Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Essaouira and Casablanca

For one person, living is cheaper in Essaouira: $781 a month against $977 in Casablanca, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Essaouira
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Essaouira Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Casablanca
Learn more

Casablanca Living Index

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Essaouira

🇲🇦 Morocco

$781

/mo nomad

Casablanca

🇲🇦 Morocco

$977

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Essaouira and in Casablanca

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $781 in Essaouira versus $977 in Casablanca.

Essaouira $781
Casablanca $977

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,172 in Essaouira versus $1,525 in Casablanca.

Essaouira $1,172
Casablanca $1,525

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,563 in Essaouira versus $2,074 in Casablanca.

Essaouira $1,563
Casablanca $2,074

Living in Essaouira costs roughly 20% less than in Casablanca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Essaouira 42% lower, Casablanca 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.52 MAD 44.11

$4.80 MAD 46.77

-5.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.78 MAD 183

$33.06 MAD 322

-43.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.36 MAD 71.8

$8.04 MAD 78.4

-8.46%

Cappuccino

$1.33 MAD 12.92

$1.96 MAD 19.15

-32.14%

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

$0.46 MAD 4.49

$1.08 MAD 10.51

-57.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MAD 3.64

$0.64 MAD 6.24

-42.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 MAD 49.73

$4.14 MAD 40.33

23.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 MAD 42.83

$5.74 MAD 56.0

-23.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 MAD 8.87

$0.97 MAD 9.46

-6.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 MAD 5.08

$0.83 MAD 8.13

-37.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 MAD 16.33

$1.89 MAD 18.43

-11.64%

Eggs

$1.62 MAD 15.76

$1.89 MAD 18.47

-14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 MAD 79.1

$11.10 MAD 108

-26.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 MAD 57.8

$7.20 MAD 70.2

-17.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.67 MAD 104

$11.76 MAD 115

-9.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 MAD 12.50

$1.63 MAD 15.93

-21.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 MAD 11.45

$1.56 MAD 15.22

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.66 MAD 6.45

$0.79 MAD 7.74

-16.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.77 MAD 7.48

$0.76 MAD 7.42

1.32%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 MAD 5.67

$0.62 MAD 6.08

-6.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 MAD 6.79

$0.65 MAD 6.37

7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 MAD 3.41

$0.49 MAD 4.81

-28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MAD 5.72

$0.50 MAD 4.86

18.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.85 MAD 37.58

$4.11 MAD 40.11

-6.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.98 MAD 58.3

$8.18 MAD 79.7

-26.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 MAD 16.58

$2.29 MAD 22.36

-25.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 MAD 20.34

$3.05 MAD 29.75

-31.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 MAD 8.32

$0.84 MAD 8.20

1.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.29 MAD 247

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.62 MAD 6.09

$0.86 MAD 8.39

-27.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 MAD 6.23

$0.30 MAD 2.89

113.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.56 MAD 44.43

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MAD 14.46

$1.51 MAD 14.76

-1.99%

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

$31.0K MAD 302.6K

$30.8K MAD 300.3K

0.77%

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

$32.1K MAD 313.0K

$31.2K MAD 304.0K

2.96%

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

$24.14 MAD 235

$51.0 MAD 497

-52.69%

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

$16.96 MAD 165

$9.96 MAD 97.1

70.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.95 MAD 292

$41.12 MAD 401

-27.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.46 MAD 316

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.00 MAD 205

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MAD 49.70

$7.57 MAD 73.8

-32.63%

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

$67.8 MAD 661

$572 MAD 5,577

-88.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,803 MAD 17.6K

$5,556 MAD 54.2K

-67.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.33 MAD 286

$59.2 MAD 577

-50.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.93 MAD 419

$44.48 MAD 434

-3.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.1 MAD 576

$94.0 MAD 917

-37.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.42 MAD 394

$60.1 MAD 586

-32.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 MAD 3,760

$595 MAD 5,804

-35.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 MAD 3,259

$347 MAD 3,386

-3.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 MAD 8,905

$1,105 MAD 10.8K

-17.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 MAD 5,547

$645 MAD 6,289

-11.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,214 MAD 21.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,238 MAD 12.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$254 MAD 2,479

$670 MAD 6,536

-62.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

4.83

34.58%

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

Last update for Essaouira: October 18, 2026

Last update for Casablanca: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Essaouira

$334 42.8%

Casablanca

$347 35.6% 3.9% $13

Groceries & Markets

Essaouira

$170 21.7%

Casablanca

$207 21.2% 22.3% $38

Eating Out

Essaouira

$112 14.3%

Casablanca

$125 12.8% 11.9% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Essaouira

$77 9.9%

Casablanca

$116 11.9% 50.1% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Essaouira

$71 9.1%

Casablanca

$102 10.5% 43.7% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Essaouira

$10 * 1.3%

Casablanca

$48 4.9% 367% $37

Getting Around

Essaouira

$7.2 * 0.9%

Casablanca

$31 3.2% 329% $24

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 $386 in Essaouira and $595 in Casablanca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Casablanca pays 164% 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 $33.00 in Casablanca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $170 vs $207 per month, with Essaouira cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Essaouira

🇲🇦 Casablanca

🕒 Local time

12:42 12:42 PM

Same time as Essaouira

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

77,966

3,215,935

💱 Currency

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

100 MAD = 10.26 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

100 MAD = 10.26 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Essaouira Casablanca 310 km

From you

Essaouira
Casablanca

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 Casablanca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Essaouira is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 164% lower in Casablanca. 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: $386 in Essaouira versus $595 in Casablanca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Casablanca. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $781 per month in Essaouira versus $977 in Casablanca – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $781 in Essaouira versus $977 in Casablanca, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Essaouira but tight or insufficient in Casablanca. The gap between the two cities makes Essaouira the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Essaouira is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Casablanca, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Essaouira and Casablanca 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 25% less than in Casablanca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.