Home › Guides › Cost of living
CostsCost of Living in Mauritius for Expats
We found no official budget for an expat household, so the cost of living in Mauritius for expats has to be built line by line from published prices. Statistics Mauritius put inflation for September 2026 at 4.1% on the 12-month average and 5.7% year on year. Petrol has cost Rs 77.70 a litre since 29 September 2026, and the Government Gazette electricity tariff gives an energy charge of Rs 2,074.75 for 300 kWh. In the listings we read, typical asking rents for a two-bedroom apartment ran from Rs 42,500 to Rs 70,000 a month across five areas, three of them resting on only three or four ads.
This page is for people putting together a monthly budget before a move. It sets official figures (inflation, average prices, fuel, electricity, water, the minimum wage) beside labelled secondary prices for rent, phones and school fees. One-off moving costs are covered by our cost to move to Mauritius tool, and the where to live quiz helps with choosing an area.
What do groceries and staples cost?
Statistics Mauritius publishes monthly average prices for selected commodities. The September 2026 file, updated on 7 October 2026, gives these averages.
| Item | Unit | Average, September 2026 (Rs) |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh whole chicken | per kg | 218.33 |
| Fresh beef | per kg | 690.19 |
| Potatoes | per kg | 50.00 |
| Onions | per kg | 50.00 |
| Cooking oil | per litre | 83.56 |
| Baguette | 200 g | 8.00 |
| Rice, government-subsidised | per kg | 10.80 |
| Rice, trader’s | per kg | 75.64 |
The 200 g baguette averaged Rs 5.40 from January to March, the file records a rise on 10 April 2026, and it has averaged Rs 8 since May. Cooking oil averaged Rs 68.42 a litre in January and Rs 83.56 in September.
Why does inflation show as 4.1% and 5.7%?
Both figures come from the Statistics Mauritius consumer price index bulletin for September 2026, released on 7 October 2026 with 2023 as the base year (2023 = 100). The headline rate, 4.1%, is the 12-month average: the average price level over the latest twelve months compared with the average over the twelve months before. The year-on-year rate, 5.7%, compares September 2026 with September 2025.
The two figures differ because an average moves slowly. From August to September 2026 the year-on-year rate climbed from 4.9% to 5.7%, while the 12-month average edged from 4.0% to 4.1%. A year-on-year rate above the average suggests that prices rose faster in recent months.
Prices overall rose 0.6% in the month, taking the index from 113.4 to 114.1. Education services (1.9%) and transport (1.8%) rose most, while housing, water, electricity, gas and fuels did not change.
What does an average Mauritian household spend?
The Household Budget Survey 2023 (preliminary results), published by Statistics Mauritius in April 2024, found average monthly consumption spending of Rs 41,870 per household, for households averaging 3.2 people. Food and non-alcoholic drinks took 25% (Rs 10,480), transport 16% (Rs 6,630), and housing, water, electricity, gas and fuels 10% (Rs 4,180).
Read this as a yardstick for local spending, not as an expat budget. It describes Mauritian households in 2023, and the consumer price index stood at 114.1 in September 2026.
Date your numbers: write the month beside every figure in your budget, because with year-on-year inflation at 5.7% a number from last year will probably read low. Check the main ones again just before you sign a lease or pay a school deposit.
Get the free Mauritius move checklist
Seven steps in a sensible order, from choosing a residence route to your first month on the island. Free, by email.
What do rents look like?
Rents differ a lot by area, so the full tables, ranges and caveats are in Renting in Mauritius as an Expat: Leases and Costs. The figures here are asking rents for long lets in online property listings we read on 28 October 2026. Asking rents can differ from what people agree to pay. Typical means the median ask, and cells marked indicative only rest on five or fewer listings.
| Area | Two-bedroom apartment, typical ask (Rs a month) | Three or four-bedroom house, typical ask (Rs a month) |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Baie and Pereybère | 70,000 (indicative only) | 90,000 |
| Rest of the north coast | 42,500 | 85,000 |
| Tamarin and Black River | 55,000 (indicative only) | 120,000 |
| Flic en Flac | 42,500 | 85,000 (indicative only) |
| Moka and Ebène | 55,000 (indicative only) | none found |
| Quatre Bornes | none found | 70,000 (indicative only) |
Bel Ombre and Le Morne turned up no listings, and Blue Bay only a wanted ad. Floréal and Curepipe together had one apartment ad and one house ad, so we give no typical figure there.
What do electricity and gas cost?
Domestic electricity is billed in blocks, so each extra unit costs more as monthly use rises. The rates below come from the temporary tariffs in Government Gazette Extraordinary No. 29 of 30 April 2026 (General Notice 473), which apply to meter readings from 1 May 2026 until a final tariff decision. The same blocks apply to domestic tariffs 110, 120 and 140.
| Units used in the month (kWh) | Rs per kWh | Cost of the block (Rs) | Running total (Rs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 25 | 3.63 | 90.75 | 90.75 |
| 26 to 50 | 5.04 | 126.00 | 216.75 |
| 51 to 75 | 5.45 | 136.25 | 353.00 |
| 76 to 100 | 6.27 | 156.75 | 509.75 |
| 101 to 200 | 7.07 | 707.00 | 1,216.75 |
| 201 to 250 | 8.07 | 403.50 | 1,620.25 |
| 251 to 300 | 9.09 | 454.50 | 2,074.75 |
| 301 to 500 | 12.03 | 2,406.00 | 4,480.75 |
At 300 kWh the energy charge comes to Rs 2,074.75, and at 500 kWh to Rs 4,480.75, so the last 200 kWh cost more than the first 300. Beyond 500 kWh the rates keep rising in further blocks, to Rs 13.06 a unit at the top. These totals are the energy charge only; we have not checked VAT, other bill items or any minimum monthly charge.
A 12 kg cooking gas cylinder was Rs 250 in September 2026 in the Statistics Mauritius file, up from Rs 190 until 28 March 2026.
What do we know about water bills?
The Central Water Authority tariff page lists, for consumers outside the Social Register, Rs 45.00 for use from 0 to 10 m³ (tariff 10). For use above 10 m³ it lists bands (tariff 11): Rs 6.00 per m³ for the first 10 m³, Rs 8.00 for 11 to 20 m³, Rs 17.00 for 21 to 50 m³ and Rs 32.00 per m³ from 51 m³. Domestic consumers with a pool who use more than 50 m³ in a month pay a Rs 500 swimming pool fee.
The page is undated, does not say how the Rs 45.00 charge and the bands fit together, and shows no meter rent, sewerage charge or VAT. We have worked out no sample bill. Ask the Authority, or the landlord, for a recent bill before relying on any figure.
Does the climate change what you pay?
It may, though no source we read puts a figure on it. The Mauritius Meteorological Services (MMS) 1971 to 2000 normals show wide differences between regions. The mean daily maximum in January is 27.6°C at Vacoas on the central plateau, against 30.4°C at Medine in the west and 31.1°C at Pamplemousses in the north. Mean annual rain is about 2,000 mm at Vacoas and about 780 mm at Medine.
For summer 2026-27, the MMS outlook of 27 October 2026 expects above-normal temperatures, with maxima that may reach around 36°C on western coasts and torrid conditions possible from December to March. Ask any landlord what cooling the property has and who pays to run it, and ask for a year of electricity bills that includes a summer month. On the plateau, ask about damp as well.
What do fuel and running a car cost?
Since 29 September 2026 the State Trading Corporation’s retail prices are Rs 77.70 a litre for petrol (Mogas) and Rs 78.35 for diesel (gas oil), up from Rs 70.65 and Rs 71.25 on 15 August, a rise of about 10% in each case. The Statistics Mauritius file puts the January averages at Rs 58.45 for petrol and Rs 58.95 for diesel, so both fuels now cost about 33% more than in January, by our arithmetic.
If you import a car, customs duty on motor cars is 0% and VAT is 15%, so the main variable is excise duty, which the Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) lists by engine size and fuel type.
| Car type | Up to 550 cc | 551 to 1,000 cc | 1,001 to 1,600 cc | 1,601 to 2,000 cc | Above 2,000 cc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol or diesel only | 0% | 45% | 55% | 75% | 100% |
| Hybrid and mild hybrid | 0% | 25% | 35% | 55% | 75% |
| Plug-in hybrid | 0% | 15% | 25% | 35% | 55% |
Electric cars pay excise of 15% up to 180 kW and 25% above that. For a used car, the taxable value starts from the free-on-board value of identical vehicles previously imported, less 9% for the first month of use and 1% for each month after, to a maximum reduction of 50%. We found concessions for returning Mauritian citizens and for non-citizens serving under a Government agreement, but none for other newcomers; that is not proof that none exists, so ask the MRA before you ship a car. Age limits and the rules for individual importers are in our driving guide. We give no dealer prices.
What do phone and internet plans cost?
The Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA) licence register lists three mobile operators: Cellplus (the my.t brand), Emtel and Mahanagar Telephone (CHiLi). The table leaves out CHiLi, whose own pages mostly quote data per day and list no home fibre. These prices come from my.t and Emtel’s own price lists, so they are secondary sources and plans change often. All include VAT. Postpaid and fibre prices are monthly, and the prepaid pack lasts 30 days.
| Service | my.t | Emtel |
|---|---|---|
| Postpaid, four plans | Rs 300 (5 GB), 600 (30 GB), 1,100 (250 GB) and 2,000 (no data limit) | Rs 599 (50 GB), 899 (100 GB), 1,099 (200 GB) and 2,099 (unlimited data) |
| Prepaid, 30 days | Rs 315 (200 GB, up to 6 GB a day) | Rs 371 (6 GB a day) |
| Fibre at home, 200 Mbps | Rs 1,700 | Rs 1,600 |
| Fibre at home, 1 Gbps | Rs 4,700 | Rs 4,500 |
my.t states a minimum postpaid contract of 12 months, and Emtel says its bundles cannot be downgraded within the contractual period. Emtel’s filing with ICTA gives four of its bundles as Rs 520.87, 781.74, 955.65 and 1,825.22 before VAT, from 7 May 2026.
What do international school fees cost?
We read the published fee pages of three international schools. Fees depend on the year group and on the nationality basis a school applies, so check which rate your child would pay.
| School | Basis and period | Fees (Rs a year) | One-off and extra charges (Rs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| School A | Expatriate rate, August 2026 to July 2027 | Pre-Nursery 174,900; Nursery 187,000; Year 1 311,300; Years 7 to 11 605,000 (580,800 if paid upfront); Years 12 and 13 656,700 | Years 7 to 11: inception fee 72,400 and refundable deposit 152,700; books and levies extra |
| School B | Non-citizen rate, 2027 fee structure | Forms 1 to 3 339,000; Forms 4 and 5 357,000; Forms 6 and 7 (IB Diploma) 410,400 | Enrolment fee 70,000 |
| School C | 2026/27, billed annually | Other nationalities 286,880 or 390,610, depending on the track; French or Mauritian nationality 234,410 or 278,520 | First registration 100,000, once |
Leaving out Pre-Nursery and Nursery, the expatriate, non-citizen and other-nationality rates in the table run from Rs 286,880 a year (School C, other nationalities) to Rs 656,700 (School A, Years 12 and 13). School A’s Mauritian rate for Years 7 to 11 is Rs 337,700, against Rs 605,000 at its expatriate rate, so the nationality basis can change the fee by a wide margin. Our international schools guide covers curricula and places.
What about pay, household help, eating out and health?
The national minimum wage is Rs 17,745 a month from 1 January 2026, up from Rs 17,110 (Government Notice 8 of 2026). It is a floor for employees, and we have not confirmed how it applies to household help. Wage rates for domestic staff are not published in the sources we read, so we give none.
For eating out, the only figures we found come from Numbeo, a crowd-sourced site (625 entries from 55 contributors, updated 26 October 2026). It shows about Rs 300 for a meal at an inexpensive restaurant (range Rs 150 to Rs 600) and about Rs 1,920 for a three-course meal for two without drinks at a mid-range restaurant (range Rs 1,200 to Rs 4,000). Crowd-sourced prices are indicative only.
We have not priced health cover. Our healthcare guide covers public and private care.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to live in Mauritius each month?
We found no official budget for an expat household, so we give no single figure. The nearest official yardstick is the Household Budget Survey 2023 (preliminary results), which found average monthly consumption spending of Rs 41,870 for a Mauritian household of 3.2 people. That is not an expat budget. Rent and school fees are the largest items we priced: in the listings we read, typical asking rents for a two-bedroom apartment ran from Rs 42,500 to Rs 70,000 a month, the top figure resting on only three listings, and fees at the three schools we read run from Rs 286,880 to Rs 656,700 a year at the expatriate, non-citizen or other-nationality rate, leaving out Pre-Nursery and Nursery at one school.
Why is inflation in Mauritius 4.1% in one place and 5.7% in another?
Statistics Mauritius reports both for September 2026. The 4.1% is the 12-month average: the average price level over the latest twelve months compared with the twelve months before. The 5.7% is the year-on-year rate, which compares September 2026 with September 2025. A year-on-year rate above the average suggests that prices rose faster in recent months.
How much does electricity cost in Mauritius?
Under the temporary tariffs in the Government Gazette for meter readings from 1 May 2026, the energy charge for a domestic customer is Rs 2,074.75 for 300 kWh in a month and Rs 4,480.75 for 500 kWh. We have not checked VAT or the other items on a bill, and the tariffs stay temporary until a final decision.
How much is petrol in Mauritius?
From 29 September 2026 the State Trading Corporation price is Rs 77.70 a litre for petrol and Rs 78.35 for diesel, up from Rs 70.65 and Rs 71.25 on 15 August. That is a rise of about 10% in each case, by our arithmetic.
Sources, checked 28 October 2026
Pages from Statistics Mauritius, the State Trading Corporation, the Utility Regulatory Authority, the Central Water Authority, the Ministry of Labour, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Mauritius Revenue Authority, the Mauritius Meteorological Services and ICTA are official; items marked secondary are company price lists, school pages, online listings and a crowd-sourced site, and they carry less weight.
- Consumer Price Index, September 2026 (Statistics Mauritius): the 4.1% and 5.7% rates, how each is defined, the index at 114.1 and the movements by division.
- Average prices of selected commodities (Statistics Mauritius): the September 2026 averages for groceries, cooking gas and fuel, with the January to September series and notes, from the file updated 7 October 2026.
- Household Budget Survey 2023, preliminary results (Statistics Mauritius): average household spending and its main shares.
- Retail prices and press release (State Trading Corporation): petrol and diesel prices from 29 September 2026 and the prices before.
- Government Gazette Extraordinary No. 29 of 2026 and the public notice on temporary electricity tariffs (Government of Mauritius and Utility Regulatory Authority): the block rates for meter readings from 1 May 2026.
- Water tariffs (Central Water Authority): tariff 10 and 11 charges and the swimming pool fee. The page is undated.
- National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (Ministry of Labour) and Cabinet highlights, 9 January 2026 (Prime Minister’s Office): the Rs 17,745 rate from 1 January 2026 and the rate before.
- Motor vehicles, tariff information and the list of concessions (Mauritius Revenue Authority): customs duty, VAT and excise on cars, electric cars, the used-car valuation, and the car concessions for returning citizens and for non-citizens serving under a Government agreement.
- Climate of Mauritius, the regional tables for the Centre (Vacoas), West (Medine) and North (Pamplemousses), and the seasonal climate forecast (Mauritius Meteorological Services): normals for 1971 to 2000 and the summer 2026-27 outlook of 27 October 2026.
- Emtel postpaid bundles (Information and Communication Technologies Authority): the prices excluding VAT filed from 7 May 2026.
- Licences issued (Information and Communication Technologies Authority): the Public Land Mobile Network licence lists Cellplus Mobile Communications Ltd., Emtel Ltd. and Mahanagar Telephone (Mauritius) Ltd. The register gives company names only. The my.t brand comes from my.t’s Tourist SIM conditions, which name Cellplus, and the CHiLi brand from an ICTA tariff document of 18 March 2025, which lists CHiLi postpaid plans under Mahanagar Telephone (Mauritius) Ltd.
- Secondary: operator price lists from my.t (postpaid, prepaid, broadband) and Emtel (postpaid, prepaid, fibre): plan prices with VAT.
- Secondary: CHiLi’s own pages (postpaid, mobile data packs, C-Box), read 28 October 2026: data allowances quoted per day on the postpaid plans and larger packs, home internet sold as a Wi-Fi box, and no home fibre listed.
- Secondary: online property listings, long lets on three property portals and agency sites, read 28 October 2026 (no link): the asking rents.
- Secondary: the published fee pages of three international schools (the schools’ own sites, not linked here because we do not name them): fees by year group, nationality basis and one-off charges.
- Cost of living in Mauritius (Numbeo): secondary and crowd-sourced; restaurant meal prices from 625 entries by 55 contributors, updated 26 October 2026.
General information only, not immigration, tax, legal or financial advice. Mauritius often changes these rules in its June Budget, so check the official pages above and speak to a qualified professional before you act.