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 $689 per month in Chengdu vs $647 in El Jadida, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,083 per month in Chengdu vs $978 in El Jadida, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,477 per month in Chengdu vs $1,310 in El Jadida, rent included.

Chengdu costs about 6% 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 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.85 ¥19.30

$3.78 MAD 34.77

-24.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ¥162

$19.61 MAD 180

22.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ¥33.72

$6.69 MAD 61.5

-25.41%

Cappuccino

$2.77 ¥18.73

$1.52 MAD 13.95

82.24%

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

$0.46 ¥3.14

$0.46 MAD 4.24

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.06

$0.32 MAD 2.93

-6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 ¥7.62

$2.83 MAD 26.03

-60.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 ¥14.43

$3.21 MAD 29.48

-33.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥12.18

$0.84 MAD 7.75

114.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 ¥9.38

$0.44 MAD 4.02

215.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.09

$1.76 MAD 16.21

-48.86%

Eggs

$1.86 ¥12.59

$1.78 MAD 16.38

4.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.62 ¥92.1

$4.88 MAD 44.88

179.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.56 ¥24.07

$3.87 MAD 35.53

-8.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥76.0

$8.18 MAD 75.2

37.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ¥12.61

$1.56 MAD 14.36

19.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ¥7.99

$1.28 MAD 11.76

-7.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.15

$0.72 MAD 6.58

108.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 ¥7.01

$0.78 MAD 7.17

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.73

$0.74 MAD 6.79

-5.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.71

$0.50 MAD 4.61

40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.81

$0.33 MAD 3.04

69.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.12

$0.57 MAD 5.20

7.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 ¥21.91

$4.18 MAD 38.45

-22.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 ¥36.77

$4.47 MAD 41.04

21.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ¥6.78

$2.38 MAD 21.83

-57.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ¥12.67

$2.93 MAD 26.96

-36.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.77

$0.51 MAD 4.69

-19.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.31 ¥185

$26.35 MAD 242

3.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ¥8.28

$1.08 MAD 9.91

12.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 ¥1.75

$0.48 MAD 4.43

-45.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 ¥27.62

$3.33 MAD 30.60

22.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.69

$1.51 MAD 13.91

-24.50%

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

$18.7K ¥126.6K

$32.5K MAD 298.7K

-42.41%

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

$16.0K ¥108.4K

$30.1K MAD 276.3K

-46.65%

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

$45.05 ¥305

$32.07 MAD 295

40.47%

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

$11.69 ¥79.1

$11.03 MAD 101

5.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.38 ¥77.0

$32.95 MAD 303

-65.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.49 ¥166

$27.12 MAD 249

-9.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ¥75.5

$17.45 MAD 160

-36.05%

Cinema Ticket

$5.54 ¥37.45

$6.59 MAD 60.6

-15.93%

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

$333 ¥2,249

$88.7 MAD 815

275.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ¥82.1K

$2,576 MAD 23.7K

371.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.92 ¥256

$40.67 MAD 374

-6.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.57 ¥261

$40.56 MAD 373

-4.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.4 ¥456

$68.4 MAD 628

-1.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.7 ¥343

$61.3 MAD 563

-17.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$318 ¥2,149

$223 MAD 2,052

42.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 ¥1,213

$173 MAD 1,592

3.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$610 ¥4,128

$380 MAD 3,493

60.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$335 ¥2,263

$242 MAD 2,225

38.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,810 ¥25.8K

$1,660 MAD 15.3K

129.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,922 ¥13.0K

$840 MAD 7,721

128.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,257 ¥8,501

$486 MAD 4,463

158.89%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for El Jadida: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $318 in Chengdu versus $223 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 159% 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: $196 vs $146 – 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: $689 in Chengdu, $647 in El Jadida – roughly 6% apart. Chengdu costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,033 per month in Chengdu and $970 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 $689 in Chengdu and $647 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 $689 in Chengdu and $647 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.