Moving to Mauritius from South Africa
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from South Africa to Mauritius — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from South Africa to Mauritius, you would find that Mauritius is 6.3% cheaper than South Africa overall. A ZAR1,200,000 salary in South Africa would need to be roughly MUR3,220,000 in Mauritius to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Port Louis averages 85°F vs 71°F in Johannesburg, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Mauritius cheaper than South Africa?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 25.6% less
Groceries
pay 1.0% more
Transportation
pay 3.4% less
Housing
pay 11.3% less
Childcare
pay 3.9% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 9.7% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in Mauritius?
What does your salary buy?
ZAR1,200,000 → MUR3,220,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Mauritius
Calculate with your salary →Get free moving quotes to Mauritius
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from South Africa to Mauritius, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Mauritius?
Top countries of origin for Mauritius's foreign-born residents.
- 8,778
- 8,415
- 2,981
- 2,301
- 1,519
- 1,137
- · · ·
-
7.627
South Africa
Key Indicator Comparison
How South Africa and Mauritius stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Mauritius performs significantly 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 significantly 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
South Africa generally does better on infrastructure, though Mauritius leads in broadband per 100 people.
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 significantly 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.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), South African Revenue Service (2017), Mauritius Revenue Authority (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Mauritius vs South Africa
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Johannesburg | Port Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 77°/57°F (25°/14°C) | 89°/75°F (31°/24°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 66°/45°F (19°/7°C) | 85°/71°F (29°/21°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 67°/44°F (20°/7°C) | 81°/67°F (27°/19°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 86°/71°F (30°/22°C) |
View all months
| Month | Johannesburg | Port Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78°/58°F (25.6°/14.7°C) | 89°/75°F (31.5°/24.1°C) |
| Feb | 77°/57°F (25.1°/14.1°C) | 89°/75°F (31.4°/24.0°C) |
| Mar | 75°/56°F (24.0°/13.1°C) | 89°/75°F (31.5°/23.8°C) |
| Apr | 70°/51°F (21.1°/10.3°C) | 87°/73°F (30.7°/23.0°C) |
| May | 66°/45°F (18.9°/7.2°C) | 85°/71°F (29.3°/21.5°C) |
| Jun | 61°/39°F (16.0°/4.1°C) | 82°/68°F (27.6°/19.9°C) |
| Jul | 62°/39°F (16.7°/4.1°C) | 80°/67°F (26.7°/19.3°C) |
| Aug | 67°/43°F (19.4°/6.2°C) | 80°/66°F (26.8°/19.1°C) |
| Sep | 73°/49°F (22.8°/9.3°C) | 82°/67°F (27.7°/19.4°C) |
| Oct | 75°/52°F (23.8°/11.2°C) | 84°/69°F (28.8°/20.4°C) |
| Nov | 76°/55°F (24.2°/12.7°C) | 86°/71°F (30.2°/21.8°C) |
| Dec | 77°/57°F (25.2°/13.9°C) | 88°/74°F (31.1°/23.2°C) |
Data:
South African Weather Service,
Mauritius Meteorological Services
Can you move from South Africa to Mauritius?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Africa and Mauritius. To live, work, or study long-term in Mauritius, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Mauritius's immigration authority.
South Africa passport holder visiting Mauritius
Visa Free
Mauritius passport holder visiting South Africa
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 Mauritius than South Africa?
Generally yes: Mauritius runs about 6% cheaper than South Africa on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Mauritius?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ZAR1,200,000 comparable salary, that's around MUR805,000 in Mauritius for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Mauritius?
With 28.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Mauritius can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in South Africa and Mauritius.
Is Mauritius safe for expats?
Mauritius performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Mauritius is 2.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 43.7 in South Africa.
How is healthcare in Mauritius compared to South Africa?
Mauritius generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 14.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Mauritius, compared to 7.9 in South Africa. Mauritius scores 66 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Africa: 71).
What's the weather like in Mauritius compared to South Africa?
The average high temperature in Port Louis is 85°F, compared to 71°F in Johannesburg. Port Louis receives around 28.0 in of rainfall per year, while Johannesburg gets 28.1 in.
What language do they speak in Mauritius?
The official languages in Mauritius are English, French and Mauritian Creole. In South Africa, the official languages are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
Compare further: South Africa vs. Mauritius
At a Glance
ZA
|
MU
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 64,747,319 | 1,243,741 |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZAR) | Mauritian Rupee (MUR) |
| Languages | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu | English, French, Mauritian Creole |
| Driving side | Left | Left |
| Calling code | +27 | +230 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 10111 | 112 |