Madagascar
Profiled in Antananarivo · East Africa
A continent-sized island of endemic species, rice terraces and highland Merina architecture, with deep poverty and difficult logistics outside the main corridors.
Cost of living
What a month costs
One of the cheapest countries in the world in local terms, but internal travel is slow and expensive, and imported goods carry heavy freight costs.
The scores
How it rates for a moving family
See and do
Top 10 in Antananarivo
- Rova of AntananarivoHilltop royal palace compound above the capital.
- Avenue of the BaobabsGrandidier's baobabs lining a dirt road near Morondava.
- Tsingy de BemarahaLimestone pinnacle forest, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
- Analakely MarketCentral market beneath the stairways of the lower town.
- Lake AnosyHeart-shaped lake with jacaranda and a war memorial.
- AndringitraHigh granite massif with Madagascar's best trekking.
- AmbohimangaSacred royal hill and UNESCO site outside the capital.
- Isalo National ParkSandstone canyons and natural pools in the south.
Where to go
Weekend escapes
- AndasibeRainforest reserve three hours east, home to the indri lemur.
- AntsirabeHighland spa town of rickshaws and thermal springs.
- Nosy BeNorthern beach island with resorts and diving.
- MorondavaGateway to the Avenue of the Baobabs on the west coast.
- RanomafanaMontane rainforest national park in the south-east.
Residency
Residence follows work, investment or family, and long-stay visas are renewable. Foreigners cannot own land outright but can hold long leases, and citizenship is rarely granted.
Tax
Personal and corporate rates are both 20%, among the lower rates in the region, with 20% VAT. A minimum turnover tax applies. There is no wealth or inheritance tax.
Curious what you would actually pay? See the Madagascar tax profile: income, corporate, VAT and exit rules →
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