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 $195 in Madagascar, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,598 per month in South Africa vs $336 in Madagascar, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,175 per month in South Africa vs $476 in Madagascar, rent included.

South Africa costs about 423% more than 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

$9.05 R 147

$2.74 MGA 11.5K

230.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.48 R 642

$17.59 MGA 73.8K

124.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 R 80.3

$4.35 MGA 18.2K

13.56%

Cappuccino

$2.06 R 33.47

$1.28 MGA 5,377

60.94%

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

$0.95 R 15.40

$0.90 MGA 3,762

5.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.13

$0.62 MGA 2,617

30.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 35.90

$1.02 MGA 4,285

116.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.33

$1.53 MGA 6,429

62.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.07

$1.11 MGA 4,667

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 16.64

$0.98 MGA 4,103

4.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.28

$0.71 MGA 2,994

119.72%

Eggs

$2.34 R 38.05

$2.00 MGA 8,368

17.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 R 126

$9.82 MGA 41.2K

-21.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.49 R 73.1

$4.77 MGA 20.0K

-5.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.73 R 109

$4.21 MGA 17.6K

59.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.40

$1.17 MGA 4,898

33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.22

$0.63 MGA 2,650

126.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.48

$1.02 MGA 4,280

41.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.55

$0.88 MGA 3,704

71.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.81

$0.53 MGA 2,238

130.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R 20.74

$0.75 MGA 3,163

70.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 R 16.89

$0.35 MGA 1,462

197.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.21

$0.63 MGA 2,662

49.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R 48.55

$1.76 MGA 7,373

69.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 R 83.8

$5.46 MGA 22.9K

-5.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.55

$0.84 MGA 3,509

65.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 26.93

$1.28 MGA 5,366

29.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 26.48

$0.15 MGA 622

986.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.05 R 732

$9.08 MGA 38.1K

396.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.41

$2.25 MGA 9,429

-49.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R 17.93

$2.04 MGA 8,535

-46.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 R 78.9

$4.55 MGA 19.1K

6.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R 20.15

$1.28 MGA 5,346

-3.13%

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

$20.3K R 330.2K

$13.6K MGA 56.9M

49.76%

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

$23.5K R 381.4K

$23.5K MGA 98.5M

-0.13%

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

$113 R 1,843

$46.66 MGA 195.6K

143.10%

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

$32.36 R 526

$15.15 MGA 63.5K

113.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.45 R 674

$51.5 MGA 216.0K

-19.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.59 R 513

$22.18 MGA 93.0K

42.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.61 R 156

$6.35 MGA 26.6K

51.34%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 R 111

$6.69 MGA 28.1K

2.09%

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

$187 R 3,039

$71.4 MGA 299.2K

161.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,362 R 70.9K

$11.5K MGA 48.3M

-62.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.50 R 804

$26.60 MGA 111.5K

86.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.42 R 494

$27.46 MGA 115.1K

10.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 R 1,489

$71.8 MGA 301.2K

27.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 R 1,281

$52.4 MGA 219.8K

50.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 R 7,175

$303 MGA 1.3M

45.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 R 5,963

$101 MGA 421.5K

264.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 R 14.4K

$535 MGA 2.2M

65.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 R 11.8K

$369 MGA 1.5M

96.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,090 R 17.7K

$686 MGA 2.9M

58.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$780 R 12.7K

$589 MGA 2.5M

32.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,558 R 25.3K

$130 MGA 544.8K

1098.65%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Madagascar: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $368 in South Africa vs $71.0 in Madagascar. For reference, capital cities sit at $765 in Cape Town and $382 in Antananarivo.

Average salary: $1,520 in South Africa vs $130 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 400% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 700% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 1069% higher in South Africa, giving South Africa stronger purchasing power.

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 278% 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 278% 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.