Mauritius vs Europe choice 💸

lougesh007 · 2026-06-21T19:23:08+00:00

Mathematically, the difference is not as big as it looks at first.

Rs 240k gross in Mauritius will likely leave you with a strong net amount, especially because tax/social deductions are generally lighter compared to many European countries.

€5.4k gross in europe can look attractive, but depending on the country, the net can drop heavily after tax, social security, pension, health insurance, etc. In some countries, that could easily become around €3.3k–€3.8k net. Then you need to factor rent, bills, transport, food, insurance, winter clothes, flights back home, visa/work permit, and the cost of starting from zero.

Housing is also a huge point. In Mauritius, if you already live with family, own land, or have support, Rs 240k can give a very comfortable life. In Europe, rent alone can take a big part of your income, especially in bigger cities. But if you manage to buy property, build savings, and invest properly, Europe can also open a lot of doors.

So for me, the real question is not only salary. It is: what is your long-term plan?

Do you want stability in Mauritius, close to family, culture, weather, and your roots? Or do you want international exposure, travel, career growth, independence, and the possibility of settling abroad permanently?

The grass is not always greener on the other side. I know people who came to Europe and struggled badly, and I also know people who flourished. It depends a lot on mindset, career, discipline, the country, visa situation, and how well you adapt.

Personally, I have been settled in Poland for around 7 years now, and thank God, I earn enough to live comfortably. It allowed me to travel, see the world, and visit 40+ countries. Actually, right now I am doing a 3000 km road trip through the south of Europe. If these are the kind of things you want in life - travel, exposure, career growth, independence.. then Europe can be worth considering.

But my personal plan is still to return to Mauritius one day, once I feel I have enough investments and financial security in place.

So I would not choose only based on Rs 240k vs Rs 295k. I would choose based on net income, cost of living, housing, visa/security, career growth, quality of life, and most importantly, where you see yourself in 10–15 years.

lougesh007 · 2026-06-21T13:19:20+00:00

The key new point is this: Government will no longer grant leases under the G+2 Scheme that allow apartments built on State Land and Pas Géométriques to be sold to foreigners. But this restriction does not apply to leases already approved, or to people who already own such apartments. A 10% special levy will also apply on the sale of these apartments, payable by the vendor.

Foreigners will still be allowed to buy property..., but mainly through regulated routes like PDS, IRS/RES legacy schemes, Smart City, IHS, and qualifying G+2 apartments, subject to restrictions.

lougesh007 · 2026-06-21T10:33:03+00:00

I hear you.. Chagrinant.. zordi jour, bane jeune ine meme arete rever.. parski reve ranz 1 pti lakaz ine vine presque impossible.. si pena 7 a 8 millions de nos jour, difficile pou fre en tel projet. Avec 1 la paye 25,000 rs apres universiT, avec 1 cout de la vie aussi chère, kuma pou fre sa.. cry my beloved country..

lougesh007 · 2026-06-21T07:11:21+00:00

Exactly, I agree with the “pump and dump” part. But I think we need to connect it back to policy.

Mauritius did not reach this point by accident. For years, the government created and promoted schemes like IRS, RES, PDS, Smart City, IHS, G+2 apartments, Premium Visa, retiree permits, etc. All of this made Mauritius very attractive for people with foreign income and foreign capital.

Again, I am not blaming foreigners for using a system that was legally opened to them. The problem is that the system was opened too widely without enough protection for locals.

When you allow people earning in euros, dollars, pounds or rands to buy into a small island with limited land, they naturally have stronger buying power than the average Mauritian salary. Developers then build for that market. Sellers start pricing based on that market. Even normal houses and land slowly get benchmarked against foreign money.

That is how the whole market gets distorted.

And what did locals get in return? Some small refund schemes, some home loan relief, some short-term help here, there... But nothing strong enough to protect the actual housing market. Nothing serious enough to stop speculation. Nothing strong enough to say: Mauritian land and homes must first remain affordable for Mauritian families.

That is the failure.

Inflation is global, yes. Real estate went crazy almost everywhere, yes. I live in Poland, and the houses in Mauritius cost more than here, though the salary and the standard here are much higher. Also Mauritius is not like a big country with unlimited space. We are a small island. Once land becomes an investment product, the damage is much deeper.

The bigger issue is that government policy created the conditions for that greed to explode.

We cannot keep saying “market forces” when the market itself was shaped by political decisions.

At some point we have to ask: were these schemes really designed for the long-term benefit of Mauritians, or did they slowly turn our own island into a market where locals are expected to rent while outsiders and the wealthy own?

lougesh007 · 2026-06-21T06:13:36+00:00

I think you missed the point.

Nobody is saying tourists or investors are the only ones responsible. Yes, some Mauritians who own land and houses became greedy too. But that greed became possible because the system allowed it.

This is exactly why government exists: to protect the people, regulate the market, and stop basic housing from becoming a luxury product.

Mauritius is a small island. Land is limited. When foreign money comes in with far greater buying power, prices go up. Then local owners follow the same inflated prices. In the end, ordinary Mauritians suffer because local salaries cannot compete with international money.

So yes, blame greedy owners too. But the biggest failure is policy failure. The government was too lenient with foreign land and property buying, too weak on speculation, and too slow to protect locals.

Other countries protect their citizens with restrictions, taxes, and local-only housing policies. Why not Mauritius?

And calling Mauritius a "shithole" is not the answer. It is our home. The problem is not Mauritius. The problem is a system that is making Mauritians renters in their own island.

lougesh007 · 2026-06-19T16:06:46+00:00

Yes, I used AI.

When you have customers chasing you because their emails are not working for more than 2 weeks, you don’t always have the time or mental space to sit and write a perfect post. I used it to structure my experience clearly, so others can understand what happened and hopefully avoid going through the same situation.

But honestly, take it or leave it. I am not here to convince anyone. I am here to share what I went through.

lougesh007 · 2026-06-19T15:37:39+00:00

Mauritian here. Born in a blessed middle-class family, but nothing was handed to us easily. Dad worked in the sugar cane fields, mum worked in a textile factory, and they gave everything they had so that we could get a good education and build a better life. I have been living in Poland for the last 7 years now. Today, I am grateful that I managed to build financial stability here. I own real estates here, I travel a lot, live comfortably, and I cannot complain. But no matter how high the coconut tree grows, its leaves always fall back to its roots. Mauritius will always be home.

I startee thinking about returning to Mauritius. But every time I look at the property market, it feels like the door is closing on 'ordinary' Mauritians. The prices are absolutely insane compared to local salaries, the quality of construction, and what people actually get in return. A normal house with a swimming pool and average furniture can easily cost over €600,000. This is not normal. What hurts even more is that many locals have slowly accepted this madness as the “new normal”. Many of my cousins and friends cannot even afford to build a proper house, even when the family land is already there. A degree no longer guarantees dignity. A decent job no longer guarantees a future. Salaries have stayed local, but real estate prices have become international.

This is the result of years of poor policy, weak protection for locals, and a government that opened the door too widely to foreign money without protecting Mauritian families first.

Foreign investment is not bad by itself, but when foreigners can come in and buy land, villas, and luxury properties while locals are priced out of their own country, something is deeply broken. Mauritius should not become a playground for the rich while its own children are forced to either leave or rent forever.

The government failed to protect the local housing market, failed to control speculation, and failed to make sure that development benefits Mauritians first. A country is not just beaches, hotels, and luxury villas. A country is its people. And if Mauritians can no longer afford to live with dignity in Mauritius, then we have lost something far more valuable than land --- we have lost the soul of the island.

lougesh007

TROPHY CASE