Moving to Mauritius: how much money you need for the first 90 days
How much cash do you need on landing in Mauritius? The first 90 days costed for a couple and a family of four, in rupees and euros, spent versus locked up.
A couple should budget €7,800 to €10,200 (roughly Rs 427,000 to 562,000) to get through the first three months in Mauritius, rented home included. A family of four should budget €11,900 to €16,600 (Rs 652,000 to 912,000), school fees excluded. These totals leave out your flights, the shipping of your belongings and your visa: all three are priced by quote, and they come on top.
The figure that surprises people most is not the rent. It is the upfront cash: when you sign the lease, you pay out within a few days the equivalent of two to three months’ rent on top of the first month. The rest of this article explains where these amounts come from, what is actually spent and what you will get back.
Key points
- The budget for the first 90 days = 3 months of everyday living + upfront housing cash + a reserve.
- The upfront cash is made of a refundable security deposit (1 to 2 months’ rent) and, if you go through an agency, 1 month’s rent + 15% VAT in agency fees, which you do not get back.
- A couple typically lives on Rs 110,000 to 140,000 a month, housing included; a family of four on Rs 160,000 to 220,000, school fees excluded.
- Exchange rate used here: €1 ≈ Rs 55, a benchmark to check on the day of your transfer.
What a budget for moving to Mauritius covers, and what it leaves out
A settling-in budget is not a monthly budget multiplied by three. It is built from four blocks, and only one of them comes back every month.
| Block | What it covers | Recurring? |
|---|---|---|
| Before departure | Flights, luggage or container, travel insurance, visa paperwork | No |
| Moving into the home | Security deposit, agency fees, first month’s rent, missing equipment | No |
| Everyday living | Rent, electricity, internet, food, transport, healthcare, leisure | Yes |
| Reserve | The unexpected, a late income payment, a first medical bill | No |
Monthly budgets by area are covered in another guide: the expat budget for Mauritius in 2026. Here we deal with cash flow over the first three months: what needs to be in your account on the day you land.
Upfront housing cash: the item everyone underestimates
It is the first large outlay, and it falls due before you have even done your first food shop.
- Security deposit: usually one month’s rent, sometimes two depending on the landlord. Mauritian tenancy law (the Landlord and Tenant Act 1999) sets neither a cap nor an amount: everything is written into the lease. This money is locked up, not spent: it comes back at the end of the lease, less any damage or unpaid rent.
- Agency fees: for a long-term rental, one month’s rent plus 15% VAT, paid by the tenant (see estate agency fees in Mauritius). This money is spent. If you rent directly from a landlord, the line disappears, and so do the safeguards that come with it: the comparison is in renting direct or through an agency.
- First month’s rent: paid on moving in, and counted under everyday living below.
Example with a flat at Rs 45,000 a month:
| Item | Calculation | Amount | Refunded? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security deposit | 1 to 2 months | Rs 45,000 to 90,000 | Yes |
| Agency fees | 1 month + 15% | Rs 51,750 | No |
| Upfront cash, first month’s rent excluded | Rs 96,750 to 141,750 |
In other words, with a rent of Rs 45,000 you tie up between Rs 142,000 and 187,000 at signing (3.15 to 4.15 months’ rent), first month included. To place your own case, here are the starting rents: a two-bedroom flat on the coast runs around Rs 35,000 to 50,000, a three-bedroom house with a garden around Rs 55,000 to 100,000, according to the market benchmarks published in our guide (these are observed rents, not official averages).
Budget for the first three months: couple and family
The living budgets below come from our cost-of-living guide for Mauritius: a couple without children typically lives on Rs 110,000 to 140,000 a month, housing included; a family of four on Rs 160,000 to 220,000, school fees excluded. Since rent is already in those figures, only the upfront cash (deposit + agency) is added on top.
| Couple (rent Rs 45,000) | Family of 4 (rent Rs 80,000) | |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday living, 3 months | Rs 330,000 to 420,000 | Rs 480,000 to 660,000 |
| Security deposit (1 to 2 months) | Rs 45,000 to 90,000 | Rs 80,000 to 160,000 |
| Agency fees (1 month + VAT) | Rs 51,750 | Rs 92,000 |
| 90-day total | ≈ Rs 427,000 to 562,000 | ≈ Rs 652,000 to 912,000 |
| In euros (€1 ≈ Rs 55) | ≈ €7,800 to €10,200 | ≈ €11,900 to €16,600 |
| Of which locked up (deposit) | Rs 45,000 to 90,000 | Rs 80,000 to 160,000 |
For a single person, the budget sits below the couple’s, mainly because the rent is lower. We do not publish a figure for this profile: the gap depends too much on the area and on whether you run a car.
Add a reserve: one extra month of everyday living is a prudent margin (a rule of thumb, not a rule). It absorbs the first month when a salary or pension transfer arrives late, or a medical bill before the insurer reimburses you.
What these totals leave out, and how to price it
Four items depend on your own situation. Get a quote for each before you leave: they can move the total by several thousand euros.
- Flights and luggage, for every member of the household. Direct routes from Europe are detailed in flights to Mauritius from Europe.
- Shipping your belongings: a container does not always pay off. Compare its cost with buying again locally, especially if you rent furnished (see furnished or unfurnished).
- Visa and permits: the conditions and documents are in our guides to the Premium Visa and to the Occupation Permit and residence permits.
- Health insurance: the premium depends on age, ceiling and options. Ballpark costs of care (GP €25 to €40, specialist €45 to €90, private hospital stay €220 to €550 a day, from observed examples) are in our comparison of health insurance for expats.
For a family, school fees come on top. They vary widely from one school to another: ask the school directly.
Your spending timeline, day by day
The budget is paid out in a set order. Knowing it stops you running short at the wrong moment.
60 to 30 days before departure
- Flights and travel insurance.
- Visa file: bank statements, proof of income, accommodation letter. For the Premium Visa, the accommodation letter can be a hotel booking, a rental contract or a letter of invitation.
- Quotes for shipping and health insurance.
The last week
- Change a small amount into rupees for the first week: transport from the airport, groceries, a SIM card.
- Tell your bank you will be spending abroad and ask what a rupee withdrawal with your card will cost.
Week 1: transitional accommodation
Book a short-term rental for the first 2 to 4 weeks. It is the best insurance against a lease signed too fast. Look for your permanent home on the spot, by visiting. The timeline of a rental search walks through the scenarios according to your arrival date.
Weeks 2 to 4: signing the lease
This is when the upfront cash falls due (deposit, agency, first month’s rent). Allow as well for home insurance, the utility contracts (electricity, water, internet) and whatever is missing from the home. For internet, my.t charges Rs 1,225 a month for 50 Mbps fibre and Rs 1,525 for 100 Mbps (prices checked on 1 October 2026). Electricity runs from Rs 2,000 to 9,000 a month depending on how much you use the air conditioning (market benchmark).
Months 2 and 3: cruising speed
Spending settles around the monthly budget for your profile. This is the time to open a local account if you have not done so yet (opening a bank account in Mauritius) and to decide about a car, the biggest item after housing in areas with little public transport (getting around Mauritius).
Five mistakes that blow a settling-in budget
- Multiplying the monthly budget by three and forgetting the upfront cash.
- Paying a deposit before you have visited: it is the most common set-up in fake listings (see property scams in Mauritius).
- Choosing the area from the listing rather than from daily life: between the north coast, the west coast and the central plateau, the gap is as much about the car and the air conditioning as about the rent (where to rent according to your profile).
- Counting school fees in the monthly budget when they are paid per term or at enrolment.
- Forgetting that the deposit is locked up: it counts in the cash flow of the first months, even though you will get it back.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum budget to settle in Mauritius?
There is no official minimum. For a couple, allow around €7,800 to €10,200 over three months, rent and upfront cash included, excluding travel, visa and shipping. A lower rent, in the centre of the island, cuts this total but often increases the need for a car.
Do you really have to pay three months’ rent upfront?
Most of the time, you pay two to three months’ rent in advance on top of the first month: one or two months as a security deposit, and one month in agency fees if you go through an agency. Only the deposit comes back to you.
Can you arrive without a home and search locally?
Yes, and it is the recommended way: take a short-term rental for the first few weeks, visit, then sign. Avoid committing money to a home that nobody you trust has visited.
What budget for a family with children?
Between Rs 160,000 and 220,000 a month, school fees excluded, which is €11,900 to €16,600 over three months with the upfront cash included. Ask each school for its fees.
Does the Premium Visa require a minimum budget?
It requires proof of income of at least USD 1,500 a month per adult and USD 500 per dependent child, plus three months of bank statements (Economic Development Board). These thresholds belong to immigration; they are not a living budget.
Preparing your arrival with Westimmo
The upfront cash depends on the rent, so on the property. Westimmo shows you long-term rentals in Mauritius with the fees itemised as soon as we put you in touch. Tell us your arrival date, your monthly budget and your two or three preferred areas: we come back to you with the matching properties. For a first outline of the project, start with our guide to expatriation.
Sources and checks
- Rents and monthly budgets: market benchmarks published in our guides expat budget and cost of living in Mauritius, not official figures.
- Security deposit: Landlord and Tenant Act 1999 (Mauritius Legal Information Institute), which sets neither an amount nor a cap.
- Agency fees: market practice, one month’s rent + 15% VAT for a long-term rental.
- Premium Visa: Economic Development Board, Premium Visa FAQ.
- Internet: my.t prices checked on 1 October 2026.
- Exchange rate: €1 ≈ Rs 55, indicative; check the Bank of Mauritius rate on the day of your transfer.
- Calculations: every total in the table can be recomputed from the lines above.
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