Hello,
Before moving to Madagascar, it is important to investigate the cost of living in the country.
As we did in 2015, we give you the opportunity to share your experience and tell us more about products and services average recorded prices in your town/city/area.
Don't hesitate to let us know if the cost of living in Madagascar has decreased or increased in the past few years.
Thanks to your help, would-be expatriates will have the opportunity to refine and better prepare their expatriation project.
> How much does it cost to rent an apartment/house in Madagascar?
> How much do you pay for your public transport tickets (bus, subway, train, tram)?
> Staple food: what do people eat and how much do they pay for basic food like bread, rice or pasta?
>What is your monthly grocery budget?
> How much does it cost to see a physician/doctor/specialist in Madagascar ?
> What is your children's schooling monthly budget?
> How much does it cost to fill up your car's fuel tank?
> How much do you pay for electricity/gas/water etc.?
> How much do you pay for your Internet/phone subscription?
> How much do you pay for your lunch pack on weekdays?
> How much do you pay for an espresso coffee?
> How much do you pay for a cinema ticket?
> How much does a gym membership cost in Madagascar?
Thank you everyone!
Priscilla
Cost of living in Madagascar - 2017
Some examples from the original post I can not offer examples of pricing so will borrow from a previous 2015 post from Ray61 listed below.
We do own our home and other properties and rent to locals for 5 to 10 dollars a month but an expat can get something around 10 to 20 times that price with the help provided below.
We don't have subways, but local transport is 20 to 60 cents and walking is the best and free/healthy and here in Mahajanga a city of one million people there are no Gyms- there was once but out of business. There is no cinema to compare but a price to concerts at times for $1 or 2 dollars
Schools vary from local price, such as my school in the Bush community at $1.50 a month to college French at 150/300 dollars or more depending if you are a Malagasy, French, or other NGO/Missionary from Norway England...etc.
Electric varies---many are going to solar, many use charcoal as I do 50% of the time for $5 a month or Gas tanks for $15 a month--water can be well for free or paid from the city for some 5% of the population at $10/month. Lunch Pack?---eat at a local restaurant for $2 a meal.
A complicated question with many different directions to ponder. You can not live here like you live at home for one thing there are no fast food restaurants here. Life is different and not expensive depending on how you live- locals live on 40 dollars a month or less a few on $150 but the Expat seems to adjust to ten times that price per month---to give a rough estimate--the Expat ( even as a couple) can live on a budget of 500 to 1000 dollars a month and have a good life.
As I review the list of 2015 I would have to say that the price has come down since then especially with the Euro and dollar stronger- the Euro around 3400 ar and the dollar around 3300----In January 2017
The prices varies depending where you are on the list as I describe below
The tourist #1 pays the most ( not an ex pat ) but are guided by locals and ex-pat guides that use predatory practices to raise prices by 5 to ten times the prices. And in some ways the reason there are not more tourists here in Madagascar because the expenses are way to high.
The #2 NGO/ Missionary type of Ex pat will pay just below the tourist since they are only here for two years and does not know prices. They hang with other NGO/Missionaries and rarely frequent the the local market for the best prices- it is not their money they are spending so go with the price they are offered or go to Vasaha and tourist stores like Score and Shoprite.......
the #3 expat is new to the scene ( less than 7 years) and has difficulties with language and realize they must bargain for every product and service and this becomes a bit tedious and relents to the price offered and will move between local markets and markets for Vasaha and tourist stores.
The experienced #4 expat who goes almost only to local markets, knows the wholesalers and knows prices and will not buy a product or service unless it is the normal price being the local price for locals. Having said that the experienced ex pat can at times have to pay a tiny bit more but not always. Why? for locals see the Vasaha has more money and expects the vasaha to pay a bit more- even to the point they will not sell their product or service but will sell to a local Malagasy #5 at the lower price and right in front of the Vasaha. It can be such a small price but it is a stubborn price that Vasaha either accepts or walk away with nothing. Example: we planed this---My Malagasy wife went alone without me and bought a flashlight at the local price, I went in and bargained for the same flashlight but could not get the same price, impossible--- my wife came in next to me and got that small discount-(zato ariary difference--a few pennies).
But again if the locals see my wife with me, a vasaha they make the price higher and same if they see my wife with my children, that are light colored they will also make the price higher to start- My wife is a fierce bargainer and finally gets the local price which is why she goes shopping alone usually and in local dressed down clothing.
The Point is to get the best prices You Must Bargain on every transaction
Then you can say that you are getting better than 2015 even 2014 prices.
The price below is from Ray61 and translated into english https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=439009
Cours / rates 1 euro = 3.200Ar
House / home
Rent house 3 rooms in town (15km from the sea) / Rent of a house 3 BR (city average / average) 187,50 €, 600.000Ar
Rent house 3 bedrooms in a seaside / Rent of a house 3 BR in city on the beach 375,00 €, 1.200.000Ar
Rent house 2 bedrooms in a seaside / Rent of a house 3 BR in city on the beach [internet bad / bad] € 281.25, 900.000Ar
electicity without air conditioning / Electricity w / o aircon (4 people) € 96.88, 310.000Ar
Cable TV € 62.50, 200.000Ar
Internet (Nosy Be: 230 Kbs daytime / night-we 1Mbs daytime / night-we) € 78.13, 250.000Ar
Gas € 31.25, 100.000
Maid full time / Fulltime housemaid € 46.88, 150.000Ar
local market / Local market
Meat / Meat ZEBU (1kg) 3,75 €, 12.000Ar
Chicken Malagasy Chicken 4,06 €, 13.000Ar
Chicken / chicken 4,69 €, 15.000Ar
Fish / Fish (1kg) 2,50 €, 8.000Ar
Vegetables / Vegeatable (1kg)
0,94 €, 3.000Ar
Potatoes / Potatoes 0,94 €, 3000Ar
Rice / Rice (1kg) 0,63 €, 2,000 Ar
Eggs / Eggs (part / piece) € 0.16, 500Ar
Bread / bread Malagasy (part / piece) € 0.22, 700Ar
Bread / bread (part / piece) € 0.38, 1.200Ar
chocolate bread / choco Bread (piece / piece) 0,75 €, 2,400Ar
Anana / Pineapple 0,63 €, 2.000Ar
Bananas / Bananas 0,31 €, 1.000Ar
Imported products / imported products
Oil / Oil (1l) 1,56 € Ar
Pasta / Pasta (500gr) 1,25 €, 4000Ar
Milk / Milk 1,88 € 6.000Ar
Sugar / Sugar 1,25 €, 4.000Ar
Butter / Butter 1,88 €, 6.000Ar
Mayonnaise (200gr) 1,25 €, 4.000Ar
beverages / drinks
water / water in bottle (1.5l) 0.63 €, 2.000Ar
beer / beer Malagasy (0.75l) € 0.78, 2.500Ar
Rhum (0.75l) 3.13, € 0.33, € 2,000Ar Transport Bajaj (taxi in the city / taxi in the city) € 0.31, 1.000Ar Taxi ( €), € 10.000Ar
Malagasy Wine / Malagasy wine € 2.19, 7.000Ar
Coca-Cola Hell-Ville - beach / beach (Taxi out of town / outside of the city) 0.63 €, 20,000Ar Bathroom / bath room Soap bath / bath soap Malagasy 0,25 €, 800Ar Bath soap import 1,88 €, 6.000Ar Toothpaste / toothpaste 1,56 €, 5000Ar Gilette 3 (piece / Piece) 0,63 € 2.000Ar Toilet paper / toilet paper (4) 0,78 €, 2.500Ar Shaving foam / shaving foam 3,75 €, 12.000Ar Cream for the body / body cream import 3,44 €, 11,000Ar Shampoo / Shampoo 2,19 €, 7.000Ar Others / other Cyber (1h) 0,94 €, 3,000Ar Restaurant (2 courses, 2 people + drinks / 2 courses 2 persons + drinks) 18,75 €, 60,000Ar local beer in a bar / local beer in a bar € 1.56, 5.000Ar Coca in a bar / € 0.63 in a bar, 2.000Ar Gasoline / Diesel (1l) € 1.16, 3.700Ar Fitness 12.50 €, 40.000Ar Totals / Totals Budget food / hygiene // Groceries 4 pers. 725,00 € 2.320.000Bar Budget House / Home 440,63 € 1.410.000Ar
I did want to add this but my time to edit ran out
As I scan the prices above I can say that I am paying for 2017 some 10 to 15 % less-
Sugar I see is 4.000 ariary and I pay just under 3.000ar-
We don't use toilet paper we use water because we just like to be clean.
water here is about 1600 ar/ liter in Mahajanga
I make my own Mayo- fresh and less than 5 min for 1,000ar
Butter at 5.000 ar but that varies on the product---not a good example
Bananas the same ( per kilo) as well as pineapples are the same price but size does matter so again not a great example.
Meat and chicken same price as 2015 but fish is cheaper here which is a surprise since the ocean is just right there. Fish here is per kilo 7,000ar and been this way for a couple of years
So with the better Euro and dollar stronger we are coming out ahead of the rise in prices.
Good question and post but difficult to answer as such a convoluted question, when prices are not stable such as rice which changes weekly and prices not posted when you are in the market to buy what ever it is that you are looking for.
Remember Ex pats- going to the local market and asking prices is a social encounter and time is free here and you just have to enjoy the moment and not be in a rush, like back home.
