Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and El Jadida Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and El Jadida

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $677 per month in Chengdu vs $664 in El Jadida, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,074 per month in Chengdu vs $986 in El Jadida, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,472 per month in Chengdu vs $1,307 in El Jadida, rent included.

Chengdu costs about 2% more than El Jadida, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chengdu and El Jadida are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 49% lower, El Jadida 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.82 ¥19.09

$3.85 MAD 35.91

-26.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.08 ¥163

$19.90 MAD 186

21.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 ¥33.66

$6.75 MAD 62.9

-26.37%

Cappuccino

$2.76 ¥18.71

$1.52 MAD 14.15

81.58%

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

$0.43 ¥2.92

$0.43 MAD 4.03

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.88

$0.32 MAD 2.98

-12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ¥7.70

$2.76 MAD 25.78

-58.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ¥13.97

$3.24 MAD 30.23

-36.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 ¥12.28

$0.88 MAD 8.21

105.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 ¥9.39

$0.47 MAD 4.39

195.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.31

$1.85 MAD 17.21

-49.73%

Eggs

$1.94 ¥13.10

$1.86 MAD 17.38

4.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.76 ¥93.2

$5.07 MAD 47.25

171.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.61 ¥24.41

$3.84 MAD 35.83

-5.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.32 ¥76.6

$7.92 MAD 73.8

42.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 ¥12.94

$1.58 MAD 14.74

20.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ¥8.28

$1.27 MAD 11.83

-3.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.18

$0.76 MAD 7.04

97.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.90

$0.80 MAD 7.46

27.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.81

$0.79 MAD 7.38

-10.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.76

$0.49 MAD 4.61

42.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥4.09

$0.33 MAD 3.10

81.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.16

$0.60 MAD 5.63

1.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 ¥23.02

$4.03 MAD 37.58

-15.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.50 ¥37.19

$4.42 MAD 41.17

24.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ¥6.42

$2.41 MAD 22.52

-60.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ¥12.53

$2.93 MAD 27.34

-36.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.94

$0.50 MAD 4.69

-14.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.94 ¥189

$25.83 MAD 241

8.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 ¥8.38

$1.07 MAD 10.00

15.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 ¥1.91

$0.49 MAD 4.56

-42.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.16 ¥28.15

$3.32 MAD 30.94

25.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ¥7.95

$1.53 MAD 14.26

-23.53%

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

$18.5K ¥125.0K

$32.9K MAD 307.2K

-43.95%

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

$16.7K ¥112.7K

$30.0K MAD 280.0K

-44.53%

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

$44.66 ¥302

$31.73 MAD 296

40.75%

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

$11.53 ¥78.1

$10.91 MAD 102

5.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.33 ¥76.7

$33.07 MAD 308

-65.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.18 ¥164

$27.23 MAD 254

-11.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.55 ¥78.2

$17.78 MAD 166

-35.04%

Cinema Ticket

$5.69 ¥38.53

$6.68 MAD 62.3

-14.82%

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

$330 ¥2,232

$89.2 MAD 832

269.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K ¥83.5K

$2,638 MAD 24.6K

367.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.54 ¥254

$40.04 MAD 373

-6.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.48 ¥260

$41.07 MAD 383

-6.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.8 ¥452

$66.4 MAD 619

0.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.0 ¥339

$60.2 MAD 561

-16.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$320 ¥2,165

$231 MAD 2,155

38.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$183 ¥1,237

$173 MAD 1,613

5.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 ¥4,138

$390 MAD 3,633

56.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 ¥2,224

$250 MAD 2,334

31.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,785 ¥25.6K

$1,597 MAD 14.9K

137.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,925 ¥13.0K

$822 MAD 7,661

134.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,278 ¥8,647

$473 MAD 4,411

170.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.21

-15.80%

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

Last update for Chengdu: July 14, 2026

Last update for El Jadida: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $320 in Chengdu versus $231 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 170% higher in Chengdu, 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 $24.00 in Chengdu versus $20.00 in El Jadida. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $198 vs $148 – making El Jadida the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Chengdu vs El Jadida: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $677 in Chengdu, $664 in El Jadida – roughly 2% apart. Chengdu costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,015 per month in Chengdu and $996 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Chengdu and $20.00 in El Jadida. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $677 in Chengdu and $664 in El Jadida. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $677 in Chengdu and $664 in El Jadida, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward El Jadida – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Chengdu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.