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 7.6% more expensive than South Africa overall. A ZAR1,218,000 salary in South Africa would need to be roughly MUR3,906,319 in Mauritius to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from South Africa to Mauritius.
What does your salary buy?
ZAR1,218,000 → MUR3,906,319
To maintain the same standard of living in Mauritius
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 12.1% less
Groceries
pay 4.0% more
Transportation
pay 59.2% more
Housing
pay 19.3% less
Childcare
pay 3.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 25.7% 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.
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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
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
South Africa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Mauritius leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
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
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
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
South Africa generally does better on family life, though Mauritius leads in life expectancy.
Data: South African Revenue Service, 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 | Pretoria | Port Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) | 89°/75°F (31°/24°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) | 85°/71°F (29°/21°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) | 81°/67°F (27°/19°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) | 86°/71°F (30°/22°C) |
View all months
| Month | Pretoria | Port Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) | 89°/75°F (31.5°/24.1°C) |
| Feb | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) | 89°/75°F (31.4°/24.0°C) |
| Mar | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) | 89°/75°F (31.5°/23.8°C) |
| Apr | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) | 87°/73°F (30.7°/23.0°C) |
| May | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) | 85°/71°F (29.3°/21.5°C) |
| Jun | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) | 82°/68°F (27.6°/19.9°C) |
| Jul | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) | 80°/67°F (26.7°/19.3°C) |
| Aug | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) | 80°/66°F (26.8°/19.1°C) |
| Sep | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) | 82°/67°F (27.7°/19.4°C) |
| Oct | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) | 84°/69°F (28.8°/20.4°C) |
| Nov | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) | 86°/71°F (30.2°/21.8°C) |
| Dec | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) | 88°/74°F (31.1°/23.2°C) |
Data:
South African Weather Service,
Mauritius Meteorological Services
Visitor Visa Requirements
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?
Day-to-day costs in Mauritius run about 10% higher than South Africa on average; specific cities can swing further.
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 ZAR1,218,000 comparable salary, that's around MUR976,580 in Mauritius for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Mauritius?
With 25.7 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 2.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 45.5 in South Africa.
How is healthcare in Mauritius compared to South Africa?
South Africa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Mauritius leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 12.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Mauritius, compared to 8.1 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 77°F in Pretoria. Port Louis receives around 28.0 in of rainfall per year, while Pretoria gets 27.0 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 | 57,516,665 | 1,308,222 |
| 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 |