranana
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 MX$26.77
$1.58 MGA 7,045
-7.59%
White Bread (500g)
$2.33 MX$42.72
-
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.44 MX$26.48
$0.86 MGA 3,855
67.44%
Eggs
$2.46 MX$45.20
$3.35 MGA 15.0K
-26.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.70 MX$141
$17.82 MGA 79.7K
-56.79%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.89 MX$145
$8.18 MGA 36.6K
-3.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.80 MX$235
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.92 MX$53.6
-
-
Banana (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.11
-
-
Oranges (1kg)
$2.57 MX$47.10
$2.87 MGA 12.8K
-10.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 MX$39.24
$1.60 MGA 7,156
33.75%
Potato (1kg)
$1.95 MX$35.75
-
-
Onion (1kg)
$1.94 MX$35.55
-
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.13
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 MX$22.42
$0.69 MGA 3,095
76.81%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.38 MX$80.3
$1.77 MGA 7,918
147.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.85 MX$181
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.54 MX$28.23
$0.59 MGA 2,643
161.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.72 MX$49.86
$2.72 MGA 12.2K
-
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Antsiranana
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.52 MX$9.64
$0.24 MGA 1,075
116.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.42 MX$503
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.91 MX$90.2
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.52 MX$64.7
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.69 MX$104
$6.98 MGA 31.2K
-18.48%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 MX$28.27
$1.37 MGA 6,113
12.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$389.9K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K MX$449.6K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Antsiranana
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.6 MX$1,535
-
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.03 MX$441
$23.12 MGA 103.3K
3.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.33 MX$539
$59.8 MGA 267.4K
-50.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Antsiranana
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.9 MX$1,191
$13.89 MGA 62.1K
367.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.46 MX$541
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.09 MX$93.4
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Antsiranana
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$208 MX$3,813
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,045 MX$74.3K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Antsiranana
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.55 MX$818
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.06 MX$772
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.5 MX$1,387
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.4 MX$1,678
$35.75 MGA 159.8K
155.58%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Antsiranana
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$986 MX$18.1K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$385 MX$7,072
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,713 MX$31.5K
$341 MGA 1.5M
401.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,108 MX$20.4K
$226 MGA 1.0M
390.03%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,016 MX$73.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,247 MX$114.7K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Antsiranana
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$758 MX$13.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
0
-

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Antsiranana: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$385
Antsiranana
–
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$260
Antsiranana
–
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$204
Antsiranana
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Antsiranana
–
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$114
Antsiranana
–
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$75
Antsiranana
–
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$52
Antsiranana
–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $16.00 in Antsiranana. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $163 – making Antsiranana the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇲🇬 Antsiranana
🕒 Local time
09:27 9:27 AM
17:27 5:27 PM
8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
129,320
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MGA, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4,470 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.24 USD). 1 EUR = 5,009 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Antsiranana 15,280 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Antsiranana

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
Playa del Carmen vs Antsiranana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Playa del Carmen and in Antsiranana compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, $305 in Antsiranana – roughly 298% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Playa del Carmen compared to Antsiranana?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,823 per month in Playa del Carmen and $458 in Antsiranana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Playa del Carmen and $16.00 in Antsiranana. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Playa del Carmen or Antsiranana?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,215 in Playa del Carmen and $305 in Antsiranana. That's a gap of about 298%.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Antsiranana, where all-in costs run around $305, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,215. In Antsiranana it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Playa del Carmen and Antsiranana?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $305 in Antsiranana to $1,215 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Playa del Carmen and Antsiranana?
If budget matters most, go with Antsiranana. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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