Today we’re answering a very interesting question that we’re asked again and again. How much does a holiday in Mauritius cost? Many people probably think of sums of around €3,000 to €5,000, but is it really that expensive there? We took stock and looked up what the last two months in Mauritius cost us (we were on the island for a total of four months in 2016/2017).

By now, you know from our many articles and posts that the island isn’t as expensive as you might think. And our expense booklet reflects exactly that. In the following article, you’ll find all the expenses for accommodation, rental car, food, etc. Drinks, excursions, shopping, internet, and transport (bus & taxi).

What else you should know:

  • What else you should know:
  • Mauritius costs at a glance
  • 1. How much did the accommodation cost?
  • 2. How much did we spend on food and drink?
  • 3. How much did the rental car cost?
  • 4. How much did we spend on buses and taxis?
  • 5. How much did internet and SIM cards cost?
  • 6. How much did excursions and activities cost?
  • 7. Did you ever indulge in a shopping spree?
  • 8. Were there any other costs during our Mauritius vacation?
  • 9. Total costs for 2 months in Mauritius

Mauritius costs at a glance

Note: The prices are from 2016/2017!

1. How much did the accommodations cost us?

This is, of course, one of the most important topics when planning a trip to Mauritius. As mentioned many times, you can find really good and affordable apartments and rooms on the island. So, unless you’re staying in a luxury resort, you can have a great time on a budget.

For 60 days, we spent €1,347.89, or around €22.46 per night. We usually budget €20 to €25 per night for both of us, which meant we stayed within our budget quite well. Sometimes we paid €15 per night, sometimes €18, and occasionally €26 (depending on the accommodation).

If you’re happy with a simple room/apartment and just need a bed, a kitchen, air conditioning, a balcony, and a bathroom, €25 for two people is fine. For around €40 per night, the accommodation options are even more varied.

2. How much did we spend on food and drink?

We mostly cater for ourselves, only rarely going to a restaurant or café. The prices aren’t particularly cheap and are comparable to European prices. As in any holiday destination, food and drinks are sold at a much higher price here, especially in places with lots of tourists.

Of course, we treat ourselves to a coffee, an ice cream, or a hot meal every now and then – but these are exceptions. We prefer to stroll through the supermarket and look for ingredients for our next breakfast or dinner. In the last 60 days, we have spent €705 on food and drink (supermarket, restaurants, or street food).

That equates to about €11.75 a day for two people. Sometimes we spend more on one day, sometimes less. 1 or 2 times a week, we buy more at the supermarket, which is then enough for a few days. So there are also days when we spend almost nothing at all.

3. How much did the rental car cost?

When Marco’s parents visited us in Mauritius, we also organized a rental car in advance. This is the only way to get from A to B conveniently and comfortably. We also wanted to see as much of the island as possible and do new things every day. The prices online were really high, as Christmas and New Year’s were just around the corner. These are obviously really bad times to rent a car on an island.

Nevertheless, we were lucky and found a good deal. Generally, it’s much easier to get a car locally, as many providers don’t even have an online presence. If you’re not coming to Mauritius during the holiday season, you can book a car for as little as €20-25. Our advantage was that we could share the costs with Marco’s parents. Otherwise, we would have had to pay around €30-40 per day on our own.

In total, the rental car cost us €240 (16 days), so only €15 per day. Gas cost another €58 (€3.60 per day). We definitely recommend booking well in advance, not just two days before your arrival. We recommend using Maki-Cars and checking out billiger-mietwagen.de*.

4. How much did we spend on buses and taxis?

It’s probably the cheapest way to get around the entire island. A ride usually costs less than €1, but you should allow time. The buses come whenever they want; there’s no schedule. However, you can travel from A to B within a region inexpensively and easily. It’s not worth it for long distances unless you want to be on the road for 6 hours (we tested it).

We spent just under €50 (€0.83 per day) on buses and taxis in the last 60 days. The most expensive was the taxi from the airport to our first accommodation, which cost just under €8. In the first month, we took the bus almost every day, and even today we often take it to get to the capital or the shopping mall.

5. How expensive were the internet and SIM cards?

We already told you that we were a bit skeptical about stable internet at first. Once we got there, we got a local SIM card from Emtel. With this, we were also able to set up a hotspot for our laptops, allowing us to work quite well. Unfortunately, this requires a high data volume, which can add up quite a bit over time.

Local friends then told us that there are also inexpensive surf sticks. This stick costs a one-time fee of €26 and can then be “topped up” with 25 or 50 GB. For comparison: 3 GB for a smartphone costs €17, while 25 GB for the surf stick costs only €26. We got this surf stick (Emtel Wingle) and were able to surf really well and reliably for a month.

If you plan to stay in Mauritius for a longer period and have to work online a lot, the surf stick is more cost-effective than several SIM card packages. Over the last two months, we spent a total of €115.70 on internet and SIM cards.

6. How much did excursions and activities cost?

The good news first: you can do a lot of things on the island for free. All beaches on the island are public and freely accessible. That’s half the battle, because dreamy beaches are around every corner. If you enjoy nature, you should also visit the Black River National Park. Entrance is also free, and you can hike to great viewpoints and marvel at waterfalls. A trip to Grand Bassin also costs nothing (only the journey).

If you feel like climbing one or more mountains on the island, you don’t need to budget for that either. Excursions to other islands, catamaran rides, diving safaris, quad tours, guided snorkeling trips, parasailing, or other special activities naturally cost something. For example, we went to Île aux Cerfs Island, to a party with friends on New Year’s Eve, and to the “Seven Colored Earth.” We paid a total of €54 for these activities and excursions.

7. Have you ever indulged in a shopping spree?

Over time, we’ve become quite minimalists. We carefully consider every expense, and we constantly ask ourselves, “Do we really need this?” So, we rarely go shopping. We never buy souvenirs either, since we’d have to lug them around with us indefinitely. We’ve each treated ourselves to a shirt in the last 60 days. Total cost: €38.

8. Were there any other costs during our Mauritius vacation?

Other costs always arise, such as a hairdresser’s appointment, buying a snorkeling set, having laundry done, or tips. We’ve summarized these expenses here under “Other” and after 60 days, they total €57.

9. Total costs for 2 months in Mauritius

In the table at the very bottom, you can see the total costs for 60 days. We spent €2,665.59. That sounds like a lot at first, but on second glance, it’s not. We live on around €44.50 a day, including all expenses, for two people. These expenses are different for everyone, of course, and “normal” vacationers certainly spend much more in two weeks.

On vacation, you don’t really pay much attention to money. A trip here, a souvenir there, a few restaurant visits, and chic accommodations—that’s perfectly normal. However, since we’re planning long-term and have to make do with our money, we can’t live a life of luxury every day. Nevertheless, we don’t have to go without anything and manage wonderfully with everything.

And when you consider that “normal” vacationers are happy to shell out €1,000 to €2,000 for 7 or 14 days in Mauritius (flights, accommodations, and meals), we’re pretty well-positioned with our €667 per person for a whole month. Our flights are not included in this cost overview. We traveled from Kuala Lumpur for €100 per person (one-way).