Mauritius
A standout retirement base. Ranked 5 of 40, strongest on affordability, softest on climate.
Key facts
Visa & residency
Applicant aged 50+ must show a guaranteed minimum income of USD 2,000 per month, or transfer at least USD 24,000 per year into a Mauritian bank account.
Residence permit is valid for 10 years and renewable; the qualifying funds must be transferred into a Mauritian bank account, with the income proven via certified bank statements.
Healthcare
Two-tier system: free public hospitals for residents (but expats are usually billed, with older equipment and longer waits) plus high-quality private clinics; some advanced care requires travel to South Africa or Reunion.
Foreign residents cannot rely on free public care and should carry comprehensive private or international health cover, as private treatment is expensive.
Cost of living
Comfortable single-retiree budget roughly US$1,200-1,900; single-person costs excluding rent are about Rs26,700 (~US$580).
In Port Louis, the capital, a one-bed city-centre apartment is about Rs22,600 per month (roughly US$490).
Safety & climate
Ranked the most peaceful country in Africa and 26th of 163 globally on the 2025 Global Peace Index, with a score of 1.586.
Tropical maritime climate: a warm humid summer (Nov-Apr, mean ~24.7C) and a cooler dry winter (Jun-Sep, mean ~20.4C); occasional tropical cyclones between January and March.
Community & language
Well-established, growing expat and retiree community concentrated in the north (Grand Baie) and west (Tamarin); the English/French bilingual environment makes it easy for English-speaking retirees.
Mauritian Creole is most spoken at home; English and French are the de facto official languages, with English used in government and administration.
Taxes
Residents are taxed on worldwide income, but foreign income (including pensions) is taxable only to the extent remitted to Mauritius; progressive rates of 0/10/20%. Because the retirement permit requires transferring funds into a local bank, remitted pension income can fall into the tax net.
Has a double-tax treaty with the UK, but not with the US, Netherlands, Canada or Australia.
Compare Mauritius with its closest rivals
The three countries whose RetireScore sits nearest.
