Twelve months to set everything up, in the right order
Mauritius Guide
Living in
Mauritius
Settling in, finding a home, everyday life: the 2026 practical guide.
The first twelve months in the right order, everyday costs taken from official sources, the permits that give residence and the constraints you only discover once there.
More than a destination,
a way of life
a way of life
Key points
The essentials at a glance to prepare your move.
A budget driven first by rent and neighbourhood
Four routes to residence, including buying from USD 375,000
Real constraints, and a fix for each one
01 The timeline
Your first twelve months
The paperwork is only hard when done in the wrong order. This is the order we follow with our clients, with the authority to contact at each step.
The visa and permit guide →- 1Before you leavePermit, documents, area
- 2The first monthFormalities, bank, lease
- 3Months 2 and 3Utilities, school, car
- 4Months 4 to 6Tax, health, budget
- 5Months 7 to 12Renewal
- 6After a yearRent or buy
- Choose the right permit. It depends on what you come to do: work, invest, buy, retire or work remotely. Each route is covered in our visa and permit guide.
- Gather your documents. Valid passport, proof of income or investment, civil status documents for the family: the exact list depends on the permit applied for.
- Choose the area before the home. School, work, beach: in Mauritius, car journeys shape daily life. Choose the area first, then the property. Westimmo knows every area and shows you properties within the right radius.
- Complete the permit formalities. Follow the instructions that come with the approval from the EDB or the Passport and Immigration Office: some formalities are completed once you are on the island.
- Open a bank account. You need it for the lease, bills and transfers. Bring your passport and permit; ask the bank for the full list of documents.
- Sign the lease and the inventory. Written lease, security deposit, signed inventory: everything is checked before the keys are handed over. With Westimmo, the lease and inventory are reviewed with you before you sign.
- Connect electricity, water and internet. Electricity with the CEB, water with the CWA, fibre with an operator. Their tariffs are set out below.
- Enrol the children. Five French-curriculum schools are accredited by the AEFE, alongside English-speaking international schools and Mauritian schools. See our schooling guide.
- Convert your driving licence. The Police Traffic Branch converts a foreign licence for Rs 1,500, with an attestation from the issuing authority and a residence permit still valid for six months. See driving licences in Mauritius.
- Get your tax number. The MRA issues the Tax Account Number. Present for at least 183 days in an income year, you become a Mauritian tax resident: check your situation with an adviser.
- Prepare the renewal. Note your permit’s expiry date: renewal conditions differ from one permit to another.
- Rent or buy. After a year, you know the neighbourhoods. A purchase of at least USD 375,000 under an approved scheme also gives a residence permit.
02 The costs
What life in Mauritius costs
Every figure comes from a dated source: our listings for rents, official tariffs for the rest.
See our rentals →| Item | Amount | What the figure covers |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 3-bedroom apartment | Rs 53,500 / month | Median of 10 Westimmo listings, all areas |
| Rent, 3-bedroom villa | Rs 83,000 / month | Median of 11 Westimmo listings |
| Rent, 4-bedroom villa | Rs 110,000 / month | Median of 8 Westimmo listings |
| Electricity | Rs 2,075 to Rs 8,165 / month | 300 kWh: Rs 2,075 · 500 kWh: Rs 4,481 · 800 kWh: Rs 8,165, CEB residential tariff of 1 May 2026, excluding meter rental |
| Water | Rs 45 to Rs 310 / month | Rs 45 up to 10 m³, Rs 140 for 20 m³, Rs 310 for 30 m³, CWA domestic tariffs |
| Internet and TV | from Rs 1,225 / month | Entry-level my.t offer (Mauritius Telecom) |
| Fuel | Rs 70.65 per litre | Petrol; diesel at Rs 71.25, prices published by the STC on 15 August 2026 |
| School fees | Rs 234,410 / year | Lycée des Mascareignes 2026-2027, standard track, French or Mauritian pupil; Rs 286,880 for other nationalities |
| Driving licence conversion | Rs 1,500 | Once, after approval by the Traffic Branch |
| Item, per month | Working couple | Family, two children | Retired couple |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent3-bed apartment · 3-bed villa · 3-bed apartment | Rs 53,500 | Rs 83,000 | Rs 53,500 |
| Electricity500 · 800 · 300 kWh | Rs 4,481 | Rs 8,165 | Rs 2,075 |
| Water20 · 30 · 20 m³ | Rs 140 | Rs 310 | Rs 140 |
| Internet and TV | Rs 1,225 | Rs 1,225 | Rs 1,225 |
| Petrol100 · 200 · 60 litres | Rs 7,065 | Rs 14,130 | Rs 4,239 |
| School feestwo pupils, over twelve months | — | Rs 39,068 | — |
| Total | Rs 66,411 | Rs 145,898 | Rs 61,179 |
Rents taken from our listings
Medians of asking rents, all areas, on 16 September 2026. These are advertised prices, not signed rents: rent is negotiable. No median is published below 8 listings.
Electricity is billed in bands
The first 25 kWh cost Rs 3.63 per unit; beyond 300 kWh a month, each kWh costs Rs 12.03 or more. Air conditioning quickly makes the difference.
What the tables leave out
Groceries, health, insurance and leisure vary too much from one household to another to be costed honestly: we would rather not show an average.
03 The permits
Four routes to settle
A permit is chosen on what you come to do, not on how long it lasts.
Compare all permits →Residence through property
- Property under an approved scheme: PDS, IRS, RES or Smart City
- From USD 375,000
For you, your spouse and your children under 24
Occupation Permit
- Professional: basic salary of MUR 50,000 a month
- Investor: USD 100,000 contribution
To work or start a business
Retired Permit
- From age 50
- USD 2,000 transferred every month
A ten-year permit
Premium Visa
- One year, renewable, free
- Income earned outside Mauritius
Remote work, no local employment
04 No filter
The real downsides, and the fix
Better to know these six constraints before you leave than to discover them in your first year.
Who makes expat life work →Imported goods are expensive
Cheese, wine, household appliances: imported goods quickly weigh on the budget.
The fix: buy local and seasonal, and compare shops with the MOPRI app.
A car is almost essential
In our experience, outside Port Louis and the main roads, public transport is poorly suited to daily school and work journeys.
The fix: choose your area based on school and work journeys, then look for a home within that radius.
Cyclones
During the austral summer, a warning can bring normal life to a halt: class III is issued about six hours of daylight before gusts of 120 km/h.
The fix: a home built to standard, home insurance that covers cyclone risk and a few supplies in the cupboard.
Humidity
Textiles, leather and electronics suffer, especially in closed, poorly ventilated homes.
The fix: a well-oriented home with cross-ventilation, and a dehumidifier in closed rooms.
Distance
Europe is a long-haul flight away: every trip home has to be planned and budgeted.
The fix: fewer but longer trips, booked early around school holidays.
Administration takes its time
The EDB does not publish a processing time for the Occupation Permit: applications go through, rarely as fast as hoped.
The fix: prepare each renewal months ahead, with someone who knows the offices.
05 Related guides
Further reading
The guides that detail each step of your move.
06 Sources & methodology
Reliable, up-to-date information
Thresholds and tariffs come from official texts, rents from our own listings.
EDBEconomic Development BoardMRAMauritius Revenue AuthorityCEB · CWAElectricity and waterWestimmoPublished listings
- Economic Development Board — August 2026 newsletter: basic salary of MUR 50,000 for the Professional Occupation Permit
- Immigration Act 2022, section 8(1) — residence permit from USD 375,000 under IRS, RES, PDS and Smart City; Retired Permit and Premium Visa checked on 8 September 2026 for our visa guide
- Mauritius Revenue Authority — tax residence from 183 days of presence in an income year
- Utility Regulatory Authority — General Notice No. 473 of 2026, residential electricity tariffs applicable from 1 May 2026
- Central Water Authority — domestic tariffs 10 and 11 (GN No. 22 of 2026 and GN No. 238 of 2011)
- State Trading Corporation — retail fuel prices published on 15 August 2026, set by the Petroleum Pricing Committee; my.t — internet and TV offer checked on 15 September 2026
- Mauritius Police Force, Traffic Branch — conversion of foreign driving licences
- AEFE — accredited schools in Mauritius; Lycée des Mascareignes — 2026-2027 school fees
- Mauritius Meteorological Services — cyclone warning system
- Westimmo — published long-term rental listings, survey of 16 September 2026, medians on at least 8 listings
Figures checked on 15 and 16 September 2026. This guide does not replace advice from the EDB, the MRA or a professional adviser: conditions are confirmed on the day you apply.
07 Frequently asked questions
Your questions about life in Mauritius
Short answers to the most common questions.
Frequently asked questions about living in Mauritius
Housing makes the difference. On our listings, a 3-bedroom apartment rents for about Rs 53,500 a month and a 3-bedroom villa for about Rs 83,000. Adding electricity, water, internet and petrol at official tariffs, a couple in an apartment spends Rs 66,411 a month on our assumptions, excluding groceries, health and leisure.
Yes, through three routes: the Retired Permit from age 50 with USD 2,000 transferred every month, the Premium Visa for income earned outside Mauritius, or buying a property of at least USD 375,000 under an approved scheme.
A resident has their foreign licence converted by the Police Traffic Branch, for Rs 1,500, with an attestation from the issuing authority and a residence permit still valid for six months.
Five schools are accredited by the AEFE: Lycée La Bourdonnais in Curepipe, Lycée des Mascareignes and École du Centre in Saint-Pierre, École du Nord in Mapou and École Paul et Virginie in Tamarin. At Lycée des Mascareignes, fees are Rs 234,410 a year in 2026-2027 for a French or Mauritian pupil.
According to the MRA, from 183 days of presence in an income year, or if you are domiciled in Mauritius. Have your situation checked by an adviser before you move.
That is what we most often advise: a year of renting lets you get to know the neighbourhoods. A purchase of at least USD 375,000 under an approved scheme then gives a residence permit.