For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $980 in Mauritius, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most 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 Mauritius and in China actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $980 in Mauritius versus $791 in China.
Mauritius $980
China $791
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,608 in Mauritius versus $1,251 in China.
Mauritius $1,608
China $1,251
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,236 in Mauritius versus $1,711 in China.
Mauritius $2,236
China $1,711
📏
Mauritius ($495–$1,237) and China ($465–$1,222) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.
🌍
Living in Mauritius is roughly 24% more expensive than in China on average.
📊
Both countries sit below the global median: Mauritius 28% lower, China 42% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Mauritius
China
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.34MUR 299
$2.98¥19.81
112.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$41.50MUR 1,956
$22.09¥147
87.87%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.86MUR 323
$5.20¥34.60
31.92%
Cappuccino
$2.59MUR 122
$2.97¥19.74
-12.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.08MUR 50.7
$0.48¥3.19
125.00%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69MUR 32.67
$0.30¥2.01
130.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.22MUR 104
$1.08¥7.18
105.56%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.27MUR 154
$2.28¥15.15
43.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mauritius
China
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.49MUR 70.2
$1.80¥11.96
-17.22%
White Bread(500g)
$0.66MUR 31.23
$1.68¥11.15
-60.71%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.65MUR 77.7
$0.92¥6.13
79.35%
Eggs
$2.42MUR 114
$1.61¥10.73
50.31%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.13MUR 430
$13.38¥89.0
-31.76%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.76MUR 272
$3.35¥22.28
71.94%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$12.91MUR 608
$11.35¥75.5
13.74%
Apples(1kg)
$2.27MUR 107
$1.82¥12.12
24.73%
Banana(1kg)
$2.09MUR 98.6
$1.31¥8.69
59.54%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.30MUR 108
$1.49¥9.89
54.36%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.76MUR 130
$1.27¥8.47
117.32%
Potato(1kg)
$1.08MUR 51.0
$0.71¥4.73
52.11%
Onion(1kg)
$1.05MUR 49.34
$0.93¥6.21
12.90%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.83MUR 39.07
$0.62¥4.12
33.87%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72MUR 34.09
$0.56¥3.74
28.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.42MUR 303
$3.78¥25.15
69.84%
Wine(Bottle)
$10.55MUR 497
$12.13¥80.7
-13.03%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.69MUR 79.5
$0.83¥5.54
103.61%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27MUR 107
$1.68¥11.21
35.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Mauritius
China
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.97MUR 45.74
$0.29¥1.91
234.48%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$31.78MUR 1,498
$17.83¥119
78.24%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$4.29MUR 202
$1.49¥9.89
187.92%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$3.27MUR 154
$0.37¥2.49
783.78%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$10.43MUR 491
$7.10¥47.23
46.90%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.45MUR 68.4
$1.26¥8.37
15.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.4KMUR 1.5M
$19.4K¥129.4K
66.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.6KMUR 1.6M
$17.5K¥116.7K
91.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mauritius
China
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$57.9MUR 2,727
$54.6¥363
6.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.66MUR 644
$8.73¥58.1
56.47%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.63MUR 1,443
$11.07¥73.6
176.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mauritius
China
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$34.75MUR 1,638
$40.77¥271
-14.77%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.33MUR 345
$14.48¥96.4
-49.38%
Cinema Ticket
$6.18MUR 291
$6.78¥45.12
-8.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mauritius
China
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$160MUR 7,561
$517¥3,437
-68.95%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$5,296MUR 249.6K
$19.8K¥131.8K
-73.27%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mauritius
China
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.76MUR 2,204
$46.53¥310
0.49%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.24MUR 1,896
$35.66¥237
12.84%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$79.8MUR 3,761
$77.0¥512
3.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$63.2MUR 2,979
$80.3¥534
-21.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mauritius
China
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$481MUR 22.7K
$386¥2,567
24.68%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$313MUR 14.7K
$235¥1,561
33.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$880MUR 41.5K
$822¥5,469
7.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$679MUR 32.0K
$453¥3,015
49.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,437MUR 209.1K
$4,697¥31.3K
-5.54%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,123MUR 100.0K
$2,372¥15.8K
-10.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mauritius
China
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$771MUR 36.4K
$1,093¥7,274
-29.43%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
6.32
3.46
82.66%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Mauritius: October 27, 2026
Last update for China: October 24, 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.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Mauritius
$313 31.9%
China
$235 29.6% ↓ 25%$78
🛒Groceries & Markets
Mauritius
$231 23.6%
China
$210 26.5% ↓ 9%$21
🍽Eating Out
Mauritius
$127 13%
China
$88 11.1% ↓ 30.7%$39
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Mauritius
$104 10.6%
China
$108 13.6% ↑ 4.1%$4.2
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mauritius
$102 10.4%
China
$74 9.4% ↓ 27.2%$28
🚌Getting Around
Mauritius
$56 5.8%
China
$22 2.8% ↓ 60.3%$34
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Mauritius
$47 4.8%
China
$54 6.9% ↑ 15.3%$7.2
🏠Accommodation & Living
Mauritius
$680 30.4%
China
$453 26.5% ↓ 33.3%$226
🛒Groceries & Markets
Mauritius
$535 23.9%
China
$483 28.3% ↓ 9.7%$52
🍽Eating Out
Mauritius
$459 20.6%
China
$284 16.6% ↓ 38.3%$176
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Mauritius
$230 10.3%
China
$239 14% ↑ 4.1%$9.4
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mauritius
$116 5.2%
China
$83 4.9% ↓ 28.3%$33
🚌Getting Around
Mauritius
$115 5.1%
China
$45 2.6% ↓ 60.5%$69
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Mauritius
$102 4.5%
China
$123 7.2% ↑ 21.3%$22
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $437 in Mauritius, $298 in China. Capital cities: $484 in Port Louis vs $933 in Beijing (Pekin).
💰National salary averages: $836 in Mauritius, $873 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 47% higher in Mauritius.
⭐Dining out costs 64% more in Mauritius.
⭐Public transport is 83% more expensive in Mauritius.
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
Mauritius vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: China or Mauritius?
At $791 per month in China and $980 in Mauritius, China comes out about 19% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: China or Mauritius?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in China: 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.
How do rents compare between China and Mauritius?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $437 in Mauritius and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
How do I choose between living in China and in Mauritius?
It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.