Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toamasina and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Toamasina: $465 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Toamasina

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$465

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toamasina and in Cape Town

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

A single person spends $465 per month in Toamasina vs $1,586 in Cape Town, rent included.

Toamasina $465
Cape Town $1,586

A couple spends around $753 per month in Toamasina vs $2,425 in Cape Town, rent included.

Toamasina $753
Cape Town $2,425

A family of three spends $1,041 per month in Toamasina vs $3,263 in Cape Town, rent included.

Toamasina $1,041
Cape Town $3,263

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

Toamasina sits 66% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.63 MGA 12.0K

$12.14 R 200

-78.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.74 MGA 71.8K

$45.34 R 747

-65.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.35 MGA 19.9K

$5.88 R 96.9

-26.02%

Cappuccino

$1.09 MGA 4,993

$2.50 R 41.18

-56.40%

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

$0.53 MGA 2,430

$1.27 R 20.94

-58.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 MGA 4,974

$2.99 R 49.33

-63.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 MGA 4,933

$3.72 R 61.4

-70.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 MGA 5,015

$1.30 R 21.40

-15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 MGA 4,990

$1.25 R 20.68

-12.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 MGA 4,663

$2.23 R 36.76

-54.26%

Eggs

$1.83 MGA 8,346

$3.11 R 51.2

-41.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.50 MGA 57.0K

$9.06 R 149

37.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.69 MGA 35.1K

$6.92 R 114

11.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.18 MGA 28.2K

$9.30 R 153

-33.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.52 MGA 6,915

$1.84 R 30.25

-17.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 MGA 5,890

$1.96 R 32.29

-34.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 MGA 7,155

$1.67 R 27.45

-5.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 MGA 3,090

$2.17 R 35.70

-68.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.62 MGA 2,835

$1.57 R 25.81

-60.51%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 MGA 2,508

$1.48 R 24.45

-62.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.34 MGA 1,561

$1.30 R 21.41

-73.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 MGA 2,242

$1.13 R 18.60

-56.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.72 MGA 7,845

$3.60 R 59.3

-52.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 MGA 3,889

$1.38 R 22.66

-38.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 MGA 4,945

$2.14 R 35.20

-49.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MGA 1,565

$1.50 R 24.65

-77.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 MGA 5,046

$1.55 R 25.50

-28.39%

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

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

$31.2K R 514.8K

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

$114 R 1,883

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

$30.98 MGA 141.3K

$28.91 R 476

7.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 MGA 302.4K

$39.73 R 654

66.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.83 MGA 99.6K

$49.01 R 808

-55.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

Cinema Ticket

$6.82 MGA 31.1K

$9.15 R 151

-25.46%

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

$259 R 4,264

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$8.91 MGA 40.6K

$56.2 R 926

-84.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$6.77 MGA 30.9K

$32.41 R 534

-79.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.9 MGA 255.2K

$121 R 1,987

-53.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.06 MGA 169.1K

$108 R 1,781

-65.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$135 MGA 617.9K

$1,021 R 16.8K

-86.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$55.5 MGA 252.9K

$717 R 11.8K

-92.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$444 MGA 2.0M

$1,824 R 30.1K

-75.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$134 MGA 612.1K

$1,327 R 21.9K

-89.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$133 MGA 606.3K

$1,639 R 27.0K

-91.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

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

Last update for Toamasina: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toamasina

–

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Groceries & Markets

Toamasina

–

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toamasina

–

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Eating Out

Toamasina

–

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Toamasina

–

Cape Town

$143 9%

Getting Around

Toamasina

–

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Toamasina

–

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $135 in Toamasina versus $1,021 in Cape Town. 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 1133% higher in Cape Town, 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 $45.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $169 vs $225 – making Toamasina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Toamasina

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

09:27 9:27 AM

08:27 8:27 AM

1 h behind Toamasina

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

325,857

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, 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).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to MGA in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Toamasina Cape Town 3,540 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Toamasina
Cape Town

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 Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 241% more than Toamasina, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $697 per month in Toamasina and $2,379 in Cape Town. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $465 in Toamasina and $1,586 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 241%.

Groceries cost about 33% more in Cape Town, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Toamasina, where all-in costs run around $465, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Toamasina it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Toamasina costs $465 versus $1,586 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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