Moving to Madagascar from California
What to Expect
Considering a move from California to Madagascar? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from California to Madagascar, and you’d need to navigate life in French and Malagasy.
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Madagascar compared to California.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Madagascar performs significantly better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
California performs better than Madagascar across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
California generally does better on employment & economy, though Madagascar leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
California performs better than Madagascar across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Sacramento | Antananarivo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) | 79°/63°F (26°/17°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) | 75°/57°F (24°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) | 79°/60°F (26°/16°C) |
View all months
| Month | Sacramento | Antananarivo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.3°C) |
| Feb | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) | 79°/63°F (26.3°/17.4°C) |
| Mar | 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) | 79°/63°F (26.2°/17.0°C) |
| Apr | 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) | 78°/60°F (25.4°/15.8°C) |
| May | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) | 75°/57°F (23.7°/13.8°C) |
| Jun | 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) | 71°/53°F (21.4°/11.5°C) |
| Jul | 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.5°C) |
| Aug | 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) | 71°/52°F (21.4°/10.9°C) |
| Sep | 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) | 75°/54°F (23.7°/12.1°C) |
| Oct | 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) | 78°/57°F (25.7°/14.1°C) |
| Nov | 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) | 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.7°C) |
| Dec | 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) | 80°/62°F (26.8°/16.9°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service,
Direction Générale de la Météorologie
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States and Madagascar. To live, work, or study long-term in Madagascar, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Madagascar's immigration authority.
United States passport holder visiting Madagascar
Visa on Arrival
Madagascar passport holder visiting United States
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from Madagascar?
From major Madagascar cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in California and Madagascar are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Madagascar compared to California?
Madagascar performs significantly better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Madagascar compared to California?
The average high temperature in Antananarivo is 76°F, compared to 74°F in Sacramento. Antananarivo receives around 47.2 in of rainfall per year, while Sacramento gets 18.5 in.
What language do they speak in Madagascar?
The official languages in Madagascar are French and Malagasy. In California, the official language is English.
