Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Essaouira and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Essaouira: $782 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Essaouira
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Essaouira Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Essaouira

🇲🇦 Morocco

$782

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Essaouira and in Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $782 in Essaouira versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Essaouira $782
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,172 in Essaouira versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Essaouira $1,172
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,562 in Essaouira versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Essaouira $1,562
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Essaouira costs roughly 71% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Essaouira is 42% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.62 MAD 45.00

$20.77 $20.77

-77.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.81 MAD 183

$84.6 $84.6

-77.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 MAD 69.4

$12.32 $12.32

-42.21%

Cappuccino

$1.35 MAD 13.14

$5.63 $5.63

-76.02%

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

$0.47 MAD 4.58

$3.72 $3.72

-87.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 MAD 3.68

$2.50 $2.50

-84.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.31 MAD 51.8

$8.05 $8.05

-34.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MAD 44.93

$9.01 $9.01

-48.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 MAD 8.79

$1.12 $1.12

-19.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 MAD 5.25

$3.75 $3.75

-85.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 MAD 16.28

$3.26 $3.26

-48.77%

Eggs

$1.68 MAD 16.37

$4.17 $4.17

-59.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.27 MAD 80.6

$12.90 $12.90

-35.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.81 MAD 56.6

$14.16 $14.16

-58.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.62 MAD 104

$16.22 $16.22

-34.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 MAD 12.63

$4.33 $4.33

-69.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 MAD 11.12

$1.46 $1.46

-21.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.72 MAD 7.02

$4.51 $4.51

-84.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.77 MAD 7.52

$4.34 $4.34

-82.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 MAD 5.67

$2.58 $2.58

-77.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 MAD 6.66

$2.35 $2.35

-71.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.38 MAD 3.67

$1.78 $1.78

-78.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MAD 5.68

$2.22 $2.22

-73.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 MAD 37.44

$9.88 $9.88

-61.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 MAD 61.6

$15.08 $15.08

-58.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 MAD 17.76

$2.92 $2.92

-37.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 MAD 20.77

$3.46 $3.46

-38.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 MAD 7.99

$1.49 $1.49

-44.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 MAD 6.22

$2.73 $2.73

-76.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 MAD 6.19

$1.66 $1.66

-62.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MAD 14.16

$0.95 $0.95

52.63%

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

$34.6K MAD 337.3K

$36.0K $36.0K

-4.03%

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

$29.5K MAD 287.8K

$27.1K $27.1K

9.02%

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

$23.89 MAD 233

$229 $229

-89.57%

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

$17.25 MAD 168

$59.4 $59.4

-70.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.01 MAD 293

$69.9 $69.9

-57.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$5.30 MAD 51.7

$14.28 $14.28

-62.89%

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

$69.0 MAD 672

$1,506 $1,506

-95.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,875 MAD 18.3K

$21.5K $21.5K

-91.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.38 MAD 286

$52.8 $52.8

-44.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.72 MAD 436

$43.82 $43.82

2.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.0 MAD 576

$84.8 $84.8

-30.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.76 MAD 407

$103 $103

-59.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 MAD 3,835

$1,907 $1,907

-79.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 MAD 3,217

$1,274 $1,274

-74.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$930 MAD 9,071

$3,664 $3,664

-74.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 MAD 5,433

$2,538 $2,538

-78.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$256 MAD 2,498

$5,121 $5,121

-95.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

6.79

-4.27%

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

Last update for Essaouira: October 10, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Essaouira

$330 42.2%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 286% $944

Groceries & Markets

Essaouira

$171 21.9%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 136% $233

Eating Out

Essaouira

$114 14.5%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 212% $240

Clothing & Footwear

Essaouira

$79 10.1%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 62.6% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Essaouira

$71 9.1%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 404% $287

Sport & Entertainment

Essaouira

$11 * 1.4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 709% $75

Getting Around

Essaouira

$7.1 * 0.9%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 728% $52

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 $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1898% 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 $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $405 per month, with Essaouira cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Essaouira

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

20:14 8:14 PM

14:14 2:14 PM

6 h behind Essaouira

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

77,966

974,447

💱 Currency

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MAD = 10.26 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR 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).

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

USD to MAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Essaouira Austin, TX 8,140 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Essaouira
Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Essaouira wins on cost – living expenses run 240% lower than in Austin, TX. 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 1898% lower in Austin, TX. 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 $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $69.0 in Essaouira versus $1,506 in Austin, TX. 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 $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $782 in Essaouira versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Essaouira but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. 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 Austin, TX 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 240% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.