Madagascar, Antananarivo

Country Full Name: Republic of Madagascar.

Location: Madagascar is an island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique.

Country Climate: Tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south.

Country Terrain: Narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in centre.

Major Languages: Malagasy (official), French.

Major Religions: Indigenous beliefs, Christianity.

Population: 1.4 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of Madagascar is reliant on agriculture, including fishing and forestry, accounting for 34 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and contributing more than 70 percent to export earnings. Industry features textile manufacturing and the processing of agricultural products.

Currency: Malagasy Ariary (MGA).

Inflation: 7.3% (2011 est.).

Antananarivo is the capital and largest city in Madagascar.

Antananarivo is the political and economic capital of Madagascar. The city is guarded by two forts built on hills to the east. Including an Anglican and a Roman Catholic cathedral, there are more than 5,000 churches in the city and its suburbs.

The cost of living in Antananarivo in Madagascar is in the middle compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. Antananarivo in Madagascar is currently ranked 419 overall out of 780 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 780 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are very high compared to other places for items such as alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, wine (where alcohol is legally sold) and tobacco related products. There are 15 places that are more expensive, and 764 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are very high compared to other places for items such as business suits, casual clothing, children's clothing, coats, evening wear, footwear, hats, shoe repairs and underwear. There are 11 places that are more expensive, and 768 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are very low compared to other places for various communication costs such as call charges, home telephone rental, internet connection, mobile data costs, mobile phone contract and service provider fees. There are 628 places that are more expensive, and 151 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are very low compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 744 places that are more expensive, and 35 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are high compared to other places for items such as DVD player, fridge freezer, furniture, household equipment, iron, kettle, light bulbs, microwave, television, toaster, vacuum cleaner and washing machine. There are 208 places that are more expensive, and 571 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are average compared to other places for items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning materials, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs. There are 416 places that are more expensive, and 363 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are low compared to other places for general healthcare, general practitioner consultation rates, healthcare/medical insurance, hospital private ward daily rate and non-prescription medicine. There are 571 places that are more expensive, and 208 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are low compared to other places for items such as accommodation, apartment, flat, house, villa, rent, electricity, household fuels, household gas, water, and local property rates / residential taxes / levies. There are 608 places that are more expensive, and 171 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are very low compared to other places for items such as dry cleaning, general goods, general services, linen, magazines, maid, newspapers, office supplies, postage stamps and stationery. There are 700 places that are more expensive, and 79 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are high compared to other places for items such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer, nappies, pain relief tablets, shampoo, soap, sun block, toilet paper and toothpaste. There are 308 places that are more expensive, and 471 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are very low compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 698 places that are more expensive, and 81 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are low compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a family restaurant (non fast food), 4 star and 5 star hotel rates and take away meal (fast food). There are 474 places that are more expensive, and 305 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are very high compared to other places for items such as car hire purchase, car insurance, car lease, car maintenance, car rental, car service, diesel, petrol, tyres and public transport. There are 80 places that are more expensive, and 699 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Antananarivo in Madagascar are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Antananarivo in Madagascar is ranked as extreme hardship with a hardship index of 40%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Antananarivo in Madagascar are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is as at 1 April 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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