Cost of Living Comparison Between Victoria and Mahe Cost of Living Comparison Between Victoria and Mahe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,063 in Victoria versus $1,792 in Mahe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,244 in Victoria versus $2,638 in Mahe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,425 in Victoria versus $3,484 in Mahe.

Living in Victoria is roughly 15% more expensive than in Mahe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Victoria 50% above, Mahe 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.82 SCR 255

$18.05 SCR 259

-1.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.1 SCR 717

$109 SCR 1,567

-54.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.03 SCR 187

$5.86 SCR 83.9

122.35%

Cappuccino

$3.99 SCR 57.2

$6.64 SCR 95.1

-39.91%

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

$2.43 SCR 34.87

$1.63 SCR 23.38

49.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 SCR 39.39

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.16 SCR 59.5

$13.03 SCR 187

-68.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 SCR 57.3

$9.26 SCR 133

-56.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 SCR 26.99

$1.65 SCR 23.66

13.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 SCR 25.68

$1.10 SCR 15.72

62.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.70 SCR 38.62

$1.82 SCR 26.07

48.35%

Eggs

$3.79 SCR 54.3

$4.20 SCR 60.2

-9.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.26 SCR 448

$16.27 SCR 233

92.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 SCR 91.5

$8.26 SCR 118

-22.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.71 SCR 182

$12.94 SCR 185

-1.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 SCR 33.43

$2.16 SCR 30.94

7.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 SCR 40.09

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 SCR 33.91

$2.35 SCR 33.69

0.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.39 SCR 91.5

$6.37 SCR 91.2

0.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 SCR 27.44

$1.11 SCR 15.84

72.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 SCR 26.81

$1.08 SCR 15.41

73.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 SCR 22.34

$1.12 SCR 16.05

39.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 SCR 18.58

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.04 SCR 359

$14.51 SCR 208

72.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 SCR 143

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.40 SCR 63.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 SCR 80.5

$2.20 SCR 31.47

155.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 SCR 9.98

$0.81 SCR 11.66

-13.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.36 SCR 478

$36.92 SCR 529

-9.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.57 SCR 209

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 SCR 21.82

$1.55 SCR 22.18

-1.94%

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

$27.8K SCR 398.7K

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

$32.4K SCR 464.1K

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

$141 SCR 2,023

$50.3 SCR 720

181.07%

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

$41.83 SCR 599

$21.91 SCR 314

90.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$140 SCR 2,011

$108 SCR 1,541

30.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.1 SCR 1,161

$55.2 SCR 790

46.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.29 SCR 119

Cinema Ticket

$7.19 SCR 103

$6.62 SCR 94.8

8.61%

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

$142 SCR 2,038

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,869 SCR 127.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.99 SCR 530

$31.48 SCR 451

17.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.21 SCR 361

$12.53 SCR 180

101.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 SCR 1,323

$50.6 SCR 724

82.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 SCR 1,478

$62.7 SCR 898

64.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$955 SCR 13.7K

$864 SCR 12.4K

10.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$814 SCR 11.6K

$883 SCR 12.6K

-7.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 SCR 32.5K

$1,792 SCR 25.7K

26.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,788 SCR 25.6K

$1,073 SCR 15.4K

66.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$461 SCR 6,595

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,186 SCR 17.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$967 SCR 13.9K

$885 SCR 12.7K

9.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Victoria: September 1, 2026

Last update for Mahe: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $955 in Victoria and $864 in Mahe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Victoria pays 9% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $50.0 in Victoria vs $109 in Mahe. Groceries flip the comparison at $381 vs $247, with Mahe cheaper for home cooking.

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

Victoria vs Mahe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mahe wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Victoria. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mahe the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Victoria, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $955 in Victoria versus $864 in Mahe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Victoria. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,063 per month in Victoria versus $1,792 in Mahe – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,792 in Mahe versus $2,063 in Victoria, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mahe but tight or insufficient in Victoria. The gap between the two cities makes Mahe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mahe delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,792 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mahe hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Victoria and Mahe are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mahe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Victoria. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.