Cost of Living Comparison Between Toamasina and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Toamasina and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $462 in Toamasina versus $1,561 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $753 in Toamasina versus $2,440 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,045 in Toamasina versus $3,319 in Mexico City.

Living in Toamasina costs roughly 70% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Toamasina is 66% below, Mexico City is 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.20 MGA 9,776

$11.12 MX$201

-80.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.66 MGA 69.6K

$48.99 MX$886

-68.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.69 MGA 20.8K

$11.23 MX$203

-58.24%

Cappuccino

$1.17 MGA 5,180

$3.76 MX$67.9

-68.88%

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

$0.75 MGA 3,345

$1.65 MX$29.87

-54.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 MGA 2,608

$1.28 MX$23.12

-53.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.93 MGA 4,156

$3.26 MX$58.9

-71.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MGA 5,703

$5.66 MX$102

-77.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 MGA 4,629

$1.81 MX$32.71

-42.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 MGA 3,075

$2.94 MX$53.2

-76.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 MGA 4,244

$2.05 MX$37.04

-53.66%

Eggs

$1.88 MGA 8,368

$2.93 MX$52.9

-35.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 MGA 53.7K

$11.95 MX$216

1.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.64 MGA 29.5K

$9.51 MX$172

-30.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.14 MGA 22.9K

$14.84 MX$268

-65.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 MGA 7,284

$3.14 MX$56.8

-47.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MGA 6,179

$2.01 MX$36.42

-30.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 MGA 6,987

$2.08 MX$37.51

-24.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 MGA 2,906

$2.22 MX$40.09

-70.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.60 MGA 2,674

$2.06 MX$37.23

-70.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 MGA 2,492

$1.88 MX$33.93

-70.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 MGA 1,438

$1.48 MX$26.76

-78.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 MGA 2,230

$1.35 MX$24.31

-62.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.79 MGA 7,942

$5.41 MX$97.8

-66.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MX$305

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 MGA 4,119

$1.98 MX$35.87

-53.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MGA 5,023

$4.32 MX$78.2

-73.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 MGA 1,584

$0.34 MX$6.23

5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.23 MX$366

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$37.87

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.59

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$97.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 MGA 5,310

$1.52 MX$27.48

-21.71%

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

$21.7K MX$392.8K

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

$24.8K MX$448.5K

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

$63.0 MX$1,138

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

$32.37 MGA 143.9K

$28.88 MX$522

12.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.9 MGA 306.3K

$33.93 MX$613

103.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.38 MGA 99.5K

$55.8 MX$1,008

-59.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 MX$450

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MGA 31.3K

$6.77 MX$122

3.99%

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

$428 MX$7,732

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K MX$214.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$9.17 MGA 40.8K

$70.0 MX$1,266

-86.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$6.92 MGA 30.8K

$53.7 MX$971

-87.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.4 MGA 250.6K

$110 MX$1,984

-48.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.00 MGA 168.9K

$115 MX$2,083

-67.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$137 MGA 607.2K

$1,062 MX$19.2K

-87.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$57.0 MGA 253.6K

$671 MX$12.1K

-91.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$448 MGA 2.0M

$2,379 MX$43.0K

-81.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$135 MGA 600.8K

$1,260 MX$22.8K

-89.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,716 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,976 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$136 MGA 602.6K

$997 MX$18.0K

-86.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

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

Last update for Toamasina: October 4, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $137 in Toamasina and $1,062 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 636% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $16.00 in Toamasina vs $49.00 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $157 vs $327 per month, with Toamasina cheaper across the board.

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toamasina and Mexico City differ by about 238% in total monthly costs ($462 vs $1,561 including rent). Toamasina is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 636% lower in Mexico City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $137 in Toamasina versus $1,062 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Toamasina – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $49.00 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $462 per month in Toamasina versus $1,561 in Mexico City – a 238% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $462 in Toamasina versus $1,561 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Toamasina but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Toamasina the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Toamasina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 238% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.