Madagascar
may be very expensive to travel to but once you are here the Dollar goes a long
way. On average the Dollar equals 3,000 Ariary. That might be just an arbitrary number for
most people, and it was for me when I first arrived here, but let me break it
down for you. Almost any food stuffs can
be bought for under a dollar. Fruit is
something I buy everyday and it is in abundance in this country. The most expensive fruit for me to buy, a
pineapple, cost me 400 Ar or $0.13. Most
fruit cost 100Ar ($0.03) for multiples; for example four oranges, a bunch of lychees,
or two mangoes. A regular meal for dinner
cost on average about 900Ar ($0.30) to make and if I feel like
splurging on a steak and fries meal when I am in town it would be 5000Ar ($1.66). The most relatable food item, pizza, cost on average about 13,000Ar ($4.33), but is also a splurge food item for us.
splurging on a steak and fries meal when I am in town it would be 5000Ar ($1.66). The most relatable food item, pizza, cost on average about 13,000Ar ($4.33), but is also a splurge food item for us.
Though the
large majority of the things I spend money on here are food, everything else is
relatively cheap as well. For instance a
cheap hotel will run you 10,000Ar – 25,000Ar ($3.33 - $8.33) a night. Travel, arguably
the most expensive part of my life here in Madagascar,
costs me 32,000Ar ($10.66) to get halfway across the country by brousse. And one can not leave out the boozes. A beer, 65cl (22oz) THB, or a small bottle of
rhum cost 2,200Ar ($0.73). Needless to
say things are cheap here in Madagascar,
but sometimes not cheap enough. This
leads to bargaining to save those few 100Ar, or 1,000Ar; and yes I have argued
over a few cents myself.
The Dollar
may go a long ways here in Madagascar
but the Malagasy people, and Peace Corps Volunteers, do not get paid in Dollars,
but in Ariary. The average person here
lives off of less than $2 a day. And
though food is cheap it does not leave much money for the promotion of a better
life; if there is even enough for food.
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The Malagasy money (missing the 500Ar)...It never looks this clean |
My Thanksgiving meal (6000Ar = $2.00). Sausage, green beans, salad/pickled cucumber/dressing, mashed potatoes/gravy, pineapple flambe, tea, and mead. |
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