Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Madagascar

Name: Madagascar
Address: MG

For one person, living is cheaper in Madagascar: $615 a month against $1,203 in South Africa, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in South Africa
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South Africa Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Madagascar
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Madagascar Living Index

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🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,203

/mo nomad

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$615

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in South Africa and in Madagascar

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

A single person spends $1,203 per month in South Africa vs $615 in Madagascar, rent included.

South Africa $1,203
Madagascar $615

A couple spends around $1,893 per month in South Africa vs $959 in Madagascar, rent included.

South Africa $1,893
Madagascar $959

A family of three spends $2,583 per month in South Africa vs $1,303 in Madagascar, rent included.

South Africa $2,583
Madagascar $1,303

The regional cost range is wider in South Africa ($618–$1,556) than in Madagascar ($174–$645), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in South Africa is about 96% higher than in Madagascar on average.

Both South Africa and Madagascar are more affordable than the global median – South Africa 12% lower, Madagascar 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 R 177

$2.14 MGA 9,816

398.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.66 R 693

$17.92 MGA 82.0K

132.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 R 96.5

$4.70 MGA 21.5K

23.40%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R 39.23

$1.31 MGA 6,013

80.15%

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

$1.12 R 18.56

$0.75 MGA 3,412

49.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R 14.99

$0.58 MGA 2,645

55.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 R 40.19

$1.08 MGA 4,955

124.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 R 50.9

$1.79 MGA 8,178

70.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 R 19.58

$1.14 MGA 5,215

3.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.83

$1.00 MGA 4,580

13.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.90

$0.75 MGA 3,443

132.00%

Eggs

$2.57 R 42.80

$1.97 MGA 9,032

30.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.43 R 140

$8.41 MGA 38.5K

0.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.12 R 85.1

$4.83 MGA 22.1K

6.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.59 R 126

$4.70 MGA 21.5K

61.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.52

$1.04 MGA 4,768

70.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.90

$0.62 MGA 2,820

180.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 R 29.43

$0.92 MGA 4,226

92.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 R 29.26

$0.86 MGA 3,927

104.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.81

$0.59 MGA 2,686

152.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.37

$0.76 MGA 3,474

93.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 R 20.52

$0.36 MGA 1,630

241.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 R 18.25

$0.61 MGA 2,790

80.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 R 54.0

$1.52 MGA 6,979

113.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.00 R 83.2

$5.03 MGA 23.0K

-0.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 R 24.90

$0.87 MGA 3,983

72.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 R 32.26

$1.59 MGA 7,258

22.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 R 24.58

$0.12 MGA 530

1133.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.3 R 986

$17.30 MGA 79.2K

242.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 R 18.21

$3.22 MGA 14.7K

-66.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R 16.46

$2.26 MGA 10.4K

-56.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.46 R 124

$4.46 MGA 20.4K

67.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 R 23.76

$1.14 MGA 5,195

25.44%

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

$35.3K R 587.3K

$12.1K MGA 55.6M

190.82%

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

$32.4K R 539.6K

$24.1K MGA 110.4M

34.41%

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

$133 R 2,208

$64.6 MGA 295.4K

105.64%

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

$34.83 R 579

$17.45 MGA 79.9K

99.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.76 R 662

$52.5 MGA 240.1K

-24.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.09 R 550

$23.01 MGA 105.3K

43.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.65 R 194

$7.14 MGA 32.7K

63.17%

Cinema Ticket

$7.18 R 119

$6.22 MGA 28.5K

15.43%

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

$224 R 3,728

$25.46 MGA 116.5K

780.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,462 R 90.9K

$14.8K MGA 67.7M

-63.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 R 902

$20.33 MGA 93.0K

166.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.13 R 568

$25.07 MGA 114.7K

36.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R 1,698

$67.2 MGA 307.3K

52.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 R 1,472

$46.30 MGA 211.9K

91.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 R 8,189

$294 MGA 1.3M

67.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$398 R 6,617

$138 MGA 629.5K

189.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$946 R 15.7K

$681 MGA 3.1M

38.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$827 R 13.8K

$314 MGA 1.4M

163.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,099 R 18.3K

$658 MGA 3.0M

66.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$769 R 12.8K

$560 MGA 2.6M

37.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,502 R 25.0K

$122 MGA 557.7K

1132.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.23

19.75

-43.14%

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

Last update for South Africa: October 26, 2026

Last update for Madagascar: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

South Africa

$398 33.1%

Madagascar

$138 22.4% 65.4% $260

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Africa

$207 17.2%

Madagascar

$134 21.9% 35.1% $73

Groceries & Markets

South Africa

$196 16.3%

Madagascar

$142 23.1% 27.4% $54

Eating Out

South Africa

$157 13.1%

Madagascar

$61 10% 61% $96

Clothing & Footwear

South Africa

$126 10.4%

Madagascar

$71 11.6% 43% $54

Getting Around

South Africa

$71 5.9%

Madagascar

$32 5.3% 54.7% $39

Sport & Entertainment

South Africa

$47 4%

Madagascar

$35 5.8% 25.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $422 in South Africa vs $260 in Madagascar. For reference, capital cities sit at $450 in Pretoria and $323 in Antananarivo.

Average salary: $1,488 in South Africa vs $126 in Madagascar. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 62% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 144% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 74% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are about 12 times higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

Good to know

🇿🇦 South Africa

🇲🇬 Madagascar

🕒 Local time

16:36 4:36 PM

17:36 5:36 PM

1 h ahead of South Africa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,027,503

25,570,895

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.01 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MGA, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 16.64 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.01 USD). 1 EUR = 18.57 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 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 ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

South Africa Madagascar 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

South Africa
Madagascar

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

South Africa vs Madagascar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Madagascar is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 49% lower on average.

Housing costs more in South Africa: a central one-bedroom averages $422 versus $260 in Madagascar.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Madagascar – part of why living there is about 49% cheaper overall.

$800 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Madagascar, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Madagascar is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.