Nouakchott at a glance
- Nouakchott is the most expensive of Mauritania's 2 priced cities: $521 a month in essentials, 119% above Nouadhibou at $238.
- The average net salary of $567 covers that 1.1×.
- 143.8 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at region level.
- PM2.5 averages 47.6 µg/m³ a year, 10× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $521 |
|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $149 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $217 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $89 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $73 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $188 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $22 |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $567 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $281 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $722 |
Single person, USD. Data updated September 8, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Nouakchott, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $2.49 |
|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $23.81 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $5.93 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $2.28 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $1.76 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $2.14 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.53 |
|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $0.27 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.34 |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.21 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $5.98 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $5.30 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $2.88 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.79 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $0.88 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $0.81 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $0.90 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.60 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.45 |
|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $21.79 |
| Taxi start | $0.87 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.37 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.43 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $128.66 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $59.76 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $22.00 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $30.50 |
|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $4.05 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Nouakchott has 143.8 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (region level). That is the highest of the 2 Mauritania cities we track. Mauritania's national figure is 93, so Nouakchott runs 51 above the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Nouakchott ranks against every city we track
Nouakchott sits ahead of 89% of the 1009 cities we track on city-centre rent. On cost of living it is ahead of 81% of 981. Its weakest measure is clean air, ahead of only 3% of 1069.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Nouakchott sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Nouakchott on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Nouakchott beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Nouakchott in the research deskOr unlock the Mauritania deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Laminesall96, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Data updated