Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Madagascar Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Madagascar

Name: Madagascar
Address: MG

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,020 per month in South Africa vs $199 in Madagascar, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,587 per month in South Africa vs $341 in Madagascar, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,154 per month in South Africa vs $483 in Madagascar, rent included.

The cost of living in South Africa is about 413% higher than in Madagascar on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both South Africa and Madagascar are more affordable than the global median – South Africa 24% lower, Madagascar 85% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 R 151

$2.70 MGA 11.6K

238.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 648

$17.96 MGA 77.0K

117.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 R 85.9

$4.48 MGA 19.2K

15.85%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R 32.73

$1.25 MGA 5,356

58.40%

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

$1.00 R 16.57

$0.88 MGA 3,780

13.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 13.01

$0.63 MGA 2,696

25.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.61

$1.08 MGA 4,630

104.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R 42.58

$1.59 MGA 6,831

61.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.56

$1.10 MGA 4,738

1.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 R 16.01

$0.92 MGA 3,930

5.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.55

$0.68 MGA 2,922

126.47%

Eggs

$2.25 R 37.22

$2.08 MGA 8,914

8.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 R 130

$10.00 MGA 42.9K

-21.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R 75.8

$4.77 MGA 20.5K

-3.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 R 111

$4.35 MGA 18.6K

53.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.06

$1.16 MGA 4,975

35.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.35

$0.64 MGA 2,757

129.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.18

$0.95 MGA 4,081

60.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.98

$0.92 MGA 3,935

64.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R 20.85

$0.57 MGA 2,466

121.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R 21.11

$0.79 MGA 3,384

60.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.99

$0.35 MGA 1,491

211.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 16.04

$0.64 MGA 2,760

51.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 R 46.95

$1.74 MGA 7,442

63.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 R 86.1

$5.07 MGA 21.7K

2.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.91

$0.84 MGA 3,582

64.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.44

$1.22 MGA 5,220

40.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.50

$0.14 MGA 612

1128.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.22 R 732

$9.09 MGA 39.0K

386.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 19.06

$2.19 MGA 9,405

-47.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 R 17.64

$2.02 MGA 8,670

-47.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 R 78.4

$4.47 MGA 19.2K

6.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.24

$1.27 MGA 5,458

0.79%

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

$20.4K R 337.1K

$13.1K MGA 56.2M

55.34%

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

$24.0K R 397.0K

$23.1K MGA 99.2M

3.75%

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

$113 R 1,869

$47.18 MGA 202.4K

139.36%

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

$32.35 R 536

$14.84 MGA 63.6K

117.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.46 R 686

$52.3 MGA 224.3K

-20.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 R 514

$22.50 MGA 96.5K

37.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.72 R 161

$6.34 MGA 27.2K

53.31%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 R 110

$6.55 MGA 28.1K

1.83%

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

$186 R 3,072

$72.2 MGA 309.5K

157.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,399 R 72.8K

$11.5K MGA 49.1M

-61.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 830

$27.22 MGA 116.8K

84.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.37 R 503

$27.04 MGA 116.0K

12.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 R 1,546

$73.5 MGA 315.3K

27.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 R 1,332

$51.2 MGA 219.5K

57.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 R 7,261

$294 MGA 1.3M

49.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 R 6,155

$100.0 MGA 428.8K

271.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R 14.9K

$545 MGA 2.3M

65.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 R 11.7K

$371 MGA 1.6M

90.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,116 R 18.5K

$680 MGA 2.9M

64.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$793 R 13.1K

$584 MGA 2.5M

35.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,506 R 24.9K

$126 MGA 539.9K

1096.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

17.25

-33.04%

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

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Last update for Madagascar: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $368 in South Africa vs $71.0 in Madagascar. For reference, capital cities sit at $292 in Bloemfontein and $387 in Antananarivo.

Average salary: $1,513 in South Africa vs $128 in Madagascar. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 418% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 338% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 700% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 1082% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

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 274% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in South Africa, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but South Africa consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Madagascar, contributing to the overall 274% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$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 – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.