Nouakchott - Post Report Question and Answers
How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
Based on previous posts, I was expecting the worst when I arrived but have been surprised by the availability of goods. Since we have arrived a few new grocery options have opened. Just about everything in Mauritania is imported. Most stores stock French or Spanish brands, so if you aren’t picky about brand, you can find most things you might need. When the first place I walked into had Nutella, good quality flour tortillas, and a decent selection of spices/seasonings, I knew I was going to survive. Just be sure to scoop up something you’re interested in. Sometimes it can be weeks to months before it gets back. Make friends with store owners as they will tell you when shipments are arriving. - Jan 2023
Groceries and food products are more limited here than anywhere I have lived, including availability of fresh fruit and vegetables, which are almost all imported and spoils quickly. Like many posts in the region you have to go to three or four different grocery stores for weekly shopping, as stock at each is limited, though many people ask housekeepers or cooks to help with this task. Consumables shipments help a lot with supplying key items. - Aug 2021
Food… ummm well let’s just say at times it is very tricky. Nouakchott is a developing country and very poor. All modern day things that Americans, etc., are used to having (and make life easier) are not always available (trash bags, plastic bags). Food quality is very poor, lack of proper refrigeration makes things spoil quickly along with constant power outages in the city. Restaurants are sketchy, it’s like playing Russian roulette with food poisoning. I personally have had E. coli, salmonella, shigella and the norovirus since I have been here. You must wash EVERYTHING with vinegar and bleach. Produce is hard to find everything is imported from Morocco, Senegal, or Algeria. I suggest growing as much as you can if you have space. - Aug 2021
Groceries are mostly from Spain or France. Produce comes from Morocco or Spain, but isn't always fresh. You can find quality products from Spain or France as you would in Europe. Variety sometimes lacks but you can get what you need to meet a Western diet. Household supplies relative to the USA are similar, but you do miss the occasional special product such as maple syrup, bbq sauces, hot sauces, or beef jerky. For the rest of the mainstay products you can find them, but you might have to hit a couple of stores to find the ones you want. - Sep 2020
There are several larger grocery stores that cater to expats. They are all over the cost spectrum: some very expensive and some very affordable, just don't think you can always get what you want/need. If you see something you think you may need within the next couple months, it is usually best to get it because it may not be there when you need it. That said, some less typical items like Agave syrup, birthday candles are pretty typically found in the main expat shopping place. There is also one store in Nouakchott that brings in product from CostCo, so if you are willing to pay (sometimes about 5-10 times what you would in the states), you can sometimes get lucky and find that Kirkland brand product you are looking for. There are also some Asian grocery stores around town. We usually send out housekeeper to the market for vegetables. Good small fruit stands around town, but fruits are available only when in season. I think most are imported from Morocco. - Apr 2019
Groceries and household supplies can be found to supplement your consumables, but it's the veggies and meat and fruit that are a bit lacking. It's really hit or miss. We started importing stuff from the Canary Islands on a monthly basis, which has been a huge morale booster. - May 2016
Groceries and household supplies are available but expensive. Two words, Amazon Prime. - Apr 2014
Fairly expensive. Everything here is imported, except bottled water. Expect to pay slightly higher prices than in the US. - Aug 2011
Expensive. There are some household goods available. Netgrocer will be your best friend. As will be your consumable shipment. - Dec 2009
