Temperature
September has the warmest monthly average (28.5°C); January is coolest (19.9°C). These averages include nights, so daytime highs can be considerably warmer.
Mauritania · Visit or make it home
Nouakchott
Nouakchott is a city in Mauritania. Compare its dated local facts and monthly climate before choosing a time to visit or planning a move. Housing references and national earnings describe different populations; verify the costs of your own home and job before deciding.
Get to know Nouakchott
A sense of the place
Nouakchott ( nwak-SHOT) is the capital and largest city of Mauritania. Located in the southwestern part of the country, it is one of the largest cities in the Sahara. The city also serves as the administrative and economic center of Mauritania. Once a mid-sized coastal village, Nouakchott was selected as the capital for the nascent nation of Mauritania, with construction beginning in 1958. It was originally designed to accommodate a population of 15,000, but experienced significant population growth in the 1970s when many Mauritanians fled their home villages due to drought and increasing desertification. Many of the newcomers settled in slum areas of the city that were poorly maintained and extremely overcrowded. By the mid-1980s, Nouakchott's population was estimated to be between 400,000 and 500,000. As of 2023, the city had a population of nearly 1.5 million people and serves as the hub of the Mauritanian economy. It is home to a deepwater port and Nouakchott–Oumtounsy International Airport, one of the country's two international airports.
Weather through the year
When to visit Nouakchott
Rain and outdoor plans
September averages about 46 mm of rain, compared with 0 mm in May. Rainfall alone does not identify a single best month; compare temperatures with the activities you plan.
Planning time outdoors
January, February, March, April, May, December combine monthly mean temperatures of 12–22°C with less than 100 mm of precipitation. These are useful dates to compare for a walking-focused visit; check daylight, opening times and the forecast for your actual trip.
Monthly mean temperatures reach at least 25°C in July, August, September, October. For sightseeing, plan shade, water breaks and accommodation cooling into your day; daytime temperatures can be higher than these day-and-night averages.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average °C | 19.9 | 19.9 | 20.8 | 20.8 | 21.9 | 24.0 | 26.0 | 27.4 | 28.5 | 27.2 | 24.2 | 21.5 |
| Rain, mm | 2 | 2 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 45 | 46 | 19 | 2 | 0 |
Source: NASA POWER climatology · Reference period: 2001-2020. Long-term averages for the surrounding grid area. Conditions vary within a city; monthly averages are neither a forecast nor a guarantee of dry days.
Places around Nouakchott
Build your shortlist for a day out. Distances are straight-line from the city centre; check routes and opening times before setting off.
Museum
National Museum of Mauritania
Less than 1 km from the city centre
Compare with another cityAverage rent in Nouakchott
What is the average rent in Nouakchott?
A verified average rent for Nouakchott is not available in the evidence shown here. Do not substitute another city’s price or a national estimate. Compare current properties for the same home size and neighbourhood, then include utilities, deposits and daily transport when building a budget for a visit or move.
Average salary in Nouakchott
What is the average salary in Nouakchott?
A verified city average salary for Nouakchott is not available in the evidence shown here. National income per person and purchasing-power measures are not salaries and cannot predict take-home pay. Compare a current offer in your occupation with local taxes, housing and transport costs before deciding whether a move is affordable.
How should I compare Nouakchott with another city?
Compare the same dated measures for both cities, keeping local observations separate from national context. Start with rent, your expected income and the journeys you will make regularly. Then adjust the comparison weights to your priorities. Missing measurements do not prove an advantage; verify decisive costs and services with current local sources.
- Choose a comparison below and read its sources and dates.
- Set priorities for housing, work, transport and climate.
- Check current listings and your own income before making a decision.
Data sources, licences & reuse terms
Plan your stay
Budget and everyday decisions
A holiday budget
Compare accommodation for your actual dates in Nouakchott, then add the journey here, airport transfers, meals and the activities you want. A cheap room outside the centre can cost more overall if it adds daily transport.
Compare holiday preferences →A relocation budget
Use the planner below to compare housing, daily spending and the cost of your move.
Include the deposit, utilities, internet and commuting. Compare those costs with your own expected take-home income.
Compare with another city →Your relocation planning budget
Build a monthly budget for Nouakchott in euros. Totals are calculated from the amounts below, not live quotes. Enter a housing amount for your chosen home.
Monthly total:
First month including move:
Compare with another city →Compare the details
Nouakchott at a glance
Mean daily solar radiation
6.2 kWh/m²/day
Data period: 2001-2020. Source: NASA POWER — climatology (T2M temperature; PRECTOTCORR precipitation) · NASA scientific-data policy; source-specific notices applyCompare with another city →Annual precipitation
150 mm/year
Annual precipitation gives a broad climate comparison. Its distribution through the year matters more for a short visit.
Source: NASA POWER — climatology (T2M temperature; PRECTOTCORR precipitation) · NASA scientific-data policy; source-specific notices applyCompare with another city →Mean wind speed at 10 metres
5.5 m/s
Data period: 2001-2020. Source: NASA POWER — climatology (T2M temperature; PRECTOTCORR precipitation) · NASA scientific-data policy; source-specific notices applyCompare with another city →City population
1,184,530 people
Population helps compare the scale of a destination. Administrative boundaries differ, so it is not always the population of the whole metropolitan area.
Data period: 2026-09-20. Source: GeoNames geographical database — global city identity fallback · CC BY 4.0Compare with another city →Average annual temperature
23.5 C
Long-term average including days and nights. Use the monthly breakdown to choose dates; this is not a weather forecast.
Source: NASA POWER — climatology (T2M temperature; PRECTOTCORR precipitation) · NASA scientific-data policy; source-specific notices applyCompare with another city →Nearest listed airport (straight-line distance)
24.9 km
Straight-line distance to a listed airport, not transfer time or confirmation of scheduled flights. Check the airport serving your actual route before booking.
Data period: 2026-08-30. Source: OurAirports — airport locations · Public domainCompare with another city →Seasonal temperature range
8.7 °C
Data period: 2001-2020. Source: NASA POWER — climatology (T2M temperature; PRECTOTCORR precipitation) · NASA scientific-data policy; source-specific notices applyCompare with another city →Mauritania: the wider context
These are country-level figures, not measurements of Nouakchott. Use them to compare national conditions; neighbourhoods, salaries and individual services can differ substantially.
See 7 national indicators
Income level — GNI per capita, PPP (gross)
7,640 international dollars (PPP)
Purchasing-power-adjusted national income per person is not a salary or take-home pay.
Data period: 2025. Source: World Bank — GNI per capita, PPP (NY.GNP.PCAP.PP.CD) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Fixed broadband / internet quality
45.8 percent
Data period: 2024. Source: World Bank / ITU — Individuals using the Internet, % (IT.NET.USER.ZS) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Healthcare / health outcome (life expectancy at birth)
68.7 years
Life expectancy describes population health outcomes; it does not measure the quality or availability of a particular hospital.
Data period: 2024. Source: World Bank — Life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →English / language accessibility
40 ordinal_0_100
Data period: 2026-08-30. Limited confidence. Source: Wikidata — coordinates, population, timezone, ISO codes, official languages · CC0 1.0Compare with another city →Intentional homicide rate
1 per 100,000 people
Homicide rates are a narrow safety indicator. They do not describe petty crime or the safety of an individual neighbourhood.
Data period: 2020. Source: World Bank / UNODC — Intentional homicides per 100k (VC.IHR.PSRC.P5) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Comparative price level (household consumption)
40.7 (EU average = 100)
Data period: 2025. Limited confidence. Source: World Bank — Price level index, household consumption (PA.NUS.PRVT.PLI) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Air quality — annual mean PM2.5
46.5 µg/m³
Data period: 2023. Limited confidence. Source: World Bank — PM2.5 mean annual exposure (EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →What to check before deciding
Comparable figures are not available here for: Distance to nearest mountains (>1500 m); Public-transport provision (ordinal proxy); Seismic hazard (ordinal 0 very-low to 4 high); Distance to nearest sea / coastline; Annual sunshine hours; Overall tax burden (taxes + social contributions, % of GDP); Monthly rent, 1-bedroom, city centre; Education system (national). Check the items that affect your plans with local providers. They are not treated as zero or as an advantage in recommendations.
Compare Nouakchott with other cities
Read the source dates, choose your priorities and keep unavailable values separate from costs you know.