Cost of Living in Mauritius

Thinking about moving to Mauritius and wondering how much money you'll actually need to live comfortably? Let's break it down simply. If you're single, plan for roughly MUR 27,500 to 45,000 a month (INR 50,000 to 85,000, or about $600 to $1,000 USD), rent included. Moving with a family of four? You're looking at closer to MUR 100,000 to 145,000 a month (INR 2 lakh to 2.9 lakh, or around $2,200 to $3,200 USD), depending on the kind of home and lifestyle you choose.

In short, rent is the biggest chunk of your budget, followed by food, transport, and everyday utilities. How much you actually spend comes down to two things mostly, where you live and whether you share your place with someone or not.

In this article, we'll break down every part of that monthly cost, one by one, accommodation, food, transport, utilities, healthcare, and more. By the end, you'll know exactly what to budget for before you land in Mauritius.

Cost of Living in Mauritius by Profile

Ask five different people how much it costs to live in Mauritius, and you'll get five different answers. That's because your monthly cost depends entirely on who you are, a student, a single professional, or a family of four, and how you choose to live.

Here's how the numbers change depending on your profile:

Profile	Monthly Cost (MUR)	Monthly Cost (INR)
Single person (excluding rent)	28,586	57,818
Single person (including rent)	43,000–58,000	86,000–1,16,000
Family of four (excluding rent)	105,799	2,13,982
Family of four (including rent)	130,000–150,000	2.6L–3L

Source: Numbeo

A few quick takeaways from this table:

• Sharing a flat brings your monthly cost down a lot, since rent gets split
• Renting a full 3-bedroom place alone pushes you to the higher end
• Students usually land closest to the single person numbers, but on the lower side

Cost of Living in Major Mauritius Cities

Rent in Mauritius isn't the same everywhere, and the difference between cities can easily swing your budget by MUR 10,000 to 15,000 a month (INR 20,000 to 30,000). Picking the right area matters just as much as picking the right apartment.

Here's how the main areas actually compare:

• Port Louis, the capital, is the most expensive place to live. A 1BHK here averages MUR 25,000 to 30,000 (INR 50,000 to 60,000), since it's the business and commercial hub of the island
• Vacoas-Phoenix, one of the most affordable major towns, offers a 1BHK for around MUR 17,000 to 22,000 (INR 34,000 to 44,000), while still giving you solid access to shops, markets and bus routes
• Curepipe sits close behind Vacoas-Phoenix in affordability, with 1BHK rents around MUR 18,000 to 23,000 (INR 36,000 to 46,000)
• Quatre Bornes and Moka fall in the middle, popular with expats, with 1BHK rents averaging MUR 20,000 to 25,000 (INR 40,000 to 50,000)

If your budget is tight, living in Vacoas-Phoenix or Curepipe and taking the bus into Port Louis for work or classes can save you MUR 5,000 to 8,000 a month (INR 10,000 to 16,000), compared to renting in the capital itself. That trade-off is worth weighing seriously before you sign a lease.

Accommodation Costs in Mauritius

Rent alone can take up 40 to 50 percent of your total monthly budget in Mauritius, which makes it the single biggest decision you'll make before you even land. Get this one choice right, and everything else in your budget becomes far easier to manage.

How Much Does It Cost to Rent in Mauritius?

The size of your home and its location together decide your rent, and the gap between options is bigger than most people expect. Here's the real breakdown based on current Numbeo data:

Accommodation Type	Monthly Rent (MUR)	Monthly Rent (INR)
1BHK, city centre	22,023	44,506
1BHK, outside centre	14,978	30,285
3BHK, city centre	39,823	80,522
3BHK, outside centre	31,798	64,304

Source: Numbeo

A few specific numbers worth noting from this table:

• A 1BHK in the city centre costs MUR 7,045 more (INR 14,241 more) than the same size flat outside it, roughly 47% higher
• A 3BHK follows the exact same pattern, costing MUR 8,025 more (INR 16,225 more) in the city centre than outside it
• Moving from a 1BHK to a 3BHK outside the city centre alone adds MUR 16,820 (INR 34,019) to your monthly rent

Shared vs Private Accommodation Costs

If you're a student or a young professional, sharing accommodation is genuinely the smartest financial move you can make in Mauritius.

• Split a 1BHK outside the city centre, priced at MUR 14,978 (INR 30,285), between two people, and your personal share drops to around MUR 7,500 a month (INR 15,150)
• Split a 3BHK outside the centre, priced at MUR 31,798 (INR 64,304), between three people, and each person pays roughly MUR 10,600 a month (INR 21,435)
• Living alone in that same 1BHK means covering the full MUR 14,978 (INR 30,285) yourself, with no one to split utilities with either

It's a simple trade-off. More space and privacy if you live alone, or real monthly savings if you're willing to share.

Monthly Food & Grocery Expenses in Mauritius

Food is one of the few costs in Mauritius you actually control day to day. Someone cooking at home most nights spends noticeably less than someone ordering in or eating out regularly, and the gap between the two habits can run into thousands of rupees a month.

On average, groceries for one person cost MUR 8,000 to 15,000 a month (INR 16,000 to 30,000), depending on how much of that is fresh local produce versus imported packaged goods.

Cost of Groceries in Mauritius

Local markets are cheaper than supermarkets for fresh produce, so where you shop changes these numbers a fair bit. Here's exactly what everyday grocery items cost in Mauritius right now, based on current Numbeo pricing, so you know what to expect before your first grocery run.

Here's exactly what everyday grocery items cost in Mauritius right now, based on current Numbeo pricing:

Grocery Item	Cost (MUR)	Cost (INR)
Milk (1 litre)	68.95	139
Bread (500g loaf)	32.68	66
Rice (1 kg)	82.87	168
Eggs (12)	115.88	234
Chicken fillets (1 kg)	277.21	561
Tomatoes (1 kg)	124.96	253
Apples (1 kg)	108.86	220

Source: Numbeo

Two habits that make a real difference to this bill:

• Buying tomatoes, onions and fruit at local markets instead of supermarkets can cut those specific costs by close to 30 to 40%
• Supermarkets are better suited for packaged and imported goods, but expect to pay a noticeable premium there compared to local markets

Cost of Eating Out in Mauritius

Eating out is where a food budget quietly gets out of hand, since each individual cost feels small on its own. Here's exactly what to expect:

• A cheap local meal costs around MUR 300 (INR 606), with prices ranging from MUR 150 to 600 depending on the restaurant
• A mid-range meal for two costs about MUR 2,000 (INR 4,040), covering three courses without drinks
• A regular cappuccino averages MUR 122.52 (INR 248)
• A soft drink like Coke or Pepsi averages MUR 51.53 (INR 104)

Eating out just twice a week at a mid-range restaurant, roughly MUR 2,000 (INR 4,040) each time, adds up to about MUR 16,000 a month (INR 32,360). That alone is close to double what most people spend on a full month of groceries.

Transportation Costs in Mauritius

Getting around Mauritius is one of the cheapest parts of living there, as long as you stick to public buses instead of taxis. Most residents, students especially, end up relying on the bus network for almost all of their daily travel, and it genuinely covers the whole island well.

Public Transport Costs in Mauritius

Buses are the backbone of getting around, and the pricing makes it easy to see why:

• A one-way bus ticket costs around MUR 44 (INR 89)
• A monthly public transport pass averages MUR 2,000 (INR 4,040), with prices ranging from MUR 1,000 to 2,552 (INR 2,020 to 5,161) depending on your route

Someone taking the bus twice a day, five days a week, would spend close to MUR 1,760 (INR 3,558) a month on single tickets alone. That makes the monthly pass, at MUR 2,000 (INR 4,040), the smarter buy for anyone commuting regularly to campus or work.

Taxi and Fuel Costs in Mauritius

A 10km taxi ride alone could cost close to MUR 1,700 (INR 3,438), which is almost as much as a full monthly bus pass. Taxis cost significantly more, and the fare adds up fast once you factor in distance and waiting time:

• The starting fare alone is around MUR 200 (INR 404)
• Every extra kilometre adds roughly MUR 150 (INR 303)
• Keeping a taxi waiting for an hour can cost MUR 500 (INR 1,010)
• Petrol averages MUR 67.41 (INR 136) per litre

Between fuel, insurance and maintenance, owning a car in Mauritius works out to be a genuine luxury rather than a necessity, since buses realistically cover most places you'd need to go.

Healthcare & Insurance Costs in Mauritius

Healthcare is one area where Mauritius genuinely won't stretch your budget, which is a relief for anyone moving there for the first time. Costs stay predictable whether you're visiting a public clinic or paying for a private consultation.

Here's a simple breakdown of what to expect:

• A general doctor's visit costs MUR 300 to 1,000 (INR 606 to 2,020)
• Basic medicine, like something for a cold, costs around MUR 150 to 350 (INR 303 to 707) a month
• A private specialist visit usually costs MUR 800 to 1,500 (INR 1,616 to 3,030)

Most students and expats take out a short-term private health insurance plan when they first arrive, usually running a few hundred rupees a month. It's a small, predictable cost that saves a lot of stress if something unexpected comes up in your first few months.

Utilities & Internet Costs in Mauritius

Utilities are easy to underestimate until the first bill actually arrives. Knowing the real numbers upfront helps you avoid any surprises.

Basic utilities, meaning electricity, water and garbage collection, cost around MUR 2,780 (INR 5,620) a month for a standard apartment. This can range from MUR 1,500 to 4,900 (INR 3,030 to 9,899), depending on how much cooling you use through Mauritius's warmer months.

Here's what to budget for on top of that:

• Mobile phone plan with calls and 10GB+ data: MUR 650 (INR 1,314) a month
• Broadband internet, fast enough for streaming and video calls: MUR 1,424 (INR 2,880) a month

Sharing an apartment with even one other person cuts your personal share of these bills roughly in half. Say your total utilities and internet come to about MUR 4,200 (INR 8,494) a month. Split that two ways, and your own share drops to close to MUR 2,100 (INR 4,247), a real saving without changing your lifestyle at all.

Leisure & Miscellaneous Costs in Mauritius

Life in Mauritius isn't only rent and groceries. A coffee out with friends, a gym membership, or a weekend movie all deserve their own line in your monthly budget, and it's worth knowing what these actually cost before you get there.

Here's what everyday leisure spending looks like:

• Monthly gym membership: MUR 1,594 (INR 3,222)
• Cinema ticket: MUR 300 (INR 606)
• Basic toiletries: MUR 500 to 1,200 (INR 1,010 to 2,424) a month
• Jeans, mid-range brand: MUR 2,333 (INR 4,717)
• Running shoes, branded: MUR 3,619 (INR 7,318)

None of this counts as essential spending, which makes it the easiest category to trim in a tighter month. Skipping the gym membership alone, for instance, saves close to MUR 1,594 (INR 3,222) a month without touching your actual living costs.

Education Costs for International Students in Mauritius

Before working out your monthly student budget, it's worth separating one thing clearly. Tuition fees and monthly living costs are two completely different numbers, and mixing them together only makes your budget confusing. Tuition gets paid once a year, not every month.

Tuition Fees by Program Type

Tuition in Mauritius depends heavily on your course and the type of institution you choose. Here's how it breaks down by program:

• Business and management: MUR 60,000 to 120,000 (INR 1.21 lakh to 2.43 lakh) a year
• Engineering and technology: MUR 80,000 to 150,000 (INR 1.62 lakh to 3.03 lakh) a year
• IT and computer science: MUR 70,000 to 140,000 (INR 1.42 lakh to 2.83 lakh) a year
• Private or specialised professional programs: MUR 150,000 to 300,000 (INR 3.03 lakh to 6.07 lakh) a year

Other Study-Related Expenses

On top of tuition, a few smaller costs are worth planning for as well:

• Books, lab fees and admin charges: MUR 10,000 to 25,000 (INR 20,000 to 50,000) a year
• A new laptop, if needed, as a one-time cost before you leave

These costs don't feel big individually, but stacked together over a full academic year, they can add up to another MUR 15,000 to 25,000 (INR 30,000 to 50,500). Planning for them now is a lot easier than being caught off guard by them later.

Read More: Best Universities in Mauritius 

Monthly Budget for Students in Mauritius

The cost of living in Mauritius for a student really comes down to one simple choice: do you share accommodation, or live alone? That single decision alone can change your monthly total by MUR 15,000 to 20,000 (INR 30,000 to 40,000).

Estimated Monthly Expenses for International Students

By now you've seen each cost on its own, rent, food, transport, utilities, but none of that tells you what to actually transfer into your account every month. Add every category together, and here's the real, complete number a student should plan around. 

Here's what a realistic student budget looks like once every category gets added together:

Expense Category	Monthly Cost (MUR)	Monthly Cost (INR)
Accommodation (shared)	7,000–15,000	14,000–30,300
Food & groceries	8,000–15,000	16,000–30,300
Transport	1,000–2,600	2,020–5,255
Utilities (shared)	1,000–2,000	2,020–4,040
Internet/mobile	1,200–2,000	2,424–4,040
Personal/leisure	3,000–6,000	6,060–12,120
Total	21,200–42,600	42,824–86,115

Source: Numbeo

The cost of living in Mauritius in USD for a student comes to roughly $475 to $955 a month (INR 42,824 to 86,115), not counting tuition. That's the real, everyday number worth keeping in mind while planning your finances abroad. 

Budget for a Student Living in Shared Accommodation

Sharing a place with one or two other students is where the real savings happen:

• Rent gets split three ways, bringing personal cost down to around MUR 5,000 to 7,000 (INR 10,100 to 14,141)
• Utilities and internet get shared too, cutting another MUR 1,000 to 1,500 (INR 2,020 to 3,030) off your personal monthly bill
• Most students in this setup manage comfortably on the lower half of the range above, closer to MUR 25,000 (INR 50,505) a month total

Budget for a Student Living Alone

Living alone gives you your own space, but it comes at a real cost:

• You cover the full rent yourself, typically MUR 14,978 to 22,023 (INR 30,285 to 44,506) depending on location
• You pay the whole utility and internet bill alone too, adding another MUR 2,780 to 4,200 (INR 5,620 to 8,494)
• Total monthly budget lands closer to MUR 40,000 to 45,000 (INR 80,808 to 90,909)

Cost of Living in Mauritius vs India

This is probably the exact comparison you clicked on this article to find. So let's be direct about the numbers instead of dancing around them.

The cost of living in Mauritius vs India shows a clear and fairly big gap:

• Overall prices in Mauritius run about 115.5% higher than in India, excluding rent
• Rent alone is even further apart, sitting around 190.4% higher in Mauritius

Here's what that actually looks like day to day:

Category	Mauritius (MUR / INR)	India (INR)
Meal at a cheap restaurant	300 (606)	180–220
Monthly transport pass	2,000 (4,040)	700–900
1BHK rent, city centre	22,023 (44,506)	13,000–15,000
Milk (1 litre)	69 (139)	55–65
Eggs (12)	116 (234)	75–95

Source: Numbeo

Rent is where the cost of living in Mauritius compared to India feels the sharpest, a city-centre 1BHK costing INR 44,506 in Mauritius versus INR 13,000 to 15,000 in India is roughly triple. If you're coming from a smaller Indian city rather than Mumbai or Bangalore, this gap is going to feel even bigger once you actually start paying rent yourself.

Even with this gap, Mauritius still costs a lot less than studying or living in US, UK or most of Western Europe. It's a real jump up from India, but with shared housing and home cooking, it's far from out of reach.

Budgeting Tips to Help Reduce the Cost of Living in Mauritius

A few small, consistent habits can genuinely bring your monthly spending down by thousands of rupees. None of these mean giving up comfort, just being a bit smarter about where your money actually goes.

How to Save on Rent in Mauritius?

• Share a flat with one or two other people instead of living alone
• Choose areas outside Port Louis, like Vacoas-Phoenix or Curepipe, where 1BHK rent runs MUR 5,000 to 7,000 (INR 10,100 to 14,141) lower
• Ask upfront if utilities are already included in the rent
• Go for a longer lease, since it often comes with a lower monthly rate

How to Save on Food in Mauritius?

• Shop at local markets for fruits, vegetables and fresh produce, where prices run 30 to 40% lower than supermarkets
• Cook at home most days instead of eating out often
• Buy rice, lentils and other staples in bulk
• Skip imported snacks, since they cost noticeably more than local options

How to Save on Transport in Mauritius?

• Get a monthly public transport pass at MUR 2,000 (INR 4,040) instead of paying per ride
• Walk or cycle for short distances, most towns are small and easy to get around
• Choose housing close to your campus or workplace
• Save taxis for emergencies or late nights only

Useful Budgeting Tools in Mauritius

• Splitwise, for splitting rent and bills with roommates
• XE Currency, for tracking MUR to INR conversions
• Google Sheets or Notion, for a simple monthly budget tracker
• Any basic expense app, just to see where your money actually goes each month

Conclusion

Here's the short version, in real numbers:

• A single person's cost of living in Mauritius sits around MUR 43,000 to 58,000 (INR 86,000 to 1.16 lakh) a month including rent
• A family of four needs closer to MUR 130,000 (INR 2.63 lakh) a month
• Students who share accommodation and cook at home can comfortably manage on MUR 25,000 to 30,000 (INR 50,505 to 60,606) a month, well below what someone living alone would spend

If you're someone who's fine sharing a flat, cooking most meals, and using the bus, Mauritius stays genuinely affordable, even with the gap compared to India. If you'd rather live alone and eat out often, budget for something closer to MUR 45,000 (INR 90,909) a month instead, and plan your finances around that higher number from the start.

Remember, tuition fees are separate from all of this. Keep that as its own yearly line item, and you'll have a much clearer, stress-free picture of your total budget in Mauritius.

Planning your move to study in Mauritius? Book a free 1:1 session with upGrad's study abroad experts to build a budget that actually fits your course and lifestyle.