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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $651 in El Jadida versus $817 in Essaouira.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $967 in El Jadida versus $1,212 in Essaouira.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,282 in El Jadida versus $1,606 in Essaouira.

Living in El Jadida costs roughly 20% less than in Essaouira, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: El Jadida 53% lower, Essaouira 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.87 MAD 27.01

$4.94 MAD 46.45

-41.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.20 MAD 199

$19.41 MAD 182

9.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.21 MAD 58.4

$7.29 MAD 68.5

-14.81%

Cappuccino

$1.59 MAD 14.96

$1.39 MAD 13.04

14.39%

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

$0.47 MAD 4.43

$0.47 MAD 4.46

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 MAD 2.68

$0.35 MAD 3.31

-17.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.79 MAD 26.24

$5.23 MAD 49.17

-46.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 MAD 24.67

$4.78 MAD 44.90

-44.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 MAD 9.01

$0.89 MAD 8.40

7.87%

White Bread (500g)

$0.42 MAD 3.92

$0.56 MAD 5.22

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 MAD 18.53

$1.73 MAD 16.27

13.87%

Eggs

$1.94 MAD 18.19

$1.74 MAD 16.36

11.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.56 MAD 61.6

$8.29 MAD 77.9

-20.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.20 MAD 39.49

$6.15 MAD 57.8

-31.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.20 MAD 77.0

$11.22 MAD 105

-26.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.59 MAD 14.94

$1.30 MAD 12.25

22.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 MAD 13.84

$1.16 MAD 10.94

26.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.72 MAD 6.74

$0.68 MAD 6.41

5.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.67 MAD 6.32

$0.76 MAD 7.16

-11.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 MAD 6.46

$0.56 MAD 5.28

23.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 MAD 4.48

$0.67 MAD 6.30

-28.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.33 MAD 3.14

$0.38 MAD 3.60

-13.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MAD 5.07

$0.60 MAD 5.68

-10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.98 MAD 37.44

$4.01 MAD 37.70

-0.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.15 MAD 38.99

$6.57 MAD 61.7

-36.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 MAD 24.52

$1.78 MAD 16.77

46.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 MAD 28.42

$2.11 MAD 19.78

43.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 MAD 4.38

$0.84 MAD 7.87

-44.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.20 MAD 162

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 MAD 10.17

$0.62 MAD 5.82

74.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 MAD 10.25

$0.63 MAD 5.90

73.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 MAD 51.3

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MAD 14.65

$1.51 MAD 14.21

3.31%

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

$34.9K MAD 327.8K

$35.7K MAD 335.5K

-2.31%

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

$31.2K MAD 293.1K

$31.0K MAD 291.5K

0.56%

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

$29.29 MAD 275

$24.66 MAD 232

18.78%

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

$10.52 MAD 98.9

$17.62 MAD 166

-40.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.46 MAD 305

$31.01 MAD 291

4.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.84 MAD 280

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.61 MAD 118

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 MAD 61.8

$5.27 MAD 49.52

24.86%

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

$116 MAD 1,086

$72.7 MAD 683

59.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,239 MAD 30.4K

$1,893 MAD 17.8K

71.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.85 MAD 271

$29.74 MAD 279

-2.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.71 MAD 354

$46.02 MAD 432

-18.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.7 MAD 627

$61.8 MAD 581

7.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 MAD 695

$42.77 MAD 402

73.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$211 MAD 1,987

$397 MAD 3,732

-46.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$173 MAD 1,624

$348 MAD 3,269

-50.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 MAD 3,465

$948 MAD 8,913

-61.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 MAD 2,227

$588 MAD 5,525

-59.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,570 MAD 14.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$818 MAD 7,688

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$482 MAD 4,530

$262 MAD 2,464

83.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

6.5

-15.38%

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

Last update for El Jadida: September 7, 2026

Last update for Essaouira: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $211 in El Jadida and $397 in Essaouira. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

El Jadida pays 84% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $21.00 in El Jadida vs $19.00 in Essaouira. Groceries flip the comparison at $156 vs $176, with El Jadida cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

El Jadida wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Essaouira. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making El Jadida the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 84% higher in El Jadida, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $211 in El Jadida versus $397 in Essaouira. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $116 in El Jadida versus $72.7 in Essaouira. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in El Jadida – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $19.00 in Essaouira. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though El Jadida gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but El Jadida delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $651 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes El Jadida hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, El Jadida 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 El Jadida gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Essaouira. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.