Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toliara and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Toliara: $173 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $32,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
Learn more

Dubai Living Index

Jump to prices

Toliara

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$173

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toliara and in Dubai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $173 in Toliara versus $2,896 in Dubai.

Toliara $173
Dubai $2,896

Estimated couple costs with rent: $260 in Toliara versus $4,384 in Dubai.

Toliara $260
Dubai $4,384

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $347 in Toliara versus $5,872 in Dubai.

Toliara $347
Dubai $5,872

Living in Toliara costs roughly 94% less than in Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Toliara is 87% below, Dubai is 115% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.81 MGA 8,267

$12.67 AED 46.55

-85.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

Cappuccino

$0.75 MGA 3,434

$5.89 AED 21.62

-87.27%

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

$0.63 MGA 2,864

$1.69 AED 6.20

-62.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MGA 6,472

$1.84 AED 6.78

-22.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.38 MGA 1,722

$2.57 AED 9.45

-85.21%

Eggs

$2.10 MGA 9,575

$3.32 AED 12.18

-36.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.62 MGA 21.1K

$9.66 AED 35.46

-52.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.78 MGA 21.8K

$12.78 AED 46.93

-62.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

Banana (1kg)

$0.67 MGA 3,061

$1.90 AED 6.99

-64.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 MGA 7,708

$1.37 AED 5.02

23.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.48 MGA 2,205

$1.13 AED 4.14

-57.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 MGA 3,096

$0.67 AED 2.48

1.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.72 MGA 7,838

$5.88 AED 21.59

-70.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.43 MGA 24.7K

$16.15 AED 59.3

-66.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 MGA 3,154

$2.72 AED 10.00

-74.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

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

$249 AED 913

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

$16.30 MGA 74.3K

$54.4 AED 200

-70.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.77 MGA 149.5K

$91.5 AED 336

-64.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

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

$844 AED 3,098

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

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

Last update for Toliara: October 12, 2026

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toliara

–

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toliara

–

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Eating Out

Toliara

–

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Groceries & Markets

Toliara

–

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Toliara

–

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Sport & Entertainment

Toliara

–

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Getting Around

Toliara

–

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Good to know

🇲🇬 Toliara

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

08:05 8:05 AM

09:05 9:05 AM

1 h ahead of Toliara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

168,756

3,790,000

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, 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).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

USD to MGA in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Toliara Dubai 5,530 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Toliara
Dubai

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 Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toliara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and eating out. The 1574% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $260 in Toliara and $4,344 in Dubai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 198% higher in Dubai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $173 per month in Toliara versus $2,896 in Dubai – a 1574% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $173 in Toliara versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Toliara but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Toliara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Toliara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dubai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Toliara and Dubai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Toliara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1574% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.