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 $760 per month in Chengdu vs $651 in El Jadida, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,228 per month in Chengdu vs $967 in El Jadida, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,695 per month in Chengdu vs $1,282 in El Jadida, rent included.

Chengdu costs about 17% more than El Jadida, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chengdu and El Jadida are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 45% lower, El Jadida 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.91 ¥19.50

$2.87 MAD 27.01

1.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.30 ¥136

$21.20 MAD 199

-4.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 ¥34.76

$6.21 MAD 58.4

-16.43%

Cappuccino

$2.86 ¥19.14

$1.59 MAD 14.96

79.87%

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

$0.51 ¥3.38

$0.47 MAD 4.43

8.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.88

$0.29 MAD 2.68

-3.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.52 ¥10.18

$2.79 MAD 26.24

-45.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ¥16.16

$2.63 MAD 24.67

-8.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ¥11.70

$0.96 MAD 9.01

82.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 ¥11.05

$0.42 MAD 3.92

292.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.97

$1.97 MAD 18.53

-54.82%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.79

$1.94 MAD 18.19

-17.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.44 ¥96.7

$6.56 MAD 61.6

120.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.51 ¥23.50

$4.20 MAD 39.49

-16.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.15 ¥74.7

$8.20 MAD 77.0

35.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 ¥12.50

$1.59 MAD 14.94

17.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.47

$1.47 MAD 13.84

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.12 ¥7.48

$0.72 MAD 6.74

55.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 ¥8.10

$0.67 MAD 6.32

80.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.97

$0.69 MAD 6.46

7.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.98

$0.48 MAD 4.48

54.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ¥4.68

$0.33 MAD 3.14

112.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.65

$0.54 MAD 5.07

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.68 ¥24.66

$3.98 MAD 37.44

-7.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.47 ¥36.65

$4.15 MAD 38.99

31.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.52

$2.61 MAD 24.52

-68.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ¥10.10

$3.02 MAD 28.42

-50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ¥3.11

$0.47 MAD 4.38

-2.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.62 ¥165

$17.20 MAD 162

43.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.10

$1.08 MAD 10.17

25.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$1.09 MAD 10.25

-71.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.49 ¥30.10

$5.46 MAD 51.3

-17.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥8.16

$1.56 MAD 14.65

-21.79%

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

$19.0K ¥127.1K

$34.9K MAD 327.8K

-45.58%

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

$17.0K ¥113.8K

$31.2K MAD 293.1K

-45.53%

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

$40.48 ¥271

$29.29 MAD 275

38.20%

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

$9.83 ¥65.9

$10.52 MAD 98.9

-6.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.68 ¥84.9

$32.46 MAD 305

-60.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.24 ¥182

$29.84 MAD 280

-8.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.32 ¥75.8

$12.61 MAD 118

-10.23%

Cinema Ticket

$5.87 ¥39.32

$6.58 MAD 61.8

-10.79%

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

$414 ¥2,773

$116 MAD 1,086

258.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ¥101.0K

$3,239 MAD 30.4K

365.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.07 ¥195

$28.85 MAD 271

0.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.22 ¥202

$37.71 MAD 354

-19.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.7 ¥400

$66.7 MAD 627

-10.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.1 ¥355

$74.0 MAD 695

-28.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 ¥3,308

$211 MAD 1,987

133.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$263 ¥1,762

$173 MAD 1,624

52.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$853 ¥5,712

$369 MAD 3,465

131.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 ¥3,731

$237 MAD 2,227

135.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,753 ¥25.1K

$1,570 MAD 14.8K

139.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,947 ¥13.0K

$818 MAD 7,688

138.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 ¥8,859

$482 MAD 4,530

174.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

5.5

-38.55%

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

Last update for Chengdu: September 7, 2026

Last update for El Jadida: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $494 in Chengdu versus $211 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 174% 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 $20.00 in Chengdu versus $21.00 in El Jadida. Groceries tell a different story – $197 in Chengdu vs $156 in El Jadida – so El Jadida wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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: $760 in Chengdu, $651 in El Jadida – roughly 17% apart. Chengdu costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,140 per month in Chengdu and $977 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 $20.00 in Chengdu and $21.00 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 $760 in Chengdu and $651 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 $760 in Chengdu and $651 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.