Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Mahajanga Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Mahajanga

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $376 in Mahajanga, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $713 in Mahajanga, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,050 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 242% more than Mahajanga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Mahajanga are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Mahajanga 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$1.98 MGA 8,196

503.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$17.88 MGA 74.1K

139.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$0.66 MGA 2,726

448.48%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.88 MGA 3,626

67.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.92 MGA 3,802

2.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$1.03 MGA 4,265

200.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$1.60 MGA 6,613

178.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.05 MGA 4,334

36.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$0.59 MGA 2,462

218.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$0.55 MGA 2,294

196.36%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$1.93 MGA 8,004

36.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$6.83 MGA 28.3K

20.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$5.26 MGA 21.8K

57.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$3.31 MGA 13.7K

235.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$0.94 MGA 3,894

181.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$0.54 MGA 2,228

177.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$0.78 MGA 3,217

155.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$0.51 MGA 2,096

307.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$0.49 MGA 2,032

265.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$0.45 MGA 1,853

384.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$0.39 MGA 1,621

176.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.62 MGA 2,588

67.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$1.14 MGA 4,728

248.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$9.58 MGA 39.7K

6.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$0.84 MGA 3,461

105.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$1.03 MGA 4,253

142.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.13 MGA 521

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

$8.86 MGA 36.7K

204.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.13 MGA 4,665

12.39%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$45.23 MGA 187.3K

81.32%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$6.57 MGA 27.2K

241.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$21.83 MGA 90.4K

35.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$17.68 MGA 73.2K

193.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

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

$198 MX$3,442

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$330 MGA 1.4M

191.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$110 MGA 454.2K

323.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$660 MGA 2.7M

141.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$441 MGA 1.8M

173.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Mahajanga: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $330 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $18.00 in Mahajanga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $133 – making Mahajanga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Mahajanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 242% more than Mahajanga, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $564 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $376 in Mahajanga. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $18.00 in Mahajanga. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mahajanga, where all-in costs run around $376, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Mahajanga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mahajanga costs $376 versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Mahajanga. 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.