Budget — Mayotte

The reference budget in Mayotte is €110 per day per person for an upper-mid-range stay — more expensive than Réunion due to the high cost of living (95% of products imported) and the limited tourist offer. This covers a double room in a 3-star hotel or charming guesthouse (€70-110/night for 2), lunch at a guesthouse or beach hut (€12-20/person), dinner at a restaurant (€25-40/person), car rental (€40-50/day, shared), petrol (€1.70-1.90/L), site entries and activities (€15-25/day).

A budget traveller can manage with €70-90/day: family guesthouse (€40-60/night), market cooking (fish, fruit, cassava), collective taxi transport, free hikes. Family guesthouses are the most authentic option: €50-90/night for 2 with breakfast and often Creole dinner included.

The comfort traveller finds some good addresses in Mayotte: Sakouli Hotel (Bandrélé, on the beach), Trévani Plage (Koungou), M'tsamboro Lodge (north), Le Jardin Maoré (Petite-Terre). Count €130-200/night for the island's best hotels. The 4-5 star segment is embryonic — for very high-end, prefer Réunion or Mauritius.

A few practical tips. The French health card works but the medical offer is very limited — a single hospital (CHM in Mamoudzou), frequent medical evacuations to Réunion for serious cases. EU roaming applies for French subscribers (but not as in mainland France: check before departure). Local time is UTC+3 (2h ahead in winter, 1h in summer). Driving is on the right as in France. Imported products are 20-40% more expensive than mainland; local products (fish, fruit, samosas) are competitive. Sunday is a quiet day; Friday is Muslim prayer day (shops slow down 12-2pm). Avoid very revealing clothes in the villages (Mayotte is Muslim): long shorts and short-sleeved t-shirts remain appreciated. Swimsuit accepted on tourist beaches but prefer a sarong elsewhere.