Cost of Living Comparison Between Mauritania and South Africa Cost of Living Comparison Between Mauritania and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $556 in Mauritania versus $1,020 in South Africa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $941 in Mauritania versus $1,587 in South Africa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,325 in Mauritania versus $2,154 in South Africa.

Living in Mauritania costs about 45% less than in South Africa on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Mauritania 58% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Mauritania ($261–$851) and South Africa ($803–$1,362) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.34 MRU 133

$9.14 R 150

-63.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.68 MRU 944

$39.14 R 643

-39.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.17 MRU 246

$5.19 R 85.3

18.88%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 MRU 76.9

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 MRU 102

Cappuccino

$2.52 MRU 100

$1.98 R 32.50

27.27%

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

$1.74 MRU 69.2

$1.00 R 16.45

74.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 MRU 86.0

$0.79 R 12.92

173.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.36

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R 42.28

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MRU 55.7

$1.12 R 18.43

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.31 MRU 12.38

$0.97 R 15.90

-68.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 MRU 47.40

$1.54 R 25.37

-22.73%

Eggs

$2.17 MRU 86.6

$2.25 R 36.96

-3.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.03 MRU 320

$7.86 R 129

2.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.95 MRU 198

$4.58 R 75.3

8.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.79 MRU 271

$6.68 R 110

1.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 MRU 85.7

$1.57 R 25.88

36.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 MRU 73.3

$1.47 R 24.18

25.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 MRU 52.3

$1.52 R 25.00

-13.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.97 MRU 38.67

$1.51 R 24.81

-35.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 MRU 31.52

$1.26 R 20.71

-37.30%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 MRU 28.59

$1.27 R 20.96

-43.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 MRU 24.26

$1.09 R 17.86

-44.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 MRU 27.16

$0.97 R 15.93

-29.90%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$10.22 MRU 408

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 MRU 104

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 MRU 68.6

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.57 MRU 103

$2.84 R 46.62

-9.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 R 85.5

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.74

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.24

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 MRU 18.21

$1.72 R 28.30

-73.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.35 MRU 692

$44.22 R 727

-60.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 MRU 36.58

$1.15 R 18.93

-20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 MRU 10.40

$1.07 R 17.51

-75.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 MRU 255

$4.74 R 77.8

35.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MRU 50.7

$1.28 R 21.09

-0.78%

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

$7,533 MRU 300.4K

$20.4K R 334.8K

-63.01%

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

$9,357 MRU 373.2K

$24.0K R 394.3K

-60.99%

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

$149 MRU 5,950

$113 R 1,856

32.11%

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

$25.74 MRU 1,027

$32.35 R 532

-20.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 MRU 2,379

$41.46 R 682

43.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.6 MRU 3,535

$31.04 R 510

185.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$250 MRU 9,982

$9.72 R 160

2475.10%

Cinema Ticket

$4.45 MRU 177

$6.67 R 110

-33.28%

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

$80.1 MRU 3,195

$186 R 3,051

-56.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,864 MRU 233.9K

$4,399 R 72.3K

33.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.21 MRU 806

$50.2 R 824

-59.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.60 MRU 821

$30.37 R 499

-32.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.3 MRU 2,764

$93.4 R 1,535

-25.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.78 MRU 1,427

$80.4 R 1,322

-55.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$182 MRU 7,269

$439 R 7,210

-58.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$140 MRU 5,570

$372 R 6,112

-62.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$634 MRU 25.3K

$903 R 14.8K

-29.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$277 MRU 11.1K

$705 R 11.6K

-60.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,460 MRU 257.6K

$1,116 R 18.3K

478.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,039 MRU 121.2K

$793 R 13.0K

283.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$563 MRU 22.4K

$1,506 R 24.8K

-62.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.5

11.55

42.86%

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

Last update for Mauritania: July 12, 2026

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $147 in Mauritania, $368 in South Africa. Capital cities: $229 in Nouakchott vs $292 in Bloemfontein.

National salary averages: $578 in Mauritania, $1,513 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 150% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 67% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 78% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 162% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

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 South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $556 per month in Mauritania and $1,083 in South Africa, there's a 95% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Mauritania: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in South Africa is consistently higher than in Mauritania across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Mauritania, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in South Africa it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Mauritania wins on affordability; South Africa may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.