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.
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
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Mauritius
United States
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.34MUR 299
$20.03$20.03
-68.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$41.50MUR 1,956
$80.0$80.0
-48.15%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.86MUR 323
$11.80$11.80
-41.86%
Cappuccino
$2.59MUR 122
$5.55$5.55
-53.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.08MUR 50.7
$2.66$2.66
-59.40%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69MUR 32.67
$2.17$2.17
-68.20%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.22MUR 104
$6.12$6.12
-63.73%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.27MUR 154
$7.94$7.94
-58.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mauritius
United States
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.49MUR 70.2
$1.04$1.04
43.27%
White Bread(500g)
$0.66MUR 31.23
$3.59$3.59
-81.62%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.65MUR 77.7
$4.52$4.52
-63.50%
Eggs
$2.42MUR 114
$4.28$4.28
-43.46%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.13MUR 430
$13.22$13.22
-30.94%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.76MUR 272
$12.60$12.60
-54.29%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$12.91MUR 608
$17.60$17.60
-26.65%
Apples(1kg)
$2.27MUR 107
$5.30$5.30
-57.17%
Banana(1kg)
$2.09MUR 98.6
$1.69$1.69
23.67%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.30MUR 108
$4.44$4.44
-48.20%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.76MUR 130
$4.77$4.77
-42.14%
Potato(1kg)
$1.08MUR 51.0
$2.97$2.97
-63.64%
Onion(1kg)
$1.05MUR 49.34
$3.15$3.15
-66.67%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.83MUR 39.07
$2.20$2.20
-62.27%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72MUR 34.09
$2.35$2.35
-69.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.42MUR 303
$10.98$10.98
-41.53%
Wine(Bottle)
$10.55MUR 497
$15.05$15.05
-29.90%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.69MUR 79.5
$2.06$2.06
-17.96%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27MUR 107
$3.79$3.79
-40.11%
🚌 Getting Around
Mauritius
United States
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.97MUR 45.74
$1.94$1.94
-50.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$31.78MUR 1,498
$59.4$59.4
-46.49%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$4.29MUR 202
$3.58$3.58
19.83%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$3.27MUR 154
$1.88$1.88
73.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$10.43MUR 491
$29.84$29.84
-65.05%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.45MUR 68.4
$1.02$1.02
42.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.4KMUR 1.5M
$28.8K$28.8K
12.82%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.6KMUR 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)
$57.9MUR 2,727
$218$218
-73.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.66MUR 644
$62.5$62.5
-78.13%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.63MUR 1,443
$74.5$74.5
-58.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mauritius
United States
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$34.75MUR 1,638
$41.86$41.86
-16.99%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.33MUR 345
$22.81$22.81
-67.86%
Cinema Ticket
$6.18MUR 291
$14.70$14.70
-57.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mauritius
United States
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$160MUR 7,561
$1,489$1,489
-89.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$5,296MUR 249.6K
$25.3K$25.3K
-79.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mauritius
United States
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.76MUR 2,204
$54.3$54.3
-13.95%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.24MUR 1,896
$42.71$42.71
-5.78%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$79.8MUR 3,761
$94.1$94.1
-15.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$63.2MUR 2,979
$114$114
-44.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mauritius
United States
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$481MUR 22.7K
$1,659$1,659
-71.01%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$313MUR 14.7K
$1,348$1,348
-76.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$880MUR 41.5K
$2,682$2,682
-67.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$679MUR 32.0K
$2,169$2,169
-68.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,437MUR 209.1K
$3,283$3,283
35.16%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,123MUR 100.0K
$2,482$2,482
-14.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mauritius
United States
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$771MUR 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.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Mauritius
$313 31.9%
United States
$1.3K 49.3% ↑ 331%$1K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Mauritius
$231 23.6%
United States
$415 15.2% ↑ 79.8%$184
🍽Eating Out
Mauritius
$127 13%
United States
$328 12% ↑ 158%$201
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Mauritius
$104 10.6%
United States
$137 5% ↑ 32.5%$34
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mauritius
$102 10.4%
United States
$355 13% ↑ 247%$253
🚌Getting Around
Mauritius
$56 5.8%
United States
$80 2.9% ↑ 42.3%$24
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Mauritius
$47 4.8%
United States
$71 2.6% ↑ 51.3%$24
🏠Accommodation & Living
Mauritius
$680 30.4%
United States
$2.2K 41.4% ↑ 219%$1.5K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Mauritius
$535 23.9%
United States
$953 18.2% ↑ 78%$418
🍽Eating Out
Mauritius
$459 20.6%
United States
$1.1K 20.3% ↑ 131%$603
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Mauritius
$230 10.3%
United States
$305 5.8% ↑ 32.5%$75
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mauritius
$116 5.2%
United States
$417 8% ↑ 260%$302
🚌Getting Around
Mauritius
$115 5.1%
United States
$164 3.1% ↑ 43.3%$50
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Mauritius
$102 4.5%
United States
$165 3.2% ↑ 62.8%$64
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.
Mauritius→United States16,160 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.