Toamasina vs Tembisa
Single · Comfortable · $3,000/mo
Toamasina is approximately 53% less expensive than Tembisa 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 68/100, indicating its suitability for financial independence and early retirement. The city's safety index is 40, suggesting moderate safety levels.
Recommended profile: Toamasina is best suited for digital nomads who prioritize experience over savings.
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Best in rowMadagascar
Toamasina
South Africa
Tembisa
Estimates from published local prices. N/A means no figure is published for that city.
About these cities
About Tembisa
Tembisa is a cheap place to live, with a 1-bedroom in the city center at $204/mo and a single person spending about $450/mo excluding rent, but the average monthly net salary of $563/mo means most locals are not living the budget tier at $700/mo comfortably. The overall expat score of 80/100 and FIRE score of 82/100 look great on paper, yet a retiree score of 57/100 and a digital nomad score of 60/100 tell you this is not a soft landing for everyone, especially with a safety index of 55/100 and a crime index of 45/100. English is common in tourist areas, the air quality index of 68 is mediocre, and the South Africa Retired Person Visa requiring $2,050/mo or the Digital Nomad Visa requiring $2,950/mo will price out anyone earning a local wage. Come for the low rent and the 10 km hop to GCJ, stay only if your income is remote or foreign.
About South Africa
Safety is the dealbreaker: a 25.3 safety index puts South Africa firmly in caution territory, with the advisory level of 2 underscoring that. Retirees on fixed budgets should look past this for the math: $2,050/mo qualifies for the retirement visa, while rent runs under $500/mo in city centers. Low cost, low safety, weigh accordingly.
Tembisa costs roughly 10x less than Toamasina. Toamasina scores significantly higher on safety — worth weighing against the cost gap. Use our tool below to personalize the estimate based on your income and lifestyle.
Toamasina is approximately 53% less expensive than Tembisa 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 68/100, indicating its suitability for financial independence and early retirement. The city's safety index is 40, suggesting moderate safety levels.
Recommended profile: Toamasina is best suited for digital nomads who prioritize experience over savings.
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
About Tembisa
Tembisa is a cheap place to live, with a 1-bedroom in the city center at $204/mo and a single person spending about $450/mo excluding rent, but the average monthly net salary of $563/mo means most locals are not living the budget tier at $700/mo comfortably. The overall expat score of 80/100 and FIRE score of 82/100 look great on paper, yet a retiree score of 57/100 and a digital nomad score of 60/100 tell you this is not a soft landing for everyone, especially with a safety index of 55/100 and a crime index of 45/100. English is common in tourist areas, the air quality index of 68 is mediocre, and the South Africa Retired Person Visa requiring $2,050/mo or the Digital Nomad Visa requiring $2,950/mo will price out anyone earning a local wage. Come for the low rent and the 10 km hop to GCJ, stay only if your income is remote or foreign.
About South Africa
Safety is the dealbreaker: a 25.3 safety index puts South Africa firmly in caution territory, with the advisory level of 2 underscoring that. Retirees on fixed budgets should look past this for the math: $2,050/mo qualifies for the retirement visa, while rent runs under $500/mo in city centers. Low cost, low safety, weigh accordingly.
$1,800/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
Battle of Lifestyles
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| Metric | Toamasina | Tembisa |
|---|---|---|
| 1BR Apartment (Center) | $133.86 | $204.45 |
| 1BR Apartment (Outside) | $55.77 | $210.31 |
| 3BR Apartment (Center) | $446.19 | $350 |
| 3BR Apartment (Outside) | $133.86 | $250 |
| Safety Index | 40 | 20.66 |
| Internet Speed | 10Mbps | 25Mbps |
| Walkability Score | N/A | N/A |
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