Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toamasina and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Toamasina: $465 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Toamasina

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$465

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toamasina and in Budapest

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 Budapest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $465 per month in Toamasina vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Toamasina $465
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $753 per month in Toamasina vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Toamasina $753
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $1,041 per month in Toamasina vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Toamasina $1,041
Budapest $3,429

Toamasina is about 71% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Toamasina sits 66% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.63 MGA 12.0K

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-81.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.74 MGA 71.8K

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-74.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.35 MGA 19.9K

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-57.31%

Cappuccino

$1.09 MGA 4,993

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-66.56%

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

$0.53 MGA 2,430

$2.14 Ft 690

-75.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 MGA 4,974

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-70.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 MGA 4,933

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-71.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 MGA 5,015

$1.15 Ft 371

-4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 MGA 4,990

$1.79 Ft 578

-39.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 MGA 4,663

$2.49 Ft 804

-59.04%

Eggs

$1.83 MGA 8,346

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-53.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.50 MGA 57.0K

$11.10 Ft 3,587

12.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.69 MGA 35.1K

$6.62 Ft 2,139

16.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.18 MGA 28.2K

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-57.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.52 MGA 6,915

$1.83 Ft 591

-16.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 MGA 5,890

$2.05 Ft 661

-37.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 MGA 7,155

$2.37 Ft 765

-33.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 MGA 3,090

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-82.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.62 MGA 2,835

$0.99 Ft 320

-37.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 MGA 2,508

$1.00 Ft 322

-45.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.34 MGA 1,561

$1.58 Ft 511

-78.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 MGA 2,242

$0.67 Ft 216

-26.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.72 MGA 7,845

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-78.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 MGA 3,889

$1.27 Ft 411

-33.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 MGA 4,945

$2.03 Ft 654

-46.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MGA 1,565

$1.52 Ft 490

-77.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 MGA 5,046

$1.82 Ft 589

-39.01%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

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

$30.98 MGA 141.3K

$23.51 Ft 7,596

31.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 MGA 302.4K

$23.29 Ft 7,526

184.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.83 MGA 99.6K

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-67.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$6.82 MGA 31.1K

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-26.67%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$8.91 MGA 40.6K

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-91.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$6.77 MGA 30.9K

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-84.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.9 MGA 255.2K

$110 Ft 35.7K

-49.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.06 MGA 169.1K

$119 Ft 38.4K

-68.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$135 MGA 617.9K

$830 Ft 268.3K

-83.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$55.5 MGA 252.9K

$622 Ft 200.9K

-91.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$444 MGA 2.0M

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-72.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$134 MGA 612.1K

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-88.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$133 MGA 606.3K

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-91.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

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

Last update for Toamasina: October 10, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toamasina

–

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Groceries & Markets

Toamasina

–

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Eating Out

Toamasina

–

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toamasina

–

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Clothing & Footwear

Toamasina

–

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Sport & Entertainment

Toamasina

–

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Getting Around

Toamasina

–

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $135 in Toamasina versus $830 in Budapest. 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 1142% higher in Budapest, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16.00 in Toamasina versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $169 vs $258 – making Toamasina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Toamasina

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

07:28 7:28 AM

06:28 6:28 AM

1 h behind Toamasina

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

325,857

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to MGA – Malagasy Ariary Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇬 Malagasy Ariary (Ar)

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4,562 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD). 1 EUR = 5,128 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to MGA in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Toamasina Budapest 7,900 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Toamasina
Budapest

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 Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 248%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $697 per month in Toamasina and $2,428 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Toamasina, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 52% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16.00 in Toamasina and $61.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Toamasina, where all-in costs run around $465, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Toamasina it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Toamasina – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Toamasina. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.