Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and El Jadida

For one person, living is cheaper in El Jadida: $621 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in El Jadida
Learn more

El Jadida Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

El Jadida

🇲🇦 Morocco

$621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town and in El Jadida

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cape Town and in El Jadida actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $621 in El Jadida, rent included.

Cape Town $1,586
El Jadida $621

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $935 in El Jadida, rent included.

Cape Town $2,425
El Jadida $935

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $1,250 in El Jadida, rent included.

Cape Town $3,263
El Jadida $1,250

Cape Town costs about 156% more than El Jadida, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while El Jadida is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

$2.83 MAD 27.58

328.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

$20.87 MAD 203

117.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

$6.08 MAD 59.3

-3.29%

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.18

$1.52 MAD 14.80

64.47%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 R 20.94

$0.42 MAD 4.13

202.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

$0.28 MAD 2.72

250.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

$2.65 MAD 25.80

12.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

$2.60 MAD 25.32

43.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

$0.93 MAD 9.04

39.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

$0.38 MAD 3.67

228.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.76

$1.98 MAD 19.33

12.63%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.2

$1.84 MAD 17.94

69.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

$6.33 MAD 61.7

43.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$3.89 MAD 37.95

77.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

$7.61 MAD 74.2

22.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

$1.57 MAD 15.34

17.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

$1.41 MAD 13.70

39.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

$0.65 MAD 6.31

156.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

$0.70 MAD 6.80

210.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

$0.72 MAD 7.06

118.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

$0.51 MAD 4.97

190.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$0.30 MAD 2.90

333.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.60

$0.52 MAD 5.09

117.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

$3.96 MAD 38.64

-9.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

$4.18 MAD 40.77

47.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

$2.51 MAD 24.46

-45.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

$2.95 MAD 28.78

-27.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

$0.48 MAD 4.68

212.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$16.82 MAD 164

261.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

$1.02 MAD 9.94

-42.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

$1.01 MAD 9.80

48.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

$5.26 MAD 51.3

-2.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

$1.47 MAD 14.33

5.44%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.2K R 596.5K

$34.4K MAD 335.2K

5.31%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$31.2K R 514.8K

$31.0K MAD 302.3K

0.78%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$114 R 1,883

$29.18 MAD 285

291.78%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$28.91 R 476

$10.38 MAD 101

178.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 654

$30.70 MAD 299

29.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

$28.75 MAD 280

70.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

$11.84 MAD 115

-7.18%

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

$6.34 MAD 61.8

44.32%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$259 R 4,264

$114 MAD 1,112

127.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

$3,165 MAD 30.9K

114.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

$27.58 MAD 269

103.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

$36.84 MAD 359

-12.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

$65.3 MAD 637

84.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

$69.5 MAD 677

55.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

$210 MAD 2,050

385.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

$165 MAD 1,606

335.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

$359 MAD 3,498

408.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

$229 MAD 2,230

479.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

$1,533 MAD 14.9K

56.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

$782 MAD 7,628

97.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

$470 MAD 4,581

248.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

5.5

99.45%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for El Jadida: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

El Jadida

$165 26.6% 77% $552

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

El Jadida

$149 24.1% 33.6% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

El Jadida

$70 11.3% 61.6% $113

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

El Jadida

$80 12.9% 54.4% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

El Jadida

$90 14.4% 37.2% $53

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

El Jadida

$25 4% 66.9% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

El Jadida

$41 6.7% 38.5% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,021 in Cape Town versus $210 in El Jadida. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 249% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Cape Town versus $21.00 in El Jadida. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $149 – making El Jadida the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇲🇦 El Jadida

🕒 Local time

19:21 7:21 PM

18:21 6:21 PM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

237,464

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 MAD = 10.26 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MAD, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cape Town El Jadida 7,980 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
El Jadida

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cape Town vs El Jadida: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 156% more than El Jadida, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,379 per month in Cape Town and $931 in El Jadida. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in El Jadida, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,586 in Cape Town and $621 in El Jadida. That's a gap of about 156%.

Public transport costs about 261% less in El Jadida. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in El Jadida, where all-in costs run around $621, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In El Jadida it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. El Jadida costs $621 versus $1,586 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with El Jadida. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.