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

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,002 in Mauritius versus $1,019 in South Africa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,635 in Mauritius versus $1,585 in South Africa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,268 in Mauritius versus $2,150 in South Africa.

Living in Mauritius costs about 2% less than in South Africa on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Mauritius 25% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Mauritius ($734–$1,179) and South Africa ($806–$1,361) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.48 MUR 305

$8.88 R 144

-27.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.81 MUR 2,063

$39.40 R 637

11.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.67 MUR 314

$4.92 R 79.6

35.57%

Cappuccino

$2.52 MUR 119

$2.00 R 32.28

26.00%

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

$1.06 MUR 49.94

$1.03 R 16.58

2.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 MUR 29.30

$0.75 R 12.15

-17.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 MUR 105

$2.26 R 36.50

-1.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 MUR 144

$2.47 R 40.00

23.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MUR 68.0

$1.08 R 17.42

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 MUR 32.69

$1.04 R 16.78

-33.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 MUR 92.8

$1.57 R 25.45

25.48%

Eggs

$2.27 MUR 107

$2.28 R 36.86

-0.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.77 MUR 460

$7.73 R 125

26.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.57 MUR 262

$4.56 R 73.8

22.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.25 MUR 577

$6.72 R 109

82.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 MUR 103

$1.50 R 24.31

46.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 MUR 91.9

$1.41 R 22.87

38.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 MUR 97.0

$1.51 R 24.38

36.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.08 MUR 145

$1.52 R 24.51

102.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 MUR 52.2

$1.26 R 20.44

-11.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 MUR 49.49

$1.30 R 20.95

-19.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 MUR 44.97

$1.09 R 17.62

-12.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 MUR 29.09

$0.99 R 15.99

-37.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.64 MUR 313

$2.98 R 48.20

122.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MUR 488

$5.12 R 82.9

102.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MUR 80.9

$1.32 R 21.37

30.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 MUR 97.2

$1.65 R 26.68

24.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 MUR 47.38

$1.71 R 27.60

-40.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.60 MUR 1,535

$45.13 R 730

-27.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.50 MUR 212

$1.11 R 17.93

305.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.12 MUR 147

$1.11 R 17.91

181.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.94 MUR 515

$4.70 R 76.1

132.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MUR 73.0

$1.28 R 20.74

21.09%

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

$31.1K MUR 1.5M

$20.8K R 335.8K

49.59%

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

$33.4K MUR 1.6M

$23.5K R 379.4K

42.54%

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

$60.6 MUR 2,856

$111 R 1,792

-45.29%

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

$15.89 MUR 748

$32.41 R 524

-50.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.74 MUR 1,495

$41.64 R 673

-23.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.20 MUR 1,610

$31.24 R 505

9.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.64 MUR 360

$9.78 R 158

-21.88%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 MUR 313

$6.78 R 110

-1.92%

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

$154 MUR 7,258

$189 R 3,048

-18.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,806 MUR 179.2K

$4,394 R 71.0K

-13.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.90 MUR 2,161

$49.42 R 799

-7.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.29 MUR 1,803

$30.39 R 491

26.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 MUR 3,622

$94.1 R 1,522

-18.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.4 MUR 3,081

$79.4 R 1,283

-17.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$451 MUR 21.2K

$444 R 7,171

1.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$307 MUR 14.4K

$368 R 5,948

-16.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$791 MUR 37.3K

$880 R 14.2K

-10.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$611 MUR 28.8K

$714 R 11.5K

-14.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,304 MUR 202.7K

$1,061 R 17.2K

305.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,132 MUR 100.4K

$782 R 12.6K

172.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$743 MUR 35.0K

$1,505 R 24.3K

-50.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.03

11.55

-47.79%

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

Last update for Mauritius: June 7, 2026

Last update for South Africa: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $507 in Mauritius, $368 in South Africa. Capital cities: $472 in Port Louis vs $764 in Cape Town.

National salary averages: $786 in Mauritius, $1,501 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 38% higher in Mauritius.

Dining out costs 17% more in Mauritius.

Public transport is 78% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 91% 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

Mauritius vs South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $957 per month in Mauritius and $1,084 in South Africa, there's a 13% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Mauritius 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 Mauritius across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Mauritius, $1,500 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. Mauritius wins on affordability; South Africa may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.