Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toliara and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Toliara: $173 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 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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Toliara

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$173

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toliara 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 Toliara and in Cape Town actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $173 per month in Toliara vs $1,586 in Cape Town, rent included.

Toliara $173
Cape Town $1,586

A couple spends around $260 per month in Toliara vs $2,425 in Cape Town, rent included.

Toliara $260
Cape Town $2,425

A family of three spends $347 per month in Toliara vs $3,263 in Cape Town, rent included.

Toliara $347
Cape Town $3,263

Toliara is about 89% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Toliara sits 87% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.81 MGA 8,267

$12.14 R 200

-85.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

Cappuccino

$0.75 MGA 3,434

$2.50 R 41.18

-70.00%

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

$0.63 MGA 2,864

$1.27 R 20.94

-50.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MGA 6,472

$1.30 R 21.40

9.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.38 MGA 1,722

$2.23 R 36.76

-82.96%

Eggs

$2.10 MGA 9,575

$3.11 R 51.2

-32.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.62 MGA 21.1K

$6.92 R 114

-33.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.78 MGA 21.8K

$9.30 R 153

-48.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

Banana (1kg)

$0.67 MGA 3,061

$1.96 R 32.29

-65.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 MGA 7,708

$2.17 R 35.70

-22.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.48 MGA 2,205

$1.57 R 25.81

-69.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 MGA 3,096

$1.13 R 18.60

-39.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.72 MGA 7,838

$3.60 R 59.3

-52.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.43 MGA 24.7K

$6.15 R 101

-11.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 MGA 3,154

$1.38 R 22.66

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

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)

$1.55 R 25.50

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)

$16.30 MGA 74.3K

$28.91 R 476

-43.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.77 MGA 149.5K

$39.73 R 654

-17.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

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)

$56.2 R 926

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

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)

$1,639 R 27.0K

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 Toliara: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toliara

–

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Groceries & Markets

Toliara

–

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toliara

–

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Eating Out

Toliara

–

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Toliara

–

Cape Town

$143 9%

Getting Around

Toliara

–

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Toliara

–

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Good to know

🇲🇬 Toliara

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

06:43 6:43 AM

05:43 5:43 AM

1 h behind Toliara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

168,756

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Toliara Cape Town 2,720 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Toliara
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

Toliara vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 817% more than Toliara, 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 $260 per month in Toliara and $2,379 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $173 in Toliara and $1,586 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 817%.

Groceries cost about 130% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Toliara, where all-in costs run around $173, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Toliara 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. Toliara costs $173 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 Toliara. 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.