Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mauritius and the United States

For one person, living is cheaper in Mauritius: $980 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $21,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mauritius
United States
🇲🇺 Mauritius
$980
/mo nomad
🇺🇸 United States
$2,734
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mauritius 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 Mauritius and in the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $980 in Mauritius versus $2,734 in the United States.

  • Mauritius $980
  • United States $2,734

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,608 in Mauritius versus $3,985 in the United States.

  • Mauritius $1,608
  • United States $3,985

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,236 in Mauritius versus $5,235 in the United States.

  • Mauritius $2,236
  • United States $5,235

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $979 to $5,160, compared to $495–$1,237 in Mauritius. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in Mauritius costs about 64% less than in the United States on average.

Mauritius (28% below) and the United States (101% above) straddle the global median.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mauritius
United States
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.34 MUR 299
$20.03 $20.03
-68.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$41.50 MUR 1,956
$80.0 $80.0
-48.15%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.86 MUR 323
$11.80 $11.80
-41.86%
Cappuccino
$2.59 MUR 122
$5.55 $5.55
-53.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.08 MUR 50.7
$2.66 $2.66
-59.40%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69 MUR 32.67
$2.17 $2.17
-68.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.22 MUR 104
$6.12 $6.12
-63.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.27 MUR 154
$7.94 $7.94
-58.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mauritius
United States
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 MUR 70.2
$1.04 $1.04
43.27%
White Bread (500g)
$0.66 MUR 31.23
$3.59 $3.59
-81.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.65 MUR 77.7
$4.52 $4.52
-63.50%
Eggs
$2.42 MUR 114
$4.28 $4.28
-43.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.13 MUR 430
$13.22 $13.22
-30.94%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.76 MUR 272
$12.60 $12.60
-54.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.91 MUR 608
$17.60 $17.60
-26.65%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 MUR 107
$5.30 $5.30
-57.17%
Banana (1kg)
$2.09 MUR 98.6
$1.69 $1.69
23.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.30 MUR 108
$4.44 $4.44
-48.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.76 MUR 130
$4.77 $4.77
-42.14%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 MUR 51.0
$2.97 $2.97
-63.64%
Onion (1kg)
$1.05 MUR 49.34
$3.15 $3.15
-66.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.83 MUR 39.07
$2.20 $2.20
-62.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 MUR 34.09
$2.35 $2.35
-69.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.42 MUR 303
$10.98 $10.98
-41.53%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.55 MUR 497
$15.05 $15.05
-29.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.69 MUR 79.5
$2.06 $2.06
-17.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 MUR 107
$3.79 $3.79
-40.11%
🚌 Getting Around
Mauritius
United States
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.97 MUR 45.74
$1.94 $1.94
-50.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$31.78 MUR 1,498
$59.4 $59.4
-46.49%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.29 MUR 202
$3.58 $3.58
19.83%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.27 MUR 154
$1.88 $1.88
73.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.43 MUR 491
$29.84 $29.84
-65.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 MUR 68.4
$1.02 $1.02
42.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.4K MUR 1.5M
$28.8K $28.8K
12.82%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.6K MUR 1.6M
$26.2K $26.2K
28.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mauritius
United States
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$57.9 MUR 2,727
$218 $218
-73.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.66 MUR 644
$62.5 $62.5
-78.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.63 MUR 1,443
$74.5 $74.5
-58.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mauritius
United States
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.75 MUR 1,638
$41.86 $41.86
-16.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.33 MUR 345
$22.81 $22.81
-67.86%
Cinema Ticket
$6.18 MUR 291
$14.70 $14.70
-57.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mauritius
United States
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$160 MUR 7,561
$1,489 $1,489
-89.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,296 MUR 249.6K
$25.3K $25.3K
-79.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mauritius
United States
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.76 MUR 2,204
$54.3 $54.3
-13.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.24 MUR 1,896
$42.71 $42.71
-5.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.8 MUR 3,761
$94.1 $94.1
-15.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$63.2 MUR 2,979
$114 $114
-44.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mauritius
United States
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$481 MUR 22.7K
$1,659 $1,659
-71.01%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$313 MUR 14.7K
$1,348 $1,348
-76.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$880 MUR 41.5K
$2,682 $2,682
-67.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$679 MUR 32.0K
$2,169 $2,169
-68.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,437 MUR 209.1K
$3,283 $3,283
35.16%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,123 MUR 100.0K
$2,482 $2,482
-14.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mauritius
United States
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$771 MUR 36.4K
$4,296 $4,296
-82.04%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.32
6.55
-3.51%

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

Last update for Mauritius: 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.
Accommodation & Living
Mauritius
$313
United States
$1.3K 331% $1K
Groceries & Markets
Mauritius
$231
United States
$415 79.8% $184
Eating Out
Mauritius
$127
United States
$328 158% $201
Clothing & Footwear
Mauritius
$104
United States
$137 32.5% $34
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mauritius
$102
United States
$355 247% $253
Getting Around
Mauritius
$56
United States
$80 42.3% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Mauritius
$47
United States
$71 51.3% $24

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $437 in Mauritius, $1,620 in the United States. Capital cities: $484 in Port Louis vs $2,768 in Washington, DC.

National salary averages: $836 in Mauritius, $4,549 in the United States. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 271% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 108% more in the United States.

Public transport is 91% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 5.4 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know
🇲🇺 Mauritius
🇺🇸 United States
🕒 Local time
22:45 10:45 PM
13:45 1:45 PM
9 h behind Mauritius
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,264,613
340,110,988
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MUR – Mauritian Rupee Converter

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 47.13 MUR (100 MUR = 2.12 USD). 1 EUR = 52.62 MUR (100 MUR = 1.9 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mauritius United States 16,160 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mauritius
  • 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
Mauritius vs United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Mauritius and the United States?
At $980 per month in Mauritius and $2,734 in the United States, Mauritius comes out about 64% cheaper. 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 Mauritius: 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 $437 in Mauritius. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget in Mauritius or in the United States?
In Mauritius, $1,500 covers most cities easily; in the United States it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to Mauritius or to the United States?
It depends on what you’re after: Mauritius wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.

Mauritius vs other spots: cost of living compared

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