Living in Port Louis, Mauritius
Port Louis is a mid-sized coastal city in Mauritius (250,000 to 1 million people in the city proper). It has a warm climate, averaging 25°C over the year with about 1,470 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €2,599 a month to live centrally, and Mauritius sits in our low to medium tax tier. For foreigners, long-term residency in Mauritius is comparatively open, with a self-funded route from about $2,000 a month in income.
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- Est. cost
- €2,599
- a month for a couple
- Tax tier
- Low to medium
- personal income tax
- Climate
- 25°C
- 1,470 mm rain a year
- Size
- Mid-sized
- 250,000 to 1 million people
- Safety
- 70/100
- country-level
- Internet
- ~90 Mbps
- median fixed broadband
- Residency
- Comparatively open
- for most foreigners
What stands out about Port Louis
- On or near the sea
Climate
Port Louis averages 25°C across the year with about 1,470 mm of rain, which makes it warm and wet. It is warmer than 70% 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
Comparatively open. Mauritius actively courts foreign residents through several genuinely attainable routes: a low-threshold investor occupation permit, self-employed and professional occupation permits, a passive-income retirement permit for over-50s, and a property-purchase residence route.
The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Mauritius:
- Income: about $2,000 a month (Mauritius Retired Non-Citizen residence permit (age 50+), USD 2,000/mo (USD 24,000/yr) transferred to a local bank; as of June 2026)
- Investment: about $50k (Mauritius Investor Occupation Permit, lowest pathway USD 50,000 into a new Mauritius-based business; as of June 2026)
For short visits, 113 of 198 passports can enter visa-free, 69 can get an e-visa or visa on arrival and 16 need a visa in advance.
Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).
Language and culture
Main languages: English, French, Creole. English proficiency: some. Social openness scores 60 out of 100.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index (country-level); social openness is our secularism and tolerance composite.
Internet and remote work
Median fixed broadband in Mauritius runs at about 90 Mbps, faster than 36% of the cities we compare.
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median fixed broadband download speed, country-level.
Safety and stability
Mauritius scores 70 out of 100 on safety, safer than 63% of the cities we compare. Its EIU Democracy Index score is 8.0 out of 10.
Source: Our own country-level safety estimate (0 to 100, higher is safer), shared by every city in Mauritius. Stability: EIU Democracy Index.
Cost of living
We estimate a couple needs about €2,599 a month to live centrally in Port Louis, 5% below the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 63% of them.
Source: OurNextCity model: a country-level cost index (New York = 100) scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget.
Healthcare
Mauritius scores 68 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 61% of the cities we compare.
Source: Our own country-level healthcare estimate (0 to 100), shared by every city in Mauritius.
Taxes
Mauritius sits in our low to medium tax tier: moderate personal income tax. We use three tiers (zero or very low, low to medium, high) and apply them to every city in the country.
Taxes are a dealbreaker filter in OurNextCity: a couple who caps tax at zero or very low will not see Port Louis in their results.
Source: OurNextCity tax tiers, assigned by hand from each country's top marginal personal income tax rate and overall tax reputation, with no fixed rate cut-offs. Country-level and coarse by design; not tax advice.
Questions couples ask about Port Louis
Is Port Louis a good place to live for couples?
It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Port Louis scores well on political stability. Expect a warm, wet climate (25°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Port Louis and 914 other cities for both of you at once.
How much does it cost a couple to live in Port Louis?
We estimate about €2,599 a month for a couple living centrally, 5% below the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from a country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.
What are taxes like in Port Louis?
Mauritius is in our low to medium tax tier (moderate personal income tax). Tiers are country-level and deliberately coarse: zero or very low, low to medium, and high. Couples who make zero or very low tax a must-have will not see Port Louis in their results.
Can foreigners live in Mauritius long term?
Our assessment: comparatively open. Mauritius actively courts foreign residents through several genuinely attainable routes: a low-threshold investor occupation permit, self-employed and professional occupation permits, a passive-income retirement permit for over-50s, and a property-purchase residence route. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: income, about $2,000 a month (as of 2026-06); investment, about $50k (as of 2026-06).
What is the weather like in Port Louis?
Port Louis averages 25°C across the year with about 1,470 mm of rain, which makes it warm and wet. It is warmer than 70% of the cities we track.
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