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

Name: Mauritius
Address: MU

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,019 in South Africa versus $999 in Mauritius.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,584 in South Africa versus $1,632 in Mauritius.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,149 in South Africa versus $2,264 in Mauritius.

Living in South Africa is roughly 2% more expensive than Mauritius on average.

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

South Africa ($815–$1,351) and Mauritius ($733–$1,174) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R 143

$6.52 MUR 307

35.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.61 R 641

$43.57 MUR 2,051

-9.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.14 R 83.2

$6.75 MUR 318

-23.85%

Cappuccino

$2.04 R 33.03

$2.50 MUR 118

-18.40%

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

$0.98 R 15.81

$1.04 MUR 49.19

-5.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.05

$0.66 MUR 31.22

22.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 R 35.51

$2.16 MUR 102

1.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 R 41.72

$3.10 MUR 146

-16.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 17.94

$1.42 MUR 67.1

-21.83%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 R 15.51

$0.66 MUR 30.93

45.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.32

$1.92 MUR 90.4

-18.75%

Eggs

$2.25 R 36.39

$2.25 MUR 106

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 R 125

$9.79 MUR 461

-21.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R 74.1

$5.58 MUR 263

-17.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.85 R 111

$12.50 MUR 589

-45.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 R 24.68

$2.16 MUR 102

-29.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 R 23.91

$1.97 MUR 92.6

-24.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.47

$2.14 MUR 101

-29.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 R 24.52

$2.91 MUR 137

-47.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 R 20.48

$1.06 MUR 49.71

19.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R 20.65

$1.07 MUR 50.2

19.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.61

$0.95 MUR 44.52

14.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 R 16.02

$0.61 MUR 28.81

62.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R 48.48

$6.45 MUR 304

-53.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.28 R 85.5

$10.76 MUR 507

-50.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.47

$1.65 MUR 77.5

-15.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 R 28.25

$2.08 MUR 97.8

-15.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 R 28.01

$0.93 MUR 43.55

86.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.46 R 720

$33.29 MUR 1,567

33.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 R 18.39

$4.43 MUR 208

-74.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 R 18.00

$3.26 MUR 154

-65.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 R 74.8

$10.89 MUR 513

-57.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R 20.91

$1.50 MUR 70.4

-14.00%

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

$20.4K R 330.0K

$31.0K MUR 1.5M

-34.22%

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

$23.5K R 379.7K

$33.6K MUR 1.6M

-30.23%

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

$111 R 1,800

$58.9 MUR 2,774

88.78%

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

$32.18 R 521

$16.03 MUR 755

100.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.42 R 671

$32.96 MUR 1,552

25.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.47 R 509

$34.18 MUR 1,609

-7.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.74 R 158

$7.46 MUR 351

30.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 R 108

$6.73 MUR 317

-0.74%

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

$193 R 3,123

$155 MUR 7,293

24.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,305 R 69.7K

$3,687 MUR 173.6K

16.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.29 R 798

$45.70 MUR 2,152

7.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.04 R 502

$38.73 MUR 1,823

-19.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 R 1,535

$77.9 MUR 3,666

21.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.1 R 1,280

$65.8 MUR 3,099

20.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$451 R 7,304

$444 MUR 20.9K

1.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 R 5,982

$309 MUR 14.5K

19.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$899 R 14.6K

$815 MUR 38.4K

10.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 R 11.6K

$611 MUR 28.8K

17.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,084 R 17.5K

$4,429 MUR 208.5K

-75.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$786 R 12.7K

$2,133 MUR 100.4K

-63.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,534 R 24.8K

$759 MUR 35.7K

102.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

6.03

91.54%

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

Last update for South Africa: June 16, 2026

Last update for Mauritius: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $369 in South Africa, $506 in Mauritius. Capital cities: $299 in Bloemfontein vs $463 in Port Louis.

National salary averages: $1,522 in South Africa, $799 in Mauritius. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 37% higher in Mauritius.

Dining out costs 17% more in Mauritius.

Public transport is 78% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 90% 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

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

At $954 per month in Mauritius and $1,083 in South Africa, there's a 14% 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.