Mauritius

Money & costs

Costs

As far as a daily budget is concerned, backpackers staying in the cheapest guesthouses and eating meals at street stands can expect to spend in the region of €25 to €30 per person. Opting for a midrange hotel and smarter restaurants will push it up to at least €50. These costs are calculated on the basis of two people sharing a room; single travellers will need to budget extra. As soon as you jump to four- and five-star accommodation you’re looking at €175 per person at the very minimum.

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Money

The Mauritian unit of currency is the rupee (Rs), which is divided into 100 cents. There are coins of 5, 20 and 50 cents, and Rs 1, Rs 5 and Rs 10. The banknote denominations are Rs 25, Rs 50, Rs 100, Rs 200, Rs 500, Rs 1000 and Rs 2000.

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ATMs

Armed with your PIN, it’s perfectly possible to travel on plastic in Mauritius since ATMs are widespread. Even Rodrigues has a smattering of them. They’re mostly located outside banks, though you’ll also find them at the airports, at larger supermarkets and in some shopping malls. The majority of machines accept Visa and MasterCard, or any similar cards in the Cirrus and Plus networks, while Amex now has a tie-in with Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB).

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Credit cards

Visa and MasterCard are the most useful cards to carry, though Amex is catching up. Nearly all tourist shops and the more upmarket restaurants and hotels accept payment by credit card, as do car-hire companies, tour agents and so forth. Anywhere outside the main tourist haunts and small businesses still expect payment in cash.

A few places add on an extra fee, typically 3%, to the bill to cover ‘bank charges’. The cheaper car-hire companies are the worst offenders. To be on the safe side, always ask. Cash advances on credit cards are available from most major banks, including MCB, Barclays, the State Bank and HSBC. Just remember to take your passport.

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Moneychangers

Major currencies and travellers cheques can be changed at the main banks, exchange bureaus and the larger hotels. Exchange bureaus sometimes offer slightly better rates than banks, but there’s usually little difference. Hotels tend to have the worst rates and may add an additional service commission. As a general rule, travellers cheques bring a better rate than cash. There is no black market in Mauritius.

Banks don’t charge commission on changing cash. As for travellers cheques, the system varies. Some banks, such as HSBC, charge 1% of the total, with a minimum of Rs 200, while MCB and the State Bank levy Rs 50 for up to 10 cheques. Don’t forget to take along your passport when changing money. And make sure you hang on to the encashment form, which will have to be presented if you want to change Mauritian rupees back into foreign currency at the end of your stay.

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Taxes

Most items apart from unprepared food are subject to 15% VAT. There’s no clear rule about whether this tax is included in prices quoted for meals, rooms and activities. If it’s not clear, be sure to ask or you may be in for a nasty shock. Top-end hotels and restaurants sometimes add a service charge of about 10% to 15%.

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