Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mauritania and the United States

For one person, living is cheaper in Mauritania: $767 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $23,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mauritania
United States
🇲🇷 Mauritania
$767
/mo nomad
🇺🇸 United States
$2,734
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mauritania and in the United States

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 the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $767 in Mauritania versus $2,734 in the United States.

  • Mauritania $767
  • United States $2,734

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,280 in Mauritania versus $3,985 in the United States.

  • Mauritania $1,280
  • United States $3,985

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,793 in Mauritania versus $5,235 in the United States.

  • Mauritania $1,793
  • United States $5,235

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $979 to $5,160, compared to $267–$807 in Mauritania. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in Mauritania costs about 72% less than in the United States on average.

Mauritania (44% below) and the United States (101% above) straddle the global median.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mauritania
United States
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.56 MRU 103
$20.03 $20.03
-87.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.06 MRU 924
$80.0 $80.0
-71.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.05 MRU 242
$11.80 $11.80
-48.73%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.72 MRU 68.9
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 MRU 67.9
-
-
Cappuccino
$2.26 MRU 90.7
$5.55 $5.55
-59.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 MRU 71.2
$2.66 $2.66
-33.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 MRU 84.2
$2.17 $2.17
-3.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$6.12 $6.12
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$7.94 $7.94
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mauritania
United States
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.48 MRU 59.2
$1.04 $1.04
42.31%
White Bread (500g)
$0.28 MRU 11.35
$3.59 $3.59
-92.20%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.32 MRU 53.0
$4.52 $4.52
-70.80%
Eggs
$2.30 MRU 92.1
$4.28 $4.28
-46.26%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.88 MRU 236
$13.22 $13.22
-55.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.28 MRU 211
$12.60 $12.60
-58.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.48 MRU 260
$17.60 $17.60
-63.18%
Apples (1kg)
$2.91 MRU 117
$5.30 $5.30
-45.09%
Banana (1kg)
$1.74 MRU 69.9
$1.69 $1.69
2.96%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.42 MRU 56.7
$4.44 $4.44
-68.02%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.86 MRU 34.57
$4.77 $4.77
-81.97%
Potato (1kg)
$0.86 MRU 34.61
$2.97 $2.97
-71.04%
Onion (1kg)
$0.73 MRU 29.14
$3.15 $3.15
-76.83%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 MRU 28.50
$2.20 $2.20
-67.73%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.59 MRU 23.77
$2.35 $2.35
-74.89%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$10.16 MRU 407
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.60 MRU 104
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 MRU 67.2
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.52 MRU 101
$10.98 $10.98
-77.05%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$15.05 $15.05
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.06 $2.06
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.79 $3.79
-
🚌 Getting Around
Mauritania
United States
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.43 MRU 17.15
$1.94 $1.94
-77.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.04 MRU 883
$59.4 $59.4
-62.89%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.84 MRU 33.74
$3.58 $3.58
-76.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.35 MRU 14.10
$1.88 $1.88
-81.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.84 MRU 194
$29.84 $29.84
-83.78%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 MRU 53.2
$1.02 $1.02
30.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$7,496 MRU 300.4K
$28.8K $28.8K
-73.93%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$8,991 MRU 360.3K
$26.2K $26.2K
-65.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mauritania
United States
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$130 MRU 5,205
$218 $218
-40.40%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.09 MRU 885
$62.5 $62.5
-64.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$59.6 MRU 2,389
$74.5 $74.5
-19.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mauritania
United States
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$87.9 MRU 3,522
$41.86 $41.86
109.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$253 MRU 10.1K
$22.81 $22.81
1009.69%
Cinema Ticket
$4.08 MRU 163
$14.70 $14.70
-72.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mauritania
United States
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$434 MRU 17.4K
$1,489 $1,489
-70.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,580 MRU 303.7K
$25.3K $25.3K
-69.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mauritania
United States
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$15.43 MRU 618
$54.3 $54.3
-71.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$22.70 MRU 910
$42.71 $42.71
-46.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$68.3 MRU 2,736
$94.1 $94.1
-27.42%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$46.86 MRU 1,878
$114 $114
-58.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mauritania
United States
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$192 MRU 7,700
$1,659 $1,659
-88.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$138 MRU 5,542
$1,348 $1,348
-89.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$735 MRU 29.5K
$2,682 $2,682
-72.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$283 MRU 11.3K
$2,169 $2,169
-86.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,283 $3,283
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,482 $2,482
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mauritania
United States
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$640 MRU 25.7K
$4,296 $4,296
-85.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
20
6.55
205.34%

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

Last update for Mauritania: October 27, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mauritania
$212
United States
$355 67.7% $143
Groceries & Markets
Mauritania
$145
United States
$415 187% $271
Accommodation & Living
Mauritania
$138
United States
$1.3K 874% $1.2K
Sport & Entertainment
Mauritania
$96
United States
$71 25.8% $25
Eating Out
Mauritania
$81
United States
$328 303% $247
Clothing & Footwear
Mauritania
$69
United States
$137 98.8% $68
Getting Around
Mauritania
$26
United States
$80 204% $54

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $176 in Mauritania, $1,620 in the United States. Capital cities: $288 in Nouakchott vs $2,768 in Washington, DC.

National salary averages: $641 in Mauritania, $4,549 in the United States. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 820% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 257% more in the United States.

Public transport is 186% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 7.1 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know
🇲🇷 Mauritania
🇺🇸 United States
🕒 Local time
07:35 7:35 AM
03:35 3:35 AM
4 h behind Mauritania
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,736,139
340,110,988
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MRU – Mauritanian Ouguiya Converter

Mauritanian Ouguiya exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 40.07 MRU (100 MRU = 2.5 USD). 1 EUR = 44.6 MRU (100 MRU = 2.24 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mauritania United States 7,160 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mauritania
  • United States

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 United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Mauritania and the United States?
At $767 per month in Mauritania and $2,734 in the United States, there’s a 256% 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 Mauritania: 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 $1,620 in the United States and $176 in Mauritania. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Should I move to Mauritania or to the United States?
It depends on what you’re after: Mauritania wins on affordability; the United States 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

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