Toliara vs Toamasina: Which City Wins for Expats in 2026?
Toliara ranks meaningfully higher on safety. Use our tool below to personalize the estimate based on your income and lifestyle.
Toamasina is approximately less expensive than Toliara based on cost of living including rent. This makes Toamasina a more budget-friendly option for expats considering a move.
Toamasina has a FIRE Score of 70/100, indicating its suitability for financial independence and early retirement. The city's safety index is 40, suggesting moderate safety levels.
Recommended profile: Toamasina is ideal for GeoArbitragers and remote workers looking to maximize savings.
About Toliara
Toliara suits a frugal retiree who prioritizes mild weather over connectivity. Its 45 retiree score beats 36 for digital nomads, and 5 Mbps internet makes remote work impractical while a 55 safety rating and 21°C winters support slow, low-cost living. Anyone needing dependable healthcare or fast internet should 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.
N/A/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
About Toamasina
A one-bedroom outside Toamasina's center rents for $56 a month, with city-center units at $134, among the cheapest housing on the planet. That matters most to extreme geo-arbitrage retirees chasing a $930 budget lifestyle. The offsetting weakness is healthcare access rated poor, which raises real medical-evacuation risk for older expats.
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.
$1,650/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
Battle of Lifestyles
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| Metric | Toliara | Toamasina |
|---|---|---|
| 1BR Apartment (Center) | N/A | $133.86 |
| 1BR Apartment (Outside) | N/A | $55.77 |
| 3BR Apartment (Center) | N/A | $446.19 |
| 3BR Apartment (Outside) | N/A | $133.86 |
| Safety Index | 55 | 40 |
| Internet Speed | 5Mbps | 10Mbps |
| Walkability Score | N/A | N/A |
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Toliara vs Toamasina -- Frequently Asked Questions
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