Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toamasina and Antananarivo

For one person, living is cheaper in Toamasina: $466 a month against $645 in Antananarivo, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Toamasina, Madagascar
Antananarivo, Madagascar
Toamasina
🇲🇬 Madagascar
$466
/mo nomad
Antananarivo
🇲🇬 Madagascar
$645
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toamasina and in Antananarivo

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

A single person spends $466 per month in Toamasina vs $645 in Antananarivo, rent included.

  • Toamasina $466
  • Antananarivo $645

A couple spends around $753 per month in Toamasina vs $991 in Antananarivo, rent included.

  • Toamasina $753
  • Antananarivo $991

A family of three spends $1,040 per month in Toamasina vs $1,338 in Antananarivo, rent included.

  • Toamasina $1,040
  • Antananarivo $1,338

Toamasina is about 28% cheaper than Antananarivo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Toamasina and Antananarivo are more affordable than the global median – Toamasina 66% lower, Antananarivo 53% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Toamasina
Antananarivo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.71 MGA 12.4K
$2.62 MGA 12.0K
3.44%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$15.39 MGA 70.6K
$19.47 MGA 89.3K
-20.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.35 MGA 20.0K
$5.52 MGA 25.3K
-21.20%
Cappuccino
$1.13 MGA 5,188
$1.58 MGA 7,233
-28.48%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.57 MGA 2,620
$0.79 MGA 3,644
-27.85%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.45 MGA 2,063
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.14 MGA 5,228
$1.01 MGA 4,642
12.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.08 MGA 4,938
$2.14 MGA 9,804
-49.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Toamasina
Antananarivo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.07 MGA 4,897
$0.92 MGA 4,235
16.30%
White Bread (500g)
$1.13 MGA 5,194
$0.97 MGA 4,450
16.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.02 MGA 4,662
$0.74 MGA 3,381
37.84%
Eggs
$1.82 MGA 8,368
$2.02 MGA 9,271
-9.90%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.64 MGA 58.0K
$8.07 MGA 37.0K
56.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.87 MGA 36.1K
$4.24 MGA 19.4K
85.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.27 MGA 28.8K
$4.70 MGA 21.6K
33.40%
Apples (1kg)
$1.52 MGA 6,974
$1.07 MGA 4,914
42.06%
Banana (1kg)
$1.36 MGA 6,235
$0.57 MGA 2,634
138.60%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.57 MGA 7,201
$0.99 MGA 4,561
58.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.63 MGA 2,885
$0.79 MGA 3,625
-20.25%
Potato (1kg)
$0.61 MGA 2,807
$0.59 MGA 2,691
3.39%
Onion (1kg)
$0.55 MGA 2,530
$0.95 MGA 4,368
-42.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.35 MGA 1,586
$0.32 MGA 1,455
9.37%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.46 MGA 2,107
$0.71 MGA 3,250
-35.21%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.70 MGA 7,807
$1.56 MGA 7,165
8.97%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$4.98 MGA 22.8K
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 MGA 3,811
$0.96 MGA 4,411
-13.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.11 MGA 5,099
$1.77 MGA 8,141
-37.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Toamasina
Antananarivo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.32 MGA 1,446
$0.13 MGA 611
146.15%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$3.38 MGA 15.5K
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.93 MGA 8,842
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$4.45 MGA 20.4K
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.13 MGA 5,204
$1.14 MGA 5,247
-0.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$11.7K MGA 53.7M
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$25.2K MGA 115.8M
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toamasina
Antananarivo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
-
$72.7 MGA 333.3K
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$30.75 MGA 141.0K
$16.30 MGA 74.8K
88.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$66.0 MGA 302.7K
$56.6 MGA 259.6K
16.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Toamasina
Antananarivo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$22.32 MGA 102.4K
$28.53 MGA 130.9K
-21.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$6.88 MGA 31.6K
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.63 MGA 30.4K
$5.65 MGA 25.9K
17.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Toamasina
Antananarivo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$24.31 MGA 111.5K
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$14.7K MGA 67.4M
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Toamasina
Antananarivo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$8.88 MGA 40.8K
$28.35 MGA 130.0K
-68.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$6.79 MGA 31.2K
$26.86 MGA 123.2K
-74.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$54.2 MGA 248.8K
$74.7 MGA 342.5K
-27.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$36.55 MGA 167.7K
$66.9 MGA 306.7K
-45.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Toamasina
Antananarivo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$133 MGA 610.3K
$323 MGA 1.5M
-58.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$54.8 MGA 251.2K
$149 MGA 682.4K
-63.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$442 MGA 2.0M
$706 MGA 3.2M
-37.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$131 MGA 602.9K
$314 MGA 1.4M
-58.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$665 MGA 3.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$574 MGA 2.6M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Toamasina
Antananarivo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$134 MGA 614.1K
$130 MGA 594.9K
3.22%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
15.75
-

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

Last update for Toamasina: October 25, 2026

Last update for Antananarivo: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Toamasina
–
Antananarivo
$149
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toamasina
–
Antananarivo
$146
Groceries & Markets
Toamasina
–
Antananarivo
$138
Clothing & Footwear
Toamasina
–
Antananarivo
$89
Eating Out
Toamasina
–
Antananarivo
$71
Sport & Entertainment
Toamasina
–
Antananarivo
$40
Getting Around
Toamasina
–
Antananarivo
$14 *

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $133 in Toamasina versus $323 in Antananarivo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 3% higher in Toamasina, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15 in Toamasina versus $19 in Antananarivo. Groceries tell a different story – $171 in Toamasina vs $138 in Antananarivo – so Antananarivo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇬 Toamasina
🇲🇬 Antananarivo
🕒 Local time
19:56 7:56 PM
19:56 7:56 PM
Same time as Toamasina
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
325,857
1,274,225 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MGA – Malagasy Ariary Converter

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4,587 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD). 1 EUR = 5,106 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Toamasina Antananarivo 220 km
From you
  • Toamasina
  • Antananarivo

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
Toamasina vs Antananarivo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Toamasina cheaper than Antananarivo?
Yes – Antananarivo is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $698 per month in Toamasina and $967 in Antananarivo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Toamasina, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $133 there versus $323 in Antananarivo.
How do food prices compare in Toamasina and in Antananarivo?
Interestingly, groceries are about 19% cheaper in Antananarivo – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Is eating out cheaper in Toamasina or in Antananarivo?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $15 in Toamasina and $19 in Antananarivo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,200 enough for either Toamasina or Antananarivo?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $466 in Toamasina and $645 in Antananarivo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Toamasina or in Antananarivo?
It depends on your priorities. Toamasina has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $466 in Toamasina to $645 in Antananarivo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Toamasina vs other spots: cost of living compared

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