Living in Nouakchott, Mauritania

Nouakchott is a large coastal city in Mauritania (1 to 5 million people in the city proper). It has a warm climate, averaging 26°C over the year with about 103 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €2,208 a month to live centrally. For foreigners, long-term residency in Mauritania is hard to obtain.

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Est. cost: €2,208; a month for a couple
Climate: 26°C; 103 mm rain a year
Size: Large; 1 to 5 million people
Safety: 61/100; country-level
Residency: Hard to obtain; for most foreigners

Limited data for Mauritania. Figures for safety, healthcare, cost of living and political stability in Mauritania are country-level estimates from World Bank indicators, each named with its year. We have no tax, English, social openness or internet speed figures for Mauritania, so the quiz scores those factors conservatively and this page leaves them out.

What stands out about Nouakchott

Dry: about 103 mm of rain a year
More affordable than 85% of the cities we compare
Long-term residency is hard to obtain
On or near the sea

Climate

Nouakchott averages 26°C across the year with about 103 mm of rain, which makes it warm and very dry. It is warmer than 81% of the 1225 cities we track, and it sits on the coast.

Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.

Residency and visas

Hard to obtain. The only realistic long-term route is an employer-sponsored work permit paired with a carte de séjour renewed annually; there is no investor, passive-income, or self-sufficiency visa and no published permanent-residency pathway.

For short visits, 8 of 198 passports can enter visa-free, 189 can get an e-visa or visa on arrival and 1 need a visa in advance.

Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).

Healthcare

Mauritania scores 48 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 6% of the cities we compare.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in Mauritania: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, 2024) and current health spending per person in US dollars (SH.XPD.CHEX.PC.CD, 2023), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Cost of living

We estimate a couple needs about €2,208 a month to live centrally in Nouakchott, 19% below the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 85% of them.

Source: OurNextCity model from the price level of GDP relative to the United States, from GDP per person in US dollars and at purchasing power parity (NY.GDP.PCAP.CD/NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD, 2025), calibrated to our country-level cost index (New York = 100) and scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Safety and stability

Mauritania scores 61 out of 100 on safety, safer than 54% of the cities we compare. Its estimated democracy score is 4.1 out of 10.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in Mauritania: country-level homicide rate per 100,000 people (VC.IHR.PSRC.P5, 2020) and Worldwide Governance Indicators Political Stability and Absence of Violence estimate (GOV_WGI_PV.EST, 2025), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables (higher is safer). Stability: Worldwide Governance Indicators Voice and Accountability estimate (GOV_WGI_VA.EST, 2025), calibrated to the EIU Democracy Index scale. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Questions couples ask about Nouakchott

Is Nouakchott a good place to live for couples?

It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Nouakchott scores well on affordability. It is weaker on healthcare. Our figures for Mauritania are partial: no tax, English, social openness or internet speed data, and country-level World Bank estimates for the rest. Expect a warm, very dry climate (26°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Nouakchott and 914 other cities for both of you at once.

How much does it cost a couple to live in Nouakchott?

We estimate about €2,208 a month for a couple living centrally, 19% below the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from the World Bank price level of GDP for Mauritania, calibrated to our country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.

Can foreigners live in Mauritania long term?

Our assessment: hard to obtain. The only realistic long-term route is an employer-sponsored work permit paired with a carte de séjour renewed annually; there is no investor, passive-income, or self-sufficiency visa and no published permanent-residency pathway.

What is the weather like in Nouakchott?

Nouakchott averages 26°C across the year with about 103 mm of rain, which makes it warm and very dry. It is warmer than 81% of the cities we track.