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 the United States and in Mauritius
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the United States and in Mauritius actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,734 in the United States versus $980 in Mauritius.
United States $2,734
Mauritius $980
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,985 in the United States versus $1,608 in Mauritius.
United States $3,985
Mauritius $1,608
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,235 in the United States versus $2,236 in Mauritius.
United States $5,235
Mauritius $2,236
📏
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 the United States is roughly 179% more expensive than in Mauritius on average.
📊
The United States (101% above) and Mauritius (28% below) straddle the global median.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
United States
Mauritius
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.03$20.03
$6.34MUR 299
215.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$80.0$80.0
$41.50MUR 1,956
92.87%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.80$11.80
$6.86MUR 323
72.01%
Cappuccino
$5.55$5.55
$2.59MUR 122
114.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66$2.66
$1.08MUR 50.7
146.30%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17$2.17
$0.69MUR 32.67
214.49%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$6.12$6.12
$2.22MUR 104
175.68%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$7.94$7.94
$3.27MUR 154
142.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
United States
Mauritius
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.04$1.04
$1.49MUR 70.2
-30.20%
White Bread(500g)
$3.59$3.59
$0.66MUR 31.22
443.94%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$4.52$4.52
$1.65MUR 77.7
173.94%
Eggs
$4.28$4.28
$2.42MUR 114
76.86%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$13.22$13.22
$9.13MUR 430
44.80%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$12.60$12.60
$5.76MUR 272
118.75%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$17.60$17.60
$12.91MUR 608
36.33%
Apples(1kg)
$5.30$5.30
$2.27MUR 107
133.48%
Banana(1kg)
$1.69$1.69
$2.09MUR 98.6
-19.14%
Oranges(1kg)
$4.44$4.44
$2.30MUR 108
93.04%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.77$4.77
$2.76MUR 130
72.83%
Potato(1kg)
$2.97$2.97
$1.08MUR 51.0
175.00%
Onion(1kg)
$3.15$3.15
$1.05MUR 49.33
200.00%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.20$2.20
$0.83MUR 39.06
165.06%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$2.35$2.35
$0.72MUR 34.08
226.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$10.98$10.98
$6.42MUR 303
71.03%
Wine(Bottle)
$15.05$15.05
$10.55MUR 497
42.65%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.06$2.06
$1.69MUR 79.5
21.89%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.79$3.79
$2.27MUR 107
66.96%
🚌 Getting Around
United States
Mauritius
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.94$1.94
$0.97MUR 45.73
100.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$59.4$59.4
$31.78MUR 1,497
86.88%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.58$3.58
$4.29MUR 202
-16.55%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.88$1.88
$3.27MUR 154
-42.51%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$29.84$29.84
$10.43MUR 491
186.10%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.02$1.02
$1.45MUR 68.4
-29.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.8K$28.8K
$32.4KMUR 1.5M
-11.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.2K$26.2K
$33.6KMUR 1.6M
-22.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
United States
Mauritius
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$218$218
$57.9MUR 2,727
276.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$62.5$62.5
$13.66MUR 644
357.32%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$74.5$74.5
$30.63MUR 1,443
143.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
United States
Mauritius
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$41.86$41.86
$34.75MUR 1,637
20.46%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.81$22.81
$7.33MUR 345
211.19%
Cinema Ticket
$14.70$14.70
$6.18MUR 291
137.86%
🧸 Childcare & Education
United States
Mauritius
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$1,489$1,489
$160MUR 7,560
828.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$25.3K$25.3K
$5,296MUR 249.5K
376.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
United States
Mauritius
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.3$54.3
$46.76MUR 2,203
16.21%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.71$42.71
$40.24MUR 1,896
6.14%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$94.1$94.1
$79.8MUR 3,760
17.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$114$114
$63.2MUR 2,978
79.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
United States
Mauritius
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,659$1,659
$481MUR 22.7K
244.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,348$1,348
$313MUR 14.7K
331.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,682$2,682
$880MUR 41.4K
204.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,169$2,169
$679MUR 32.0K
219.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,283$3,283
$4,437MUR 209.1K
-26.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,482$2,482
$2,123MUR 100.0K
16.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
United States
Mauritius
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$4,296$4,296
$771MUR 36.4K
456.92%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
6.55
6.32
3.64%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026
Last update for Mauritius: October 27, 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
United States
$1.3K 49.3%
Mauritius
$313 31.9% ↓ 76.8%$1K
🛒Groceries & Markets
United States
$415 15.2%
Mauritius
$231 23.6% ↓ 44.4%$184
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
United States
$355 13%
Mauritius
$102 10.4% ↓ 71.2%$253
🍽Eating Out
United States
$328 12%
Mauritius
$127 13% ↓ 61.3%$201
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
United States
$137 5%
Mauritius
$104 10.6% ↓ 24.5%$34
🚌Getting Around
United States
$80 2.9%
Mauritius
$56 5.8% ↓ 29.7%$24
🎉Sport & Entertainment
United States
$71 2.6%
Mauritius
$47 4.8% ↓ 33.9%$24
🏠Accommodation & Living
United States
$2.2K 41.4%
Mauritius
$680 30.4% ↓ 68.7%$1.5K
🛒Groceries & Markets
United States
$953 18.2%
Mauritius
$535 23.9% ↓ 43.8%$418
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
United States
$417 8%
Mauritius
$116 5.2% ↓ 72.2%$302
🍽Eating Out
United States
$1.1K 20.3%
Mauritius
$459 20.6% ↓ 56.8%$603
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
United States
$305 5.8%
Mauritius
$230 10.3% ↓ 24.5%$75
🚌Getting Around
United States
$164 3.1%
Mauritius
$115 5.1% ↓ 30.2%$50
🎉Sport & Entertainment
United States
$165 3.2%
Mauritius
$102 4.5% ↓ 38.6%$64
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $1,620 in the United States, $437 in Mauritius. Capital cities: $2,768 in Washington, DC vs $484 in Port Louis.
💰National salary averages: $4,549 in the United States, $836 in Mauritius. 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.
United States→Mauritius16,160 km≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
United States
Mauritius
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
United States vs Mauritius: 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.
United States vs other spots: cost of living compared