Madagascar vs Zambia

Madagascar costs roughly 63% less than Zambia. Use our tool below to personalize the estimate based on your income and lifestyle.

$

Madagascar is approximately 63% less expensive than Zambia based on cost of living including rent. This makes Madagascar a more budget-friendly option for expats considering a move.

Madagascar has a FIRE Score of 100/100, indicating its suitability for financial independence and early retirement. The country's safety index is 41.6, suggesting moderate safety levels.

Recommended profile: Madagascar is ideal for GeoArbitragers and remote workers looking to maximize savings.

Overall Winner

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.

MONTHLY SAVINGS

$2,279/mo

🛂

Not sure which Madagascar visa you qualify for?

Answer 11 questions and get a personalized match in under 2 minutes.

Find My Visa →

Living Costs (excl. rent)

Single (excl. rent)$406
Family (excl. rent)$1,441

Rent Per Month

1 Bedroom (City Centre)
$314
1 Bedroom (Outside Centre)
$149
3 Bedroom (City Centre)
$736
3 Bedroom (Outside Centre)
$372

Attractiveness Scores

FIRE Score
100/100
Retiree Score
40/100
Nomad Score
58/100


Country Details →

About Zambia

Rock-bottom rent (around $475 for a city-center 1BR) suits a low-maintenance retiree willing to trade healthcare quality for cash flow, since the Healthcare Index sits at just 26.9 against a livable Quality of Life score of 79.4. A clear retirement visa path exists, but medical access often limited outside major cities and a small expat community make this a poor fit for anyone with chronic health conditions or no tolerance for going it alone.

MONTHLY SAVINGS

$1,820/mo

🛂

Not sure which Zambia visa you qualify for?

Answer 11 questions and get a personalized match in under 2 minutes.

Find My Visa →

Living Costs (excl. rent)

Single (excl. rent)$706
Family (excl. rent)$2,561

Rent Per Month

1 Bedroom (City Centre)
$475
1 Bedroom (Outside Centre)
$146
3 Bedroom (City Centre)
$1,542
3 Bedroom (Outside Centre)
$1,089

Attractiveness Scores

FIRE Score
91/100
Retiree Score
41/100
Nomad Score
62/100


Country Details →

Battle of Lifestyles

Scroll to compare

MetricMadagascarZambia
Travel Advisory
Level 2: Increased CautionLevel 1: Normal Precautions
Quality of Life Index
52.4
79.4 +27.0
Healthcare Index
26.4 26.9 +0.5
Safety Index
41.6
48.3 +6.7
Cost of Living Index
20.7 +13.133.8
Living Costs (Single, excl. rent)$406.4 +299.5$705.9
Living Costs (Family, excl. rent)$1,441.2 +1,119.4$2,560.6
1BR Apartment (Center)$314.19 +160.4$474.59
1BR Apartment (Outside)$148.98 $145.73 +3.25
3BR Apartment (Center)$736.26 +805.76$1,542.02
3BR Apartment (Outside)$372.3 +716.7$1,089
Avg Internet Speed50.95 Mbps 64.09 Mbps +13.1

Frequently Asked Questions

Click any question to expand the answer.

We use a "Pure Data" approach, pulling raw facts from high-authority sources including private sources for real-time crowd-sourced pricing, the World Bank for stability metrics, and official government visa portals.

The FIRE Score is a dynamic metric based on your Monthly Income vs. Total Expenses. It calculates your potential savings rate; the more you save, the higher the score.

Our indices (Quality of Life, Healthcare, Safety, Cost of Living) are relative metrics. For example, a higher Quality of Life Index indicates better purchasing power, safety, and healthcare, while a higher Cost of Living Index means the country is more expensive relative to others.

The Retiree Score is a holistic measure of how suitable a country is for long-term retirement. It is calculated from three main factors: healthcare system quality, safety index, and the general cost of living.

The Nomad Score measures how well a country supports remote workers. It is calculated from average internet speeds, the cost of living, and the safety index.

The "Single" toggle calculates costs based on a 1-Bedroom apartment. "Family" assumes a 3-Bedroom apartment and the expenses for a household of four.