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: $553 in Mauritania versus $1,020 in South Africa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $941 in Mauritania versus $1,598 in South Africa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,329 in Mauritania versus $2,175 in South Africa.

Living in Mauritania costs about 46% less than in South Africa on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Mauritania 59% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Mauritania ($263–$843) and South Africa ($819–$1,339) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.43 MRU 137

$9.05 R 147

-62.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.52 MRU 979

$39.48 R 642

-37.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.11 MRU 244

$4.94 R 80.3

23.68%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.00 MRU 79.9

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 MRU 102

Cappuccino

$2.49 MRU 99.6

$2.06 R 33.47

20.87%

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

$1.82 MRU 72.9

$0.95 R 15.40

91.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 MRU 84.2

$0.81 R 13.13

160.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 35.90

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.33

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MRU 58.3

$1.11 R 18.07

31.53%

White Bread (500g)

$0.29 MRU 11.46

$1.02 R 16.64

-71.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 MRU 49.92

$1.56 R 25.28

-19.87%

Eggs

$2.26 MRU 90.1

$2.34 R 38.05

-3.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.87 MRU 315

$7.73 R 126

1.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.04 MRU 201

$4.49 R 73.1

12.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.84 MRU 273

$6.73 R 109

1.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 MRU 86.4

$1.56 R 25.40

38.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MRU 72.3

$1.43 R 23.22

26.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 MRU 49.96

$1.44 R 23.48

-13.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.98 MRU 39.29

$1.51 R 24.55

-35.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 MRU 32.10

$1.22 R 19.81

-34.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 MRU 30.34

$1.28 R 20.74

-40.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 MRU 22.52

$1.04 R 16.89

-46.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 MRU 26.07

$0.94 R 15.21

-30.85%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.95 MRU 398

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 MRU 104

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 MRU 67.7

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 MRU 98.5

$2.99 R 48.55

-17.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 R 83.8

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.55

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 26.93

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 MRU 19.79

$1.63 R 26.48

-69.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.69 MRU 707

$45.05 R 732

-60.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.85 MRU 34.05

$1.13 R 18.41

-24.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 MRU 10.47

$1.10 R 17.93

-76.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.62 MRU 264

$4.86 R 78.9

36.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MRU 51.0

$1.24 R 20.15

3.23%

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

$7,713 MRU 308.1K

$20.3K R 330.2K

-62.04%

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

$9,176 MRU 366.6K

$23.5K R 381.4K

-60.90%

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

$144 MRU 5,750

$113 R 1,843

26.88%

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

$25.66 MRU 1,025

$32.36 R 526

-20.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.8 MRU 2,388

$41.45 R 674

44.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$87.2 MRU 3,485

$31.59 R 513

176.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$250 MRU 10.0K

$9.61 R 156

2506.35%

Cinema Ticket

$4.36 MRU 174

$6.83 R 111

-36.16%

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

$80.5 MRU 3,214

$187 R 3,039

-56.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,879 MRU 234.9K

$4,362 R 70.9K

34.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.59 MRU 823

$49.50 R 804

-58.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.78 MRU 830

$30.42 R 494

-31.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.2 MRU 2,804

$91.7 R 1,489

-23.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.32 MRU 1,451

$78.9 R 1,281

-53.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$185 MRU 7,378

$442 R 7,175

-58.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$137 MRU 5,480

$367 R 5,963

-62.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$629 MRU 25.1K

$884 R 14.4K

-28.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 MRU 10.8K

$723 R 11.8K

-62.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,489 MRU 259.3K

$1,090 R 17.7K

495.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,990 MRU 119.4K

$780 R 12.7K

283.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 MRU 23.1K

$1,558 R 25.3K

-62.84%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $145 in Mauritania, $368 in South Africa. Capital cities: $224 in Nouakchott vs $765 in Cape Town.

National salary averages: $562 in Mauritania, $1,520 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 154% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 67% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 78% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 170% higher in South Africa, giving South Africa stronger purchasing power.

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 $553 per month in Mauritania and $1,079 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.

Mauritania is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.