Mahajanga vs Martil: Which City Wins for Expats in 2026?
Martil costs roughly 7% less than Mahajanga. The cost gap makes Martil the stronger pick for financial independence. Use our tool below to personalize the estimate based on your income and lifestyle.
Martil is approximately 33% less expensive than Mahajanga based on cost of living including rent. This makes Martil a more budget-friendly option for expats considering a move.
Martil has a FIRE Score of 85/100, indicating its suitability for financial independence and early retirement. The city's safety index is 66, which is relatively safe.
Recommended profile: Martil is ideal for GeoArbitragers and remote workers looking to maximize savings.
About Mahajanga
Mahajanga is a cheap, warm, low-rise port town where a single adult can live on a budget tier of $383/mo and still eat out for $2 a meal, which is why its FIRE score of 74/100 outshines its retiree score of 44/100. The catch is everything that comes with a 34/100 cost of living index: poor healthcare, limited English, a small expat community, and 13 Mbps internet that will test your patience. If you want tropical heat, a $335/mo city-center one-bedroom, and cyclone season from November to March, it delivers; if you need good hospitals or a deep social scene, look elsewhere.
About Madagascar
A 1BR apartment in the city center runs $314 a month, less than a parking spot in most US downtowns, and total costs land near $406 monthly. But healthcare scores just 26.4, with limited English-speaking doctors, and political stability sits at -0.91. The retirement visa only needs EUR 500/mo income. This works only if you accept real medical risk in exchange for the savings.
$2,457/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
About Martil
Martil is one of the cheapest coastal towns you can park yourself in, with a 1-bedroom in the center at $251/mo and a single adult scraping by on $325/mo. The catch is the expat scene: there is none, so you are trading community for a 96-thousand-person town where English is common only in tourist areas. The 83/100 overall expat score and 85/100 FIRE score tell you this is a money-saving play, not a social one, and the retiree and digital nomad scores of 63/100 confirm it. Come for the $3 restaurant meals and 5 km hop to TTU, stay if you can handle being the only foreigner on your block.
About Morocco
A digital nomad visa exists and low English proficiency rule out remote workers wanting easy setup. Budget retirees willing to navigate a complex, unranked-income Carte de Sejour process get real value: $375/mo rents a city-center 1BR, and healthcare access includes English-speaking doctors despite a middling 46.8 index.
$2,529/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
Battle of Lifestyles
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| Metric | Mahajanga | Martil |
|---|---|---|
| 1BR Apartment (Center) | $334.65 | $251.24 |
| 1BR Apartment (Outside) | $267.72 | $200.99 |
| 3BR Apartment (Center) | $669.29 | $351.74 |
| 3BR Apartment (Outside) | $446.19 | $281.39 |
| Safety Index | 53 | 66 |
| Internet Speed | 12.7Mbps | 45Mbps |
| Walkability Score | N/A | N/A |
Monthly cost by categoryOne person, computed from each city's own average prices
| Category | Mahajanga | Martil |
|---|---|---|
| Total (rent included) | $515/mo | $474/mo |
| Excluding rent | $247/mo | $273/mo |
| Rent | $268/mo | $201/mo |
| Groceries | $127/mo | $114/mo |
| Dining out | $20.00/mo | $29.00/mo |
| Entertainment & lifestyle | $26.00/mo | $49.00/mo |
| Utilities & connectivity | $74.00/mo | $81.00/mo |
| Transport | N/A | N/A |
Usage-based estimates from this city's own average prices. A row marked N/A means that city is missing data, so no figure is shown instead of a stale one.
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Mahajanga vs Martil -- Frequently Asked Questions
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