Costs in Mauritania

The Mauritanian ouguiya is written as MRU, while 1 MRU equals 10 A-UM. The EPCV 2019/20 household survey recorded average annual spending of MRU 189,460 nationally, MRU 232,465 in urban areas and MRU 150,215 in rural areas. Food accounted for MRU 96,870, or 51.1% of the national average. Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels accounted for MRU 35,685, health for MRU 7,670, transport for MRU 8,890, communication for MRU 10,070, education for MRU 6,825 and leisure and culture for MRU 1,850. These are historical category values, not current quotations. The preliminary EPCV 2025/26 result gives average annual household spending of MRU 232,204, an increase of 22.6% compared with the 2019/20 survey. Monetary poverty was reported at 25.7%, compared with 28.2% previously, while rural and peri-urban households continued to face the greatest burden. ANSADE reported a 1.6% 12-month increase in the consumer price index in December 2025, including a 1.2% increase for food and a 0.2% increase for housing, water, electricity and fuels. Prices also differ between Nouakchott, Nouadhibou and other centres. Food is usually the largest budget category. Mauritanian households with low consumption spend about 57% to 58% of their consumption on food, and agricultural and pastoral income accounts for about 45% of income in the available research. Imported and seasonal supply affects prices. A price-cap agreement located for 15 May 2026 listed sugar at A-UM 260 per kilogram, high-quality Mauritanian rice at A-UM 290 per kilogram, wheat at A-UM 140 per kilogram and cooking oil at A-UM 655 per litre. These measures cover selected staple goods rather than the complete food basket and require current local verification. Housing costs should be separated into rent, deposit, maintenance and utilities. No reliable nationwide current rent table was located. Rental costs are likely higher in Nouakchott and Nouadhibou than in rural areas, but exact amounts depend on the dwelling and locality. Dari, supported through TAAZOUR, provides a social-housing pathway for some vulnerable and middle-income households in urban and rural settlements. Access depends on eligibility and project allocation and does not create a universal entitlement. Water costs depend on the supply system. In urban areas, SNDE generally provides the service; rural supply may involve ONSER, direct provision or licensed delegated providers. The 2026 tariff method uses a fixed connection or subscription charge and progressive volume bands, including social, intermediate and high-use bands. A national equalisation mechanism and a 2026-27 compensation period support the transition toward cost coverage planned for 2028. ONSER systems carry a solidarity surcharge of MRU 1 per cubic metre. A new SNDE connection can require identification, an occupancy permit, a site plan, a phone number and GPS information; processing takes about two weeks, the fee depends on the study, and cancellation within 48 hours is free. Potable-water access was 57.6% nationally, 73.1% in urban areas and 43.5% in rural areas in the EPCV 2019/20 data. Electricity is mainly supplied by SOMELEC in urban and peri-urban areas, while rural areas may use delegated systems. The EPCV recorded electricity access at 76.3% nationally, 92.4% in urban areas and 61.6% in rural areas. The official maximum-price schedule from Arrêté 746/2016 remains a reference, but the current bill or prepaid tariff should be checked before budgeting. MOUSEF prepaid credit starts at MRU 10. In March 2026, SOMELEC stated that it had not revised tariffs despite fuel-market pressure. Outages can add costs for generators, batteries, solar equipment or alternative charging. Mobility costs include formal buses, autocars, minibuses, individual taxis and collective taxis. Individual taxis use a course tariff, while collective services may charge by seat, distance or baggage. No current national fare table was located. The transport budget is affected by fuel-price changes, travel distance and dependence on paid transport. The EPCV average was MRU 8,890 per year, with transport taking 5.4% of urban spending, 3.6% of rural spending, 6.8% in Nouakchott and 6.2% in Nouadhibou. The Ministry of Transport and the Autorité de Régulation provide the free complaint number 1886 from all networks. Health spending includes consultations, tests, operations and medicines. Public health centres, posts and hospitals coexist with private clinics and pharmacies. CNAM, the national health insurance fund, covers defined public and private groups through a base scheme. The contribution rates stated in the research are 4% of gross payroll for an employee, 5% for the employer and 2.5% for a retiree; a spouse and children can be included up to a maximum of 21 dependants under the stated conditions. Registration and use of a contracted provider are required, while copayment and reimbursement schedules are not consolidated in a single public source. Households without coverage may have to pay directly and also face travel costs. Tekavoul households can be linked to an assisted or free health pathway. Education spending includes registration, tuition, tutoring, parent contributions, uniforms, books, supplies and transport. The EPCV average was MRU 6,825 per year, or 4.7% of urban spending and 2% of rural spending. Public and private schooling are regulated differently under the 2022 education reform, and grades 1AF to 3AF were assigned exclusively to public schools in the 2024/25 school year. No nationwide current private-school fee schedule was located, so local quotations are needed. Communication spending averaged MRU 10,070 per year, or 5.3% nationally, 6% in urban areas and 4.4% in rural areas. Mobile data examples include Moov Mauritel packages from MRU 10 per day, MRU 75 per week and MRU 200 per month. Chinguitel examples include 4 GB for 30 days at MRU 150, 12 GB at MRU 300 and 50 GB at MRU 1,000. SIM cards, devices, fibre access and coverage can add separate costs. Leisure and cultural spending averaged 1% nationally, but private venues, tourism and household preferences create wide variation; free or public cultural programmes may reduce the cost for some households. Social assistance can change the disposable budget but should not be treated as guaranteed income. The Registre Social is a targeting database, and its free hotline is 80001030. The latest located figures list 353,272 registered households, 133,510 extremely poor households linked to Tekavoul and 15,079 households reached by shock programmes during the 2025 lean season. A regular transfer amount of MRU 3,600 per quarter was the latest quantified figure located from 2024. Eligibility depends on registration, poverty or vulnerability criteria and national quotas. TEMWINE and Ramadan food-sale measures reduce selected staple costs temporarily rather than providing universal income. A realistic budget should separate recurring monthly costs from quarterly or annual payments, distinguish urban, peri-urban and rural conditions, and test household size, location, food needs, transport dependence, utility connections and CNAM or Tekavoul status. Use national category shares as a starting point, then update food, utility and communication assumptions with current prices. Obtain local quotations for rent, deposits, private tuition, medical payments, transport fares and rural water points. Banking, debt and tax matters are separate topics, except where payment methods or price effects are needed to explain a cost.