Moving to South Africa from Mauritius
What to Expect
Considering a move from Mauritius to South Africa? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Mauritius to South Africa, you would find that South Africa is 7.2% more expensive than Mauritius overall. A MUR3,531,000 salary in Mauritius would need to be roughly ZAR1,113,007 in South Africa to maintain the same lifestyle.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Mauritius and South Africa.
What does your salary buy?
MUR3,531,000 → ZAR1,113,007
To maintain the same standard of living in South Africa
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 20.4% more
Groceries
pay 1.8% more
Transportation
pay 9.4% less
Housing
pay 41.1% more
Childcare
pay 5.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 12.9% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Mauritius to South Africa.
Who's moving to South Africa?
Top countries of origin for South Africa's foreign-born residents.
- 690,243
- 350,463
- 192,008
- 94,119
- 67,382
- 63,892
- · · ·
-
27.10,243
Mauritius
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in South Africa compared to Mauritius.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Mauritius performs better than South Africa across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Mauritius generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Mauritius performs better than South Africa across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Mauritius generally does better on infrastructure, though South Africa leads in electricity per capita.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Mauritius performs better than South Africa across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Mauritius generally does better on family life, though South Africa leads in education spending.
Data: Mauritius Revenue Authority, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Port Louis | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 89°/75°F (31°/24°C) | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 85°/71°F (29°/21°C) | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/67°F (27°/19°C) | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 86°/71°F (30°/22°C) | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) |
View all months
| Month | Port Louis | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 89°/75°F (31.5°/24.1°C) | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) |
| Feb | 89°/75°F (31.4°/24.0°C) | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) |
| Mar | 89°/75°F (31.5°/23.8°C) | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) |
| Apr | 87°/73°F (30.7°/23.0°C) | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) |
| May | 85°/71°F (29.3°/21.5°C) | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) |
| Jun | 82°/68°F (27.6°/19.9°C) | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) |
| Jul | 80°/67°F (26.7°/19.3°C) | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) |
| Aug | 80°/66°F (26.8°/19.1°C) | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) |
| Sep | 82°/67°F (27.7°/19.4°C) | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) |
| Oct | 84°/69°F (28.8°/20.4°C) | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) |
| Nov | 86°/71°F (30.2°/21.8°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) |
| Dec | 88°/74°F (31.1°/23.2°C) | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) |
Data:
Mauritius Meteorological Services,
South African Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Mauritius and South Africa. To live, work, or study long-term in South Africa, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check South Africa's immigration authority.
Mauritius passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa Free
South Africa passport holder visiting Mauritius
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in South Africa than Mauritius?
On average South Africa is about 9% less expensive than Mauritius, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to South Africa?
Budget about ZAR278,252 for 3 months in South Africa (based on a MUR3,531,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from South Africa?
Connectivity is usually fine (South Africa: 3.3 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does South Africa offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is South Africa safe for expats?
Mauritius performs better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in South Africa is 45.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.2 in Mauritius.
How is healthcare in South Africa compared to Mauritius?
Mauritius generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 8.1 doctors per 10,000 people in South Africa, compared to 12.0 in Mauritius. South Africa scores 71 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Mauritius: 66).
What's the weather like in South Africa compared to Mauritius?
The average high temperature in Pretoria is 77°F, compared to 85°F in Port Louis. Pretoria receives around 27.0 in of rainfall per year, while Port Louis gets 28.0 in.
What language do they speak in South Africa?
The official languages in South Africa are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. In Mauritius, the official languages are English, French and Mauritian Creole.
Compare further: Mauritius vs. South Africa
At a Glance
MU
|
ZA
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,308,222 | 57,516,665 |
| Currency | Mauritian Rupee (MUR) | South African Rand (ZAR) |
| Languages | English, French, Mauritian Creole | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu |
| Driving side | Left | Left |
| Calling code | +230 | +27 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 112 | 10111 |