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: $498 in Mauritania versus $1,143 in South Africa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $849 in Mauritania versus $1,781 in South Africa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,199 in Mauritania versus $2,419 in South Africa.

Living in Mauritania costs about 56% less than in South Africa on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Mauritania 64% lower, South Africa 17% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in South Africa: monthly costs span $647 to $1,815, compared to $270–$726 in Mauritania. City choice carries more weight in South Africa.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.53 MRU 101

$11.30 R 182

-77.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.59 MRU 904

$44.51 R 717

-49.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.86 MRU 235

$5.90 R 95.0

-0.68%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 MRU 69.0

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 MRU 69.3

Cappuccino

$2.27 MRU 90.7

$2.44 R 39.22

-6.97%

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

$1.80 MRU 71.9

$1.16 R 18.64

55.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 MRU 83.9

$0.96 R 15.39

117.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 R 41.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 R 49.60

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 MRU 60.5

$1.28 R 20.57

17.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.28 MRU 11.34

$1.13 R 18.15

-75.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 MRU 52.5

$1.83 R 29.55

-28.42%

Eggs

$2.25 MRU 90.2

$2.55 R 41.12

-11.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.01 MRU 241

$8.35 R 134

-28.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 MRU 196

$5.44 R 87.6

-10.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.39 MRU 256

$7.88 R 127

-18.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 MRU 86.7

$1.90 R 30.61

14.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 MRU 70.6

$1.70 R 27.36

3.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 MRU 54.4

$1.81 R 29.14

-24.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.87 MRU 34.98

$1.88 R 30.23

-53.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 MRU 32.90

$1.54 R 24.76

-46.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 MRU 31.84

$1.49 R 24.03

-46.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 MRU 29.79

$1.33 R 21.45

-44.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 MRU 24.71

$1.19 R 19.09

-47.90%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.89 MRU 396

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 MRU 102

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 MRU 70.0

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 MRU 102

$3.41 R 55.0

-25.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 R 81.7

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 R 24.28

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 R 32.64

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 MRU 18.88

$1.76 R 28.39

-73.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.51 MRU 861

$63.1 R 1,016

-65.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 MRU 35.90

$1.12 R 17.97

-19.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 MRU 15.52

$1.01 R 16.33

-61.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.65 MRU 186

$8.07 R 130

-42.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MRU 53.8

$1.46 R 23.53

-8.22%

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

$7,541 MRU 301.9K

$36.8K R 592.8K

-79.52%

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

$8,995 MRU 360.1K

$32.5K R 523.6K

-72.34%

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

$129 MRU 5,147

$136 R 2,185

-5.24%

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

$22.20 MRU 889

$35.72 R 575

-37.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.5 MRU 2,423

$41.40 R 667

46.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.08 MRU 1,244

$34.96 R 563

-11.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$248 MRU 9,943

$12.46 R 201

1893.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 MRU 166

$7.62 R 123

-45.54%

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

$444 MRU 17.8K

$231 R 3,725

91.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,560 MRU 302.6K

$5,726 R 92.2K

32.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.61 MRU 905

$56.4 R 908

-59.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.63 MRU 906

$33.91 R 546

-33.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.1 MRU 2,686

$102 R 1,639

-34.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.18 MRU 1,649

$93.0 R 1,497

-55.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$196 MRU 7,856

$506 R 8,154

-61.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 MRU 5,576

$418 R 6,727

-66.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$720 MRU 28.8K

$979 R 15.8K

-26.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 MRU 10.8K

$838 R 13.5K

-67.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,540 MRU 261.8K

$1,151 R 18.5K

468.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,027 MRU 121.2K

$800 R 12.9K

278.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$569 MRU 22.8K

$1,554 R 25.0K

-63.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.24

77.94%

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

Last update for Mauritania: September 8, 2026

Last update for South Africa: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $141 in Mauritania, $445 in South Africa. Capital cities: $217 in Nouakchott vs $324 in Bloemfontein.

National salary averages: $577 in Mauritania, $1,553 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 216% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 90% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 55% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 169% 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 $498 per month in Mauritania and $1,231 in South Africa, there's a 147% 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.