Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Essaouira and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Essaouira: $782 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Essaouira
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Essaouira Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Essaouira

🇲🇦 Morocco

$782

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,775

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Essaouira and in Athens

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Essaouira and in Athens actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $782 in Essaouira versus $1,775 in Athens.

Essaouira $782
Athens $1,775

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,172 in Essaouira versus $2,721 in Athens.

Essaouira $1,172
Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,562 in Essaouira versus $3,666 in Athens.

Essaouira $1,562
Athens $3,666

Living in Essaouira costs roughly 56% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Essaouira is 42% below, Athens is 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.62 MAD 45.00

$16.69 €14.84

-72.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.81 MAD 183

$67.8 €60.3

-72.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 MAD 69.4

$11.14 €9.91

-36.09%

Cappuccino

$1.35 MAD 13.14

$4.03 €3.58

-66.50%

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

$0.47 MAD 4.58

$2.77 €2.46

-83.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 MAD 3.68

$0.55 €0.49

-30.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.31 MAD 51.8

$5.74 €5.10

-7.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MAD 44.93

$5.45 €4.85

-15.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 MAD 8.79

$1.82 €1.62

-50.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 MAD 5.25

$1.38 €1.23

-60.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 MAD 16.28

$2.80 €2.49

-40.36%

Eggs

$1.68 MAD 16.37

$4.83 €4.30

-65.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.27 MAD 80.6

$15.05 €13.39

-45.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.81 MAD 56.6

$10.63 €9.45

-45.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.62 MAD 104

$18.43 €16.39

-42.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 MAD 12.63

$2.20 €1.96

-40.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 MAD 11.12

$1.90 €1.69

-40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.72 MAD 7.02

$1.37 €1.22

-47.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.77 MAD 7.52

$2.10 €1.87

-63.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 MAD 5.67

$1.08 €0.96

-46.30%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 MAD 6.66

$1.12 €1.00

-39.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.38 MAD 3.67

$1.12 €1.00

-66.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MAD 5.68

$0.88 €0.79

-34.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 MAD 37.44

$5.48 €4.88

-29.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 MAD 61.6

$10.13 €9.01

-37.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 MAD 17.76

$2.13 €1.89

-14.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 MAD 20.77

$2.25 €2.00

-5.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 MAD 7.99

$1.36 €1.21

-39.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.89 €26.59

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 MAD 6.22

$4.45 €3.96

-85.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 MAD 6.19

$1.02 €0.90

-38.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.92 €15.05

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MAD 14.16

$2.25 €2.00

-35.56%

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

$34.6K MAD 337.3K

$28.0K €24.9K

23.41%

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

$29.5K MAD 287.8K

$28.2K €25.1K

4.55%

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

$23.89 MAD 233

$205 €182

-88.32%

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

$17.25 MAD 168

$26.65 €23.71

-35.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.01 MAD 293

$30.38 €27.02

-1.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 €48.47

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.88 €23.02

Cinema Ticket

$5.30 MAD 51.7

$10.42 €9.27

-49.14%

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

$69.0 MAD 672

$569 €506

-87.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,875 MAD 18.3K

$12.6K €11.2K

-85.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.38 MAD 286

$88.7 €78.9

-66.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.72 MAD 436

$40.46 €35.99

10.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.0 MAD 576

$105 €93.3

-43.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.76 MAD 407

$121 €108

-65.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 MAD 3,835

$741 €659

-46.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 MAD 3,217

$655 €582

-49.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$930 MAD 9,071

$1,300 €1,156

-28.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 MAD 5,433

$1,148 €1,021

-51.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,014 €3,570

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,460 €3,078

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$256 MAD 2,498

$1,242 €1,105

-79.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

4.48

45.09%

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

Last update for Essaouira: October 10, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Essaouira

$330 42.2%

Athens

$655 36.9% 98.4% $325

Groceries & Markets

Essaouira

$171 21.9%

Athens

$310 17.5% 81.4% $139

Eating Out

Essaouira

$114 14.5%

Athens

$268 15.1% 136% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Essaouira

$79 10.1%

Athens

$160 9% 103% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Essaouira

$71 9.1%

Athens

$262 14.7% 268% $190

Sport & Entertainment

Essaouira

$11 * 1.4%

Athens

$75 4.2% 611% $65

Getting Around

Essaouira

$7.1 * 0.9%

Athens

$45 2.5% 533% $38

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $393 in Essaouira and $741 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 385% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $19.00 in Essaouira vs $68.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $310 per month, with Essaouira cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Essaouira

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

17:41 5:41 PM

19:41 7:41 PM

2 h ahead of Essaouira

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

77,966

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 MAD = 10.26 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇦 Moroccan Dirham (د.م.)

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to MAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Essaouira Athens 3,130 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Essaouira
Athens

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Essaouira vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Essaouira wins on cost – living expenses run 127% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Essaouira the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 385% lower in Athens. 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: $393 in Essaouira versus $741 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $69.0 in Essaouira versus $569 in Athens. 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 $68.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $782 in Essaouira versus $1,775 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Essaouira but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Essaouira the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Essaouira delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $782 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Essaouira hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Essaouira and Athens 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 127% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.