Managing child-related expenses in Mauritius

Well, our family is on it's way to MU. We are " school fee refugees" from Kenya, the most expensive private fees in Africa. Our estimations are that private school fees in Maujritius are one sixth that of UK, half that of South Africa and one third of the costs in Kenya. That translates into a very big saving, for education, the biggest single cost.

My extensive research on multiple visits to Mauritius shows that unless you are dedicated to "expat life" and it's "closed circles of do-alike, buy-alike and keeping-up-with-other-expats," you can live in Mauritius cheaper in many respects than most countries in Europe and even some in Africa though perhaps not South Africa. If you wish to spend a lot of money on your children, you can certainly splash it out on luxury.

Children's room furniture seems expensive, as does all furniture in Mauritius.

Any car you buy in Mauritius will be more expensive than any car you buy abroad. So if you need a large car for a large family, be prepared for large expense.

The price of clothing in Mauritius is high, especially considering how much is made there. However I am told that if you are prepared to shop on certain local markets or buy second hand, it can be very much lower. Generally the price of clothing in Mauritius would be 20% higher than South Africa and 40% higher than UK -- but perhaps people have other figures.

However rental for properties, unless one is choosing swish and swanky locations, is lower than Kenya and UK.

The cost of living in Mauritius is generally lower than in England. This means that the cost of labor and other inputs is lower, which can lead to lower prices for consumers.

The Mauritian government has implemented a number of policies to promote the seafood industry, such as subsidies and tax breaks. These policies have helped to keep prices low for consumers. Seafood generally costs less than  Britain by about 30%.

Thank you for the above; we mostly agree with everything stated.  The draw card for us and our family is the safety aspect and the lifestyle of being surrounded by a beautiful coastline.  Something we are willing to pay a little more for and sacrifice in other parts of our lives.

@Vanessa Anderson42  Glad it seems helpful..so Vanessa you can easily get caught in "Expat Traps" here...I just did, looking for plastic plates and cups for our 6 and 7 years old and getting a tsern "We don't sell  plastic cups and plates" from the giant Super U...I stopped off in a children's+ toys store in a fancy mall...and they had them for  US$5.00 each...and I could not find any online in Mauritian sites..so we got asked US$50 for some  simple items...when upon walking into a different supermarket the next day, I saw plastic cups and plates for a tenth of the price!

Vegetables have become scarily priced in Mauritius and are mostly cheapest in the big chains like Super U. I bought three avocados, 6 bananas a Papaya and 6 tomatoes from a Greengrocer and paid 4 times or more the price in Kenya. Generally  Super U which also has a mass of branded own items, is thrifty. Beef (frozen) is  same price as Europe and at least double that of Africa but chicken and seafood are very reasonable and great quality from France  for chicken.

Using a hotpot "Instant Pot" to slow cook and tenderize the tougher Australian and SA beef cuts, and mutton/lamb sold frozen so they are nice and tender will also pay for itself soon enough. US$10 for a kilo of prime grass fed Kenya fillet? Forget it, expect to pay 3 to 4 x.

Going to a small town market near yourself and also learning to buy seafood from the beach directly will save a lot. The main lesson is that post Corona the Mauritian economy has been hit by much more inflation than many..and a lot of prices have risen to unheard of levels compared to 2019///but it's still quite manageable and  inexpensive unless you want La Dolce Vita.

@peterg123 Hello,

Glad to see you have found some landmarks.

Maybe you can find out whether there is a market fair in your locality/what day and buy fresh produce/fruits and vegetables from there. They should be cheaper than in supermarkets.

Regarding plastic, they shouldn't be on sale as there is a plastic ban in Mauritius :

https://www.mondaq.com/waste-management … c-products

https://www.mcci.org/en/media-news-even … ions-2020/

You still found some plastic plates and cups which is a bit odd but well ...

All the best

Bhavna

@Bhavna Well plastic is sold and used in vast quantities in Mauritius  in hundreds of products, so what you perhaps mean is "disposable plastic polates" like party plates, cups  etc...those you can only find throw away paper ones...but solid plastic  that you use for years are around.

@peterg123

You can buy plastic containers for your personal use of course. But all single use non biodegradable plastic bags or plates etc shouldn't be sold.

Every now and then authorities will remind the population that they shouldn't be used by launching campaigns, law enforcements, fines. It is progressive...

Some bigger supermarkets have already adopted good practice by not selling them... Plastic bottles and other containers (yogurt for example) are tolerated for now as manufacturers and suppliers are yet to find fitting alternatives... but they will be completely be replaced eventually .