Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Madagascar instead of New York, you would:

Health

be 84.9% less likely to be obese

In New York, 29.9% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Madagascar, that number is 4.5% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 30.9% less likely to be unemployed

In New York, 4.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Madagascar, that number is 3.0% as of 2025.

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be 5.7 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In New York, 13.3% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Madagascar, however, that number is 75.2% as of 2021.

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make 99.3% less money

New York has a GDP per capita of $91,992 as of 2024, while in Madagascar, the GDP per capita is $599 as of 2025.

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Basic Needs

be 79.2% less likely to have internet access

In New York, approximately 89.7% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In Madagascar, about 18.7% do as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), World Health Organization (2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024). How we calculate this

Compare further: New York vs. Madagascar

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Madagascar is 73.9% cheaper than New York
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Size Comparison · See true size
New York is about 4.8 times smaller than Madagascar.
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Moving from New York to Madagascar · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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Madagascar: At a glance

Madagascar is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 581,540 sq km. Formerly an independent kingdom, Madagascar became a French colony in 1896 but regained independence in 1960. During 1992-93, free presidential and National Assembly elections were held ending 17 years of single-party rule. In 1997, in the second presidential race, Didier RATSIRAKA, the leader during the 1970s and 1980s, was returned to the presidency. The 2001 presidential election was contested between the followers of Didier RATSIRAKA and Marc RAVALOMANANA, nearly causing secession of half of the country. In April 2002, the High Constitutional Court announced RAVALOMANANA the winner. RAVALOMANANA achieved a second term following a landslide victory in the generally free and fair presidential elections of 2006. In early 2009, protests over increasing restrictions on opposition press and activities resulted in RAVALOMANANA handing over power to the military, which then conferred the presidency on the mayor of Antananarivo, Andry RAJOELINA, in what amounted to a coup d'etat. Following a lengthy mediation process led by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Madagascar held UN-supported presidential and parliamentary elections in 2013. Former de facto finance minister Hery RAJAONARIMAMPIANINA defeated RAVALOMANANA's favored candidate Jean-Louis ROBINSON in a presidential runoff and was inaugurated in January 2014. Most international observers, while noting some irregularities, declared polls to be a credible reflection of the Malagasy public's will.
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