For one person, living is cheaper in Egypt: $449 a month against $767 in Mauritania, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mauritania and in Egypt actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $767 in Mauritania versus $449 in Egypt.
Mauritania $767
Egypt $449
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,280 in Mauritania versus $733 in Egypt.
Mauritania $1,280
Egypt $733
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,793 in Mauritania versus $1,017 in Egypt.
Mauritania $1,793
Egypt $1,017
📏
Internal cost variation is higher in Mauritania: monthly costs span $267 to $807, compared to $295–$677 in Egypt. City choice carries more weight in Mauritania.
🌍
Living in Mauritania is roughly 71% more expensive than in Egypt on average.
📊
Both countries sit below the global median: Mauritania 44% lower, Egypt 67% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Mauritania
Egypt
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.56MRU 103
$3.46E£194
-26.01%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.06MRU 926
$17.81E£997
29.48%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.05MRU 243
$4.51E£252
34.15%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.72MRU 69.0
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70MRU 68.0
-
-
Cappuccino
$2.26MRU 90.8
$1.38E£77.5
63.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78MRU 71.3
$0.34E£18.77
423.53%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10MRU 84.3
$0.14E£7.66
1400.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.37E£76.5
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.70E£151
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mauritania
Egypt
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.48MRU 59.3
$0.79E£44.14
87.34%
White Bread(500g)
$0.28MRU 11.37
$0.68E£38.09
-58.82%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.32MRU 53.0
$0.60E£33.35
120.00%
Eggs
$2.30MRU 92.2
$1.18E£65.8
94.92%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$5.88MRU 236
$3.18E£178
84.91%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.28MRU 212
$3.91E£219
35.04%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$6.48MRU 260
$7.74E£433
-16.28%
Apples(1kg)
$2.91MRU 117
$1.45E£81.2
100.69%
Banana(1kg)
$1.74MRU 70.0
$0.67E£37.24
159.70%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.42MRU 56.8
$0.49E£27.26
189.80%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.86MRU 34.62
$0.35E£19.85
145.71%
Potato(1kg)
$0.86MRU 34.66
$0.36E£20.23
138.89%
Onion(1kg)
$0.73MRU 29.18
$0.35E£19.74
108.57%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.71MRU 28.54
$0.28E£15.74
153.57%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.59MRU 23.81
$0.19E£10.40
210.53%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine(Mid-Range)
$10.16MRU 408
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.60MRU 104
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68MRU 67.3
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.52MRU 101
$1.83E£102
37.70%
Wine(Bottle)
-
$6.19E£347
-
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.30E£72.5
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.87E£105
-
🚌 Getting Around
Mauritania
Egypt
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.43MRU 17.18
$0.28E£15.69
53.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$22.04MRU 884
$7.24E£405
204.42%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.84MRU 33.79
$0.37E£20.85
127.03%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.35MRU 14.13
$0.26E£14.52
34.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$4.84MRU 194
$1.82E£102
165.93%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.33MRU 53.3
$0.40E£22.29
232.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$7,496MRU 300.8K
$29.9KE£1.7M
-74.91%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$8,991MRU 360.8K
$24.0KE£1.3M
-62.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mauritania
Egypt
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$130MRU 5,213
$20.40E£1,142
536.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.09MRU 886
$6.78E£379
225.81%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$59.6MRU 2,393
$12.41E£694
380.50%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mauritania
Egypt
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$87.9MRU 3,527
$17.00E£952
417.00%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$253MRU 10.2K
$6.36E£356
3879.87%
Cinema Ticket
$4.08MRU 164
$2.93E£164
39.25%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mauritania
Egypt
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$434MRU 17.4K
$94.2E£5,271
361.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,580MRU 304.2K
$2,362E£132.2K
220.93%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mauritania
Egypt
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$15.43MRU 619
$25.33E£1,418
-39.08%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$22.70MRU 911
$41.23E£2,308
-44.94%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$68.3MRU 2,741
$105E£5,875
-34.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$46.86MRU 1,880
$47.95E£2,684
-2.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mauritania
Egypt
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$192MRU 7,711
$140E£7,826
37.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$138MRU 5,550
$88.9E£4,974
55.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$735MRU 29.5K
$282E£15.8K
160.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$283MRU 11.3K
$179E£10.0K
57.89%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$683E£38.2K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
-
$432E£24.2K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mauritania
Egypt
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$640MRU 25.7K
$141E£7,900
353.66%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
20
17.11
16.89%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Mauritania: October 27, 2026
Last update for Egypt: October 25, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mauritania
$212 27.6%
Egypt
$40 8.8% ↓ 81.3%$172
🛒Groceries & Markets
Mauritania
$145 18.8%
Egypt
$117 26% ↓ 19.2%$28
🏠Accommodation & Living
Mauritania
$138 18%
Egypt
$89 19.8% ↓ 35.7%$49
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Mauritania
$96 12.5%
Egypt
$23 5.1% ↓ 76.2%$73
🍽Eating Out
Mauritania
$81 10.6%
Egypt
$72 16% ↓ 11.5%$9.4
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Mauritania
$69 9%
Egypt
$99 22% ↑ 43.2%$30
🚌Getting Around
Mauritania
$26 3.4%
Egypt
$10 2.2% ↓ 61.9%$16
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mauritania
$234 13%
Egypt
$46 4.6% ↓ 80.2%$187
🛒Groceries & Markets
Mauritania
$356 19.8%
Egypt
$268 26.3% ↓ 24.8%$88
🏠Accommodation & Living
Mauritania
$283 15.8%
Egypt
$179 17.6% ↓ 36.7%$104
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Mauritania
$445 24.8%
Egypt
$52 5.1% ↓ 88.3%$393
🍽Eating Out
Mauritania
$269 15%
Egypt
$232 22.8% ↓ 14%$38
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Mauritania
$153 8.6%
Egypt
$219 21.6% ↑ 43.2%$66
🚌Getting Around
Mauritania
$54 3%
Egypt
$21 2% ↓ 61.5%$33
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $176 in Mauritania, $136 in Egypt. Capital cities: $288 in Nouakchott vs $203 in Cairo.
💰National salary averages: $641 in Mauritania, $129 in Egypt. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 29% higher in Mauritania.
⭐Dining out costs 31% more in Mauritania.
⭐Public transport is 214% more expensive in Mauritania.
⭐Salaries are about 5 times higher in Mauritania, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Mauritania.
Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.
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
Mauritania vs Egypt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Egypt and Mauritania?
At $449 per month in Egypt and $767 in Mauritania, there’s a 71% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in Egypt: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $176 in Mauritania and $136 in Egypt. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Should I move to Egypt or to Mauritania?
It depends on what you’re after: Egypt wins on affordability; Mauritania may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.
Mauritania vs other spots: cost of living compared