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: $1,016 in South Africa versus $1,000 in Mauritius.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,595 in South Africa versus $1,633 in Mauritius.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,173 in South Africa versus $2,265 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 ($809–$1,338) and Mauritius ($727–$1,176) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.99 R 151

$6.61 MUR 310

36.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.97 R 670

$44.60 MUR 2,087

-10.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 R 85.3

$6.53 MUR 305

-22.05%

Cappuccino

$2.05 R 34.44

$2.40 MUR 112

-14.58%

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

$1.02 R 17.08

$1.04 MUR 48.70

-1.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 R 12.60

$0.63 MUR 29.27

19.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 R 37.36

$2.19 MUR 102

1.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 R 41.41

$3.03 MUR 142

-18.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.63

$1.45 MUR 67.8

-23.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 R 17.33

$0.70 MUR 32.68

47.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.30

$1.90 MUR 89.0

-17.37%

Eggs

$2.26 R 37.98

$2.28 MUR 107

-0.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.54 R 126

$9.55 MUR 447

-21.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.73 R 79.3

$5.74 MUR 268

-17.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.86 R 115

$12.45 MUR 583

-44.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.58 R 26.52

$2.18 MUR 102

-27.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.55

$1.86 MUR 86.9

-21.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 R 25.09

$2.04 MUR 95.4

-26.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.88

$3.02 MUR 141

-49.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 R 20.92

$1.06 MUR 49.59

17.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 R 21.55

$1.10 MUR 51.4

17.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 18.25

$0.92 MUR 43.17

18.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 R 15.19

$0.63 MUR 29.33

44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.96 R 49.60

$6.75 MUR 316

-56.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.96 R 83.2

$10.68 MUR 500

-53.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 23.18

$1.66 MUR 77.6

-16.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 R 28.29

$2.09 MUR 97.8

-19.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 27.37

$0.94 MUR 44.17

73.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.10 R 740

$32.84 MUR 1,537

34.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 19.29

$4.37 MUR 205

-73.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 R 18.60

$3.26 MUR 153

-65.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.82 R 80.8

$10.95 MUR 513

-55.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.54

$1.51 MUR 70.4

-15.23%

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

$20.5K R 344.3K

$31.1K MUR 1.5M

-34.05%

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

$24.0K R 402.6K

$33.4K MUR 1.6M

-28.13%

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

$112 R 1,877

$59.8 MUR 2,799

87.08%

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

$32.55 R 546

$16.35 MUR 765

99.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.61 R 698

$32.89 MUR 1,539

26.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.81 R 533

$34.58 MUR 1,618

-8.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.65 R 162

$7.31 MUR 342

32.01%

Cinema Ticket

$6.79 R 114

$6.69 MUR 313

1.49%

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

$186 R 3,126

$150 MUR 7,037

23.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,333 R 72.7K

$3,780 MUR 176.9K

14.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.30 R 827

$46.16 MUR 2,160

6.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.10 R 522

$38.83 MUR 1,817

-19.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 R 1,554

$79.5 MUR 3,720

16.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.0 R 1,358

$65.4 MUR 3,060

23.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 R 7,358

$439 MUR 20.5K

-0.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 R 6,090

$307 MUR 14.4K

18.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$876 R 14.7K

$817 MUR 38.2K

7.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$706 R 11.8K

$625 MUR 29.2K

13.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,164 R 19.5K

$4,359 MUR 203.9K

-73.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$797 R 13.4K

$2,130 MUR 99.7K

-62.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,427 R 23.9K

$702 MUR 32.9K

103.14%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Mauritius: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $367 in South Africa, $507 in Mauritius. Capital cities: $297 in Bloemfontein vs $465 in Port Louis.

National salary averages: $1,456 in South Africa, $754 in Mauritius. 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 93% 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 $952 per month in Mauritius and $1,074 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.