Cost of Living Comparison Between Damascus and Essaouira Cost of Living Comparison Between Damascus and Essaouira

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $858 in Damascus versus $816 in Essaouira.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,383 in Damascus versus $1,214 in Essaouira.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,909 in Damascus versus $1,613 in Essaouira.

Living in Damascus is roughly 5% more expensive than in Essaouira, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Damascus 38% lower, Essaouira 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.16 SYP 1,235

$4.80 MAD 44.82

111.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.49 SYP 5,528

$19.41 MAD 181

134.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.79 SYP 825

$7.75 MAD 72.4

-12.39%

Cappuccino

$3.66 SYP 445

$1.48 MAD 13.80

147.30%

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

$2.19 SYP 267

$0.48 MAD 4.50

356.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 SYP 99.5

$0.39 MAD 3.67

110.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 SYP 229

$5.24 MAD 48.94

-63.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 SYP 356

$4.57 MAD 42.68

-35.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 SYP 133

$0.90 MAD 8.44

21.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.39 SYP 46.97

$0.51 MAD 4.80

-23.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 SYP 193

$1.82 MAD 16.98

-12.64%

Eggs

$1.62 SYP 197

$1.69 MAD 15.77

-4.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.93 SYP 478

$8.60 MAD 80.3

-54.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.85 SYP 710

$6.26 MAD 58.4

-6.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.75 SYP 1,670

$10.96 MAD 102

25.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.02 SYP 124

$1.31 MAD 12.27

-22.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 SYP 171

$1.18 MAD 11.02

19.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 SYP 134

$0.69 MAD 6.42

59.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 SYP 128

$0.80 MAD 7.49

31.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 SYP 89.8

$0.57 MAD 5.36

29.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 SYP 90.1

$0.72 MAD 6.74

2.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 SYP 53.2

$0.36 MAD 3.37

22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 SYP 74.2

$0.61 MAD 5.72

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.73 SYP 332

$3.98 MAD 37.17

-31.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.09 SYP 740

$6.56 MAD 61.2

-7.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 SYP 128

$1.83 MAD 17.10

-42.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 SYP 360

$2.20 MAD 20.51

34.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 SYP 25.49

$0.88 MAD 8.22

-76.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.04 SYP 1,220

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 SYP 124

$0.66 MAD 6.19

54.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 SYP 180

$0.64 MAD 5.95

132.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 SYP 933

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.72 SYP 452

$1.50 MAD 14.01

148.00%

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

$15.1K SYP 1.8M

$35.5K MAD 331.0K

-57.28%

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

$18.8K SYP 2.3M

$30.8K MAD 287.3K

-38.98%

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

$138 SYP 16.8K

$25.43 MAD 237

444.08%

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

$9.53 SYP 1,158

$18.07 MAD 169

-47.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.09 SYP 5,600

$30.61 MAD 286

50.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.43 SYP 3,454

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.57 SYP 1,042

Cinema Ticket

$5.64 SYP 686

$5.49 MAD 51.3

2.73%

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

$66.8 SYP 8,113

$71.3 MAD 666

-6.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,746 SYP 212.1K

$1,919 MAD 17.9K

-9.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.89 SYP 3,510

$30.05 MAD 281

-3.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.07 SYP 4,869

$45.60 MAD 426

-12.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.4 SYP 7,212

$61.7 MAD 576

-3.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.4 SYP 7,101

$42.99 MAD 401

35.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$527 SYP 64.1K

$406 MAD 3,794

29.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$183 SYP 22.3K

$356 MAD 3,325

-48.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 SYP 101.7K

$970 MAD 9,055

-13.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 SYP 53.8K

$594 MAD 5,544

-25.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,705 SYP 207.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$611 SYP 74.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$72.7 SYP 8,829

$268 MAD 2,504

-72.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.25

6.5

119.23%

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

Last update for Damascus: August 30, 2026

Last update for Essaouira: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $527 in Damascus and $406 in Essaouira. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Essaouira pays 269% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Damascus vs $19.00 in Essaouira. Groceries flip the comparison at $169 vs $177, with Damascus cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

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

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Damascus vs Essaouira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Damascus and Essaouira differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($858 vs $816 including rent). Essaouira is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 269% lower in Essaouira. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $527 in Damascus versus $406 in Essaouira. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $66.8 in Damascus versus $71.3 in Essaouira. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Essaouira – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $45.00 in Damascus. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $816 in Essaouira versus $858 in Damascus, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Essaouira but tight or insufficient in Damascus. The gap between the two cities makes Essaouira the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Damascus and Essaouira are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Essaouira gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Damascus. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.