Daily travel budget for Madagascar

I travelled Madagascar for three weeks and found costs reasonable but uneven. My local lunches were $3-4, while seafood dinners were $1Taxi rides in Tana were $2, but long bush taxi trips cost $5-8 and took all day. Tips were always 10%. On average, I spent $45 daily. Park trips like Ranomafana added $30-40 extra. Some days were cheap, others much higher. For planning, I’d say $40-50 is safe for meals, transport, and tips, but factor in spikes for excursions.

Meals: $3-5 street, $10-15 restaurants. Transport: $2 taxis, $5 bush taxis. Tips: 5-10%. Safe daily budget: $40 for meals, rides, and tips. Add $20-30 more if visiting parks or hiring drivers. Madagascar is affordable for food and basics but tours and transport to remote areas raise costs. For a month, $1,200 covers normal daily life, with extra for excursions like baobab visits or lemur treks.

I spent about $55 daily in Madagascar. Meals at restaurants in Antananarivo were $7-10, while seafood along the coast was $12-15. Taxis around town were $2-3, and intercity travel in bush taxis $5-6. Tips were modest, 10% at most. At this budget, I could eat in restaurants, tip generously, and take day trips without stress. Park entry fees and guides (like in Andasibe) cost $20-30, so those days went higher. Still, $50-60 daily feels safe for meals, transport, and tipping.

Madagascar is one of those places where travel is cheap day-to-day but tricky because of distances. Street food like sambos and rice dishes is $2-3, and sit-down meals are $6-8. Shared taxis or bush taxis between towns are very cheap ($2-5), but long rides take hours. Tips are small, about 5-10%. You can survive on $25-30 daily for food, local rides, and tips. If you hire a driver for national parks, though, that adds $40-60 extra. Normal days are very affordable, but tours bump costs.