Cost of Living Comparison Between Mahe and Victoria Cost of Living Comparison Between Mahe and Victoria

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,792 in Mahe versus $2,063 in Victoria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,638 in Mahe versus $3,244 in Victoria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,484 in Mahe versus $4,425 in Victoria.

Living in Mahe costs roughly 13% less than in Victoria, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mahe 30% above, Victoria 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.05 SCR 259

$17.82 SCR 255

1.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 SCR 1,567

$50.1 SCR 717

118.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.86 SCR 83.9

$13.03 SCR 187

-55.03%

Cappuccino

$6.64 SCR 95.1

$3.99 SCR 57.2

66.42%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 SCR 23.38

$2.43 SCR 34.87

-32.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 SCR 39.39

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.03 SCR 187

$4.16 SCR 59.5

213.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.26 SCR 133

$4.00 SCR 57.3

131.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 SCR 23.66

$1.88 SCR 26.99

-12.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 SCR 15.72

$1.79 SCR 25.68

-38.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 SCR 26.07

$2.70 SCR 38.62

-32.59%

Eggs

$4.20 SCR 60.2

$3.79 SCR 54.3

10.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.27 SCR 233

$31.26 SCR 448

-47.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.26 SCR 118

$6.39 SCR 91.5

29.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.94 SCR 185

$12.71 SCR 182

1.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 SCR 30.94

$2.33 SCR 33.43

-7.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 SCR 40.09

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 SCR 33.69

$2.37 SCR 33.91

-0.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 SCR 91.2

$6.39 SCR 91.5

-0.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 SCR 15.84

$1.92 SCR 27.44

-42.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 SCR 15.41

$1.87 SCR 26.81

-42.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 SCR 16.05

$1.56 SCR 22.34

-28.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 SCR 18.58

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.51 SCR 208

$25.04 SCR 359

-42.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 SCR 143

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.40 SCR 63.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 SCR 31.47

$5.62 SCR 80.5

-60.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 SCR 11.66

$0.70 SCR 9.98

15.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.92 SCR 529

$33.36 SCR 478

10.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.57 SCR 209

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 SCR 22.18

$1.52 SCR 21.82

1.97%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.8K SCR 398.7K

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.4K SCR 464.1K

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$50.3 SCR 720

$141 SCR 2,023

-64.42%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$21.91 SCR 314

$41.83 SCR 599

-47.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$108 SCR 1,541

$140 SCR 2,011

-23.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 SCR 790

$81.1 SCR 1,161

-31.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.29 SCR 119

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 SCR 94.8

$7.19 SCR 103

-7.93%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$142 SCR 2,038

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,869 SCR 127.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.48 SCR 451

$36.99 SCR 530

-14.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.53 SCR 180

$25.21 SCR 361

-50.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.6 SCR 724

$92.4 SCR 1,323

-45.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.7 SCR 898

$103 SCR 1,478

-39.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$864 SCR 12.4K

$955 SCR 13.7K

-9.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$883 SCR 12.6K

$814 SCR 11.6K

8.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 SCR 25.7K

$2,272 SCR 32.5K

-21.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,073 SCR 15.4K

$1,788 SCR 25.6K

-39.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$461 SCR 6,595

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,186 SCR 17.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$885 SCR 12.7K

$967 SCR 13.9K

-8.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Mahe: August 30, 2026

Last update for Victoria: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $864 in Mahe and $955 in Victoria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Victoria pays 9% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $109 in Mahe vs $50.0 in Victoria. Groceries flip the comparison at $247 vs $381, with Mahe cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Mahe vs Victoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mahe wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Victoria. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mahe the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Victoria. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $864 in Mahe versus $955 in Victoria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Victoria. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,792 per month in Mahe versus $2,063 in Victoria – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,792 in Mahe versus $2,063 in Victoria, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mahe but tight or insufficient in Victoria. The gap between the two cities makes Mahe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mahe delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,792 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mahe hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mahe and Victoria are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mahe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Victoria. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.