Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nouakchott and Nouadhibou

For one person, living is cheaper in Nouadhibou: $265 a month against $812 in Nouakchott, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nouakchott
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Nouakchott Living Index

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Nouakchott

🇲🇷 Mauritania

$812

/mo nomad

Nouadhibou

🇲🇷 Mauritania

$265

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nouakchott and in Nouadhibou

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nouakchott and in Nouadhibou actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $812 per month in Nouakchott vs $265 in Nouadhibou, rent included.

Nouakchott $812
Nouadhibou $265

A couple spends around $1,330 per month in Nouakchott vs $491 in Nouadhibou, rent included.

Nouakchott $1,330
Nouadhibou $491

A family of three spends $1,848 per month in Nouakchott vs $718 in Nouadhibou, rent included.

Nouakchott $1,848
Nouadhibou $718

Nouakchott costs about 206% more than Nouadhibou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Nouakchott and Nouadhibou are more affordable than the global median – Nouakchott 40% lower, Nouadhibou 80% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.55 MRU 102

$2.90 MRU 116

-12.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.78 MRU 993

$16.72 MRU 670

48.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.78 MRU 232

$5.96 MRU 239

-3.02%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 MRU 70.9

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 MRU 68.6

Cappuccino

$2.33 MRU 93.2

$2.48 MRU 99.2

-6.05%

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

$1.71 MRU 68.6

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 MRU 87.9

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 MRU 61.9

$1.21 MRU 48.57

27.27%

White Bread (500g)

$0.28 MRU 11.33

$0.38 MRU 15.26

-26.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 MRU 52.8

$1.15 MRU 45.99

14.78%

Eggs

$2.25 MRU 90.1

$2.04 MRU 81.9

10.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.05 MRU 242

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.43 MRU 217

$2.80 MRU 112

93.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.31 MRU 293

$6.31 MRU 253

15.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 MRU 126

$1.71 MRU 68.6

84.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MRU 72.5

$1.47 MRU 58.7

23.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 MRU 62.3

$1.11 MRU 44.34

39.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.11 MRU 44.57

$0.77 MRU 30.74

44.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 MRU 36.66

$0.79 MRU 31.48

16.46%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 MRU 37.24

$0.73 MRU 29.21

27.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 MRU 31.31

$0.61 MRU 24.27

27.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 MRU 25.86

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.77 MRU 391

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 MRU 101

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 MRU 66.8

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.43 MRU 97.3

$2.42 MRU 96.9

0.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 MRU 18.88

$0.36 MRU 14.24

30.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.41 MRU 858

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 MRU 35.83

$0.90 MRU 36.01

-1.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 MRU 14.24

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.51 MRU 141

$7.29 MRU 292

-51.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 MRU 55.7

$1.21 MRU 48.61

14.88%

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

$7,420 MRU 297.2K

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

$8,984 MRU 359.9K

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

$130 MRU 5,219

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

$22.23 MRU 890

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.4 MRU 2,379

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.3 MRU 3,419

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$246 MRU 9,838

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 MRU 158

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

$448 MRU 18.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,569 MRU 303.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.95 MRU 599

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.02 MRU 922

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.7 MRU 2,750

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.28 MRU 1,894

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$289 MRU 11.6K

$64.8 MRU 2,595

345.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 MRU 7,063

$98.2 MRU 3,932

79.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$731 MRU 29.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 MRU 12.8K

$251 MRU 10.1K

27.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 MRU 25.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Nouakchott: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nouadhibou: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nouakchott

$212 26.1%

Nouadhibou

–

Accommodation & Living

Nouakchott

$176 21.7%

Nouadhibou

–

Groceries & Markets

Nouakchott

$154 18.9%

Nouadhibou

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nouakchott

$93 11.5%

Nouadhibou

–

Eating Out

Nouakchott

$81 10%

Nouadhibou

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nouakchott

$69 8.5%

Nouadhibou

–

Getting Around

Nouakchott

$26 3.2%

Nouadhibou

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $289 in Nouakchott versus $64.8 in Nouadhibou. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Nouakchott versus $17.00 in Nouadhibou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $154 vs $94.0 – making Nouadhibou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇷 Nouakchott

🇲🇷 Nouadhibou

🕒 Local time

07:32 7:32 AM

Same time as Nouakchott

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

958,399 Capital

85,953

💱 Currency

Mauritanian Ouguiya MRU UM

📈 Exchange rate

100 MRU = 2.5 USD

100 MRU = 2.22 EUR

100 MRU = 2.5 USD

100 MRU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Nouakchott Nouadhibou 330 km

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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

Nouakchott vs Nouadhibou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nouakchott is pricier by about 206%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,217 per month in Nouakchott and $397 in Nouadhibou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nouadhibou, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 64% more in Nouakchott, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Nouakchott and $17.00 in Nouadhibou. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $812 in Nouakchott and $265 in Nouadhibou, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Nouadhibou – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Nouadhibou. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nouakchott makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.