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Johannesburg vs Mauritius cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฟ๐ฆ Johannesburg
๐ฒ๐บ Mauritius
At a glance
- Where Mauritius is clearly cheaper: Street food (74%โ), Scooter rental (41%โ), Half-day tour (31%โ)
- Where Johannesburg is clearly cheaper: Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (41%โ), SIM card (39%โ), Taxi (34%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: safety โ Johannesburg 5 vs Mauritius 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Johannesburg | Mauritius | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | R 170$9.71 | Rs 320$6.96 | Mauritius โ28% |
| Street food1 item | R 72$4.11 | Rs 50$1.09 | Mauritius โ74% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | R 440$25.1 | Rs 1,000$21.7 | Mauritius โ14% |
| Coffeeone cup | R 42$2.4 | Rs 140$3.04 | Johannesburg โ21% |
| Beerone bottle | R 44$2.51 | Rs 130$2.83 | Johannesburg โ11% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | R 90$5.14 | Rs 300$6.52 | Johannesburg โ21% |
| Bottled water | R 15$0.86 | Rs 30$0.65 | Mauritius โ24% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | R 18$1.03 | Rs 45$0.98 | similar |
| Taxi5 km in town | R 100$5.71 | Rs 400$8.7 | Johannesburg โ34% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | R 45$2.57 | Rs 200$4.35 | Johannesburg โ41% |
| Transitone ride | R 18$1.03 | Rs 38$0.83 | Mauritius โ20% |
| Scooter rentalper day | R 450$25.7 | Rs 700$15.2 | Mauritius โ41% |
| Hotel night3-star | R 1,900$109 | Rs 4,600$100 | Mauritius โ8% |
| Studio rent (month) | R 9,000$514 | Rs 20,000$435 | Mauritius โ15% |
| Laundry | R 44$2.51 | Rs 100$2.17 | Mauritius โ14% |
| SIM card1 week data | R 140$8 | Rs 600$13 | Johannesburg โ39% |
| Haircutcut | R 130$7.43 | Rs 250$5.43 | Mauritius โ27% |
| Massage1 hour | R 600$34.3 | Rs 1,800$39.1 | Johannesburg โ12% |
| Half-day tourper person | R 1,100$62.9 | Rs 2,000$43.5 | Mauritius โ31% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | R 210$12 | Rs 500$10.9 | Mauritius โ9% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Johannesburg or Mauritius?
Johannesburg and Mauritius cost about the same. Daily budget $187 vs $175; a month $2,301 vs $2,236.
Which is easier to travel, Johannesburg or Mauritius?
About the same: Johannesburg 2.2/5, Mauritius 2.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Johannesburg and Mauritius?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Johannesburg is about $2,301 and Mauritius about $2,236 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.