Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Ouarzazate

For one person, living is cheaper in Ouarzazate: $707 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Ouarzazate
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Ouarzazate Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Ouarzazate

🇲🇦 Morocco

$707

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town and in Ouarzazate

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 Ouarzazate actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Cape Town vs $707 in Ouarzazate, rent included.

Cape Town $1,586
Ouarzazate $707

A couple spends around $2,425 per month in Cape Town vs $1,102 in Ouarzazate, rent included.

Cape Town $2,425
Ouarzazate $1,102

A family of three spends $3,263 per month in Cape Town vs $1,498 in Ouarzazate, rent included.

Cape Town $3,263
Ouarzazate $1,498

Cape Town costs about 124% more than Ouarzazate, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Ouarzazate is 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

$3.72 MAD 36.29

226.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

$31.53 MAD 307

43.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

$6.18 MAD 60.3

-4.85%

Cappuccino

$2.50 R 41.18

$2.21 MAD 21.56

13.12%

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

$1.27 R 20.94

$0.64 MAD 6.21

98.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.14

$0.61 MAD 5.91

60.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R 49.33

$6.69 MAD 65.2

-55.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 R 61.4

$5.40 MAD 52.7

-31.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 R 21.40

$0.85 MAD 8.30

52.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R 20.68

$0.86 MAD 8.38

45.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 36.76

$1.54 MAD 15.03

44.81%

Eggs

$3.11 R 51.2

$1.56 MAD 15.24

99.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

$7.76 MAD 75.7

16.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$4.56 MAD 44.46

51.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.30 R 153

$11.72 MAD 114

-20.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

$0.69 MAD 6.73

166.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

$1.21 MAD 11.83

61.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

$0.60 MAD 5.88

178.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

$0.79 MAD 7.75

174.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

$0.71 MAD 6.97

121.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

$0.75 MAD 7.33

97.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$0.23 MAD 2.24

465.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.60

$0.60 MAD 5.86

88.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

$4.04 MAD 39.42

-10.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

$7.55 MAD 73.6

-18.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.66

$2.22 MAD 21.63

-37.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

$3.27 MAD 31.85

-34.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

$0.54 MAD 5.30

177.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$19.55 MAD 191

210.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.71

$0.50 MAD 4.85

18.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

$0.65 MAD 6.34

130.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

$7.09 MAD 69.2

-27.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

$1.42 MAD 13.88

9.15%

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

$33.6K MAD 327.5K

7.78%

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

$31.2K R 514.8K

$29.7K MAD 289.5K

5.25%

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

$114 R 1,883

$35.55 MAD 347

221.58%

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

$28.91 R 476

$4.94 MAD 48.17

485.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 R 654

$26.25 MAD 256

51.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

$26.66 MAD 260

83.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

$22.51 MAD 220

-51.18%

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

$6.39 MAD 62.3

43.19%

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

$259 R 4,264

$99.3 MAD 968

160.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

$8,432 MAD 82.2K

-19.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 R 926

$31.76 MAD 310

76.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

$45.27 MAD 441

-28.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,987

$83.9 MAD 817

43.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,781

$83.8 MAD 817

28.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

$272 MAD 2,656

274.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 R 11.8K

$168 MAD 1,641

326.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

$422 MAD 4,113

332.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 R 21.9K

$247 MAD 2,404

438.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

$1,189 MAD 11.6K

101.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

$821 MAD 8,001

87.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

4.5

143.78%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ouarzazate: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Ouarzazate

$168 23.8% 76.5% $549

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Ouarzazate

$172 24.4% 23.3% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Ouarzazate

$67 9.5% 63.5% $116

Eating Out

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Ouarzazate

$124 17.6% 29.6% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$143 9%

Ouarzazate

$110 15.6% 22.9% $33

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Ouarzazate

$25 3.6% 66% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Ouarzazate

$39 5.6% 41.4% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,021 in Cape Town versus $272 in Ouarzazate. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Cape Town versus $32.00 in Ouarzazate. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $172 – making Ouarzazate the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇲🇦 Ouarzazate

🕒 Local time

10:00 10:00 AM

09:00 9:00 AM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

71,067

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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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Between locations

Cape Town Ouarzazate 7,680 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Ouarzazate

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 Ouarzazate: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 124% more than Ouarzazate, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $1,060 in Ouarzazate. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ouarzazate, 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 $707 in Ouarzazate. That's a gap of about 124%.

Public transport costs about 211% less in Ouarzazate. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ouarzazate, where all-in costs run around $707, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Ouarzazate 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. Ouarzazate costs $707 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 Ouarzazate. 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.