5 good reasons not to live in Mauritius :
1. Climate or heat
It’s often sunny and warm in Mauritius, but sometimes it’s even too hot 🥵
Am I complaining here?
Well, it’s true that we get our daily dose of vitamin D but in terms of heat, we literally melt on the spot. I’m not talking for people living in the centre of the island where it’s cooler but the western part or indeed the north. You can’t escape it. Fortunately, you’ll have air conditioning at home, in the office and in shopping centres.
Sensitive skin and eyes are best avoided!
For fans of winter and snow, forget it. You can leave your coats and tights behind in Europe.
Bonus: make sure you take into account the cyclone season between January and April, when you can experience the joys of power cuts, water cuts and school closures.
2. Cost of living
Although some aspects of life in Mauritius may be cheaper, imported products and some services can be expensive. This can make the overall cost of living higher than expected, especially for those used to European standards.
Indeed, if you eat as you used to, with quality red meat and organic vegetables, the bill will be high.
2 examples that particularly shocked me:
- the price of cars, twice as much as in France. Yes, it hurts.
- the price of toys: legos, kaplas, it stings the eyes! I think it’s more than double when you compare it with France. As a reminder, we don’t have IKEA, Lidl or other Action shops.
And let’s not forget the cost of schools and health insurance – a real budget to consider!
3. Job opportunities
Depending on the sector, career opportunities in Mauritius are fairly limited. The job market is smaller and more niche than in Europe, which can make career advancement or finding specific roles more difficult.
Many expatriates work with clients in Europe.
- They already have their own company, they are freelancers, self-employed or digital nomads.
- Others work for local companies or large groups, as I did when I started out here.
In all cases, you’ll need a specific work visa depending on your professional situation, which can be a (big) hindrance when you want to change company, given the procedures involved.
4. Geographical distance
Mauritius is a long way from Europe, which can make travelling to see family and friends more time-consuming and expensive. Geographical isolation can also be a stress factor for some.
Note that you have direct night flights to Paris and in 12 hours you can be back in mainland France.
So, to travel, you will have no choice but to take the plane, and unfortunately tickets are not cheap.
Reunion Island is the nearest destination, with a 30-45 minute flight time and a return cost of around €250-€300.
It’s also an opportunity to visit other destinations such as South Africa and Madagascar.
5. A simpler life
Mauritius is less modern than France and Europe in general. There will be fewer social events, exhibitions and festivals.
It’s an opportunity to finally try out the concept of ‘slow-life’, taking the time to live. I think this is ideal if you have a family.
Life will be centred around the family. Work, school, shopping, activities, a few restaurants and outings.
Choose the north of the island, where there will be more activities, restaurants and trendy bars, and the west for the more natural side.
6. Other reasons
I’ve given you 5 reasons why you might not want to move to Mauritius. But that’s a subjective subject. Personally, there are other reasons that particularly affect me, such as :
- Poor waste management, especially recycling. Here, people throw their batteries away with the household rubbish.
- Pollution: rubbish found in nature and in the sea.
- The large number of stray dogs all over the island.
- Administration: if you’ve read my other articles, administration in Mauritius is tedious. Be patient and follow the procedures to the letter.
- The gap between rich and poor
- Lack of customer service in most stores
- The sometimes disastrous state of the roads
- Ecology is not yet fully integrated into our customs and culture
- Rapidly changing laws, which may seem positive but can quickly turn against us foreigners
- Lack of modernity: e-commerce is still in its infancy (you don’t know what day you’ll be delivered), no Uber but taxis
- Poor quality of internet connection
- Power cuts (better to have a generator during cyclones)
- Road traffic and accidents (careless driving)
- Insects and other scary animals: huge cockroaches, spiders, lizards, tangs, shrews…
7. Conclusion
7. Conclusion
These reasons highlight the potential challenges that could make settling in Mauritius less attractive to some Europeans.
We take a step back from our life here, there is both good and bad in all
We come mainly for the Mauritian experience: the lifestyle, the opportunity to meet people from different cultures.
In a nutshell, the positive outweighs the negative. Mauritius is a place where all religions live in peace and harmony. I’m of Asian origin and, in France, I suffered from racism even though I’m French.
We’ve been here for nearly 6 years now and despite all the frustrations and sometimes bad experiences, we’re happy and grateful to live on this paradise island and hope that it will continue to be so.
You can also read my article on 5 reasons to live to Mauritius.
