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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in Essaouira costs roughly 5% less than in Damascus, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.80 MAD 44.90

$10.16 SYP 1,235

-52.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.41 MAD 182

$45.49 SYP 5,530

-57.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 MAD 72.5

$6.79 SYP 826

14.14%

Cappuccino

$1.48 MAD 13.82

$3.66 SYP 445

-59.56%

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

$0.48 MAD 4.51

$2.19 SYP 267

-78.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MAD 3.68

$0.82 SYP 99.5

-52.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.24 MAD 49.03

$1.89 SYP 229

177.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 MAD 42.76

$2.93 SYP 356

55.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 MAD 8.45

$1.09 SYP 133

-17.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 MAD 4.81

$0.39 SYP 46.99

30.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 MAD 17.01

$1.59 SYP 193

14.47%

Eggs

$1.69 MAD 15.80

$1.62 SYP 197

4.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.60 MAD 80.5

$3.93 SYP 478

118.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.26 MAD 58.5

$5.85 SYP 711

7.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.96 MAD 103

$13.75 SYP 1,671

-20.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.31 MAD 12.29

$1.02 SYP 124

28.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 MAD 11.04

$1.41 SYP 171

-16.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.69 MAD 6.43

$1.10 SYP 134

-37.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.80 MAD 7.50

$1.05 SYP 128

-23.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.57 MAD 5.37

$0.74 SYP 89.8

-22.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 MAD 6.75

$0.74 SYP 90.2

-2.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.36 MAD 3.38

$0.44 SYP 53.2

-18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 MAD 5.73

$0.61 SYP 74.2

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.98 MAD 37.24

$2.73 SYP 332

45.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.56 MAD 61.3

$6.09 SYP 740

7.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 MAD 17.13

$1.05 SYP 128

74.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 MAD 20.54

$2.96 SYP 360

-25.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 MAD 8.24

$0.21 SYP 25.51

319.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.04 SYP 1,221

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 MAD 6.20

$1.02 SYP 124

-35.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 MAD 5.96

$1.49 SYP 181

-57.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 SYP 933

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 MAD 14.04

$3.72 SYP 453

-59.68%

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

$35.5K MAD 331.7K

$15.1K SYP 1.8M

134.10%

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

$30.8K MAD 287.9K

$18.8K SYP 2.3M

63.88%

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

$25.43 MAD 238

$138 SYP 16.8K

-81.62%

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

$18.07 MAD 169

$9.53 SYP 1,158

89.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.61 MAD 286

$46.09 SYP 5,603

-33.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.43 SYP 3,455

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.57 SYP 1,042

Cinema Ticket

$5.49 MAD 51.4

$5.64 SYP 686

-2.66%

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

$71.3 MAD 667

$66.8 SYP 8,117

6.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,919 MAD 18.0K

$1,746 SYP 212.2K

9.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.05 MAD 281

$28.89 SYP 3,512

4.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.60 MAD 427

$40.07 SYP 4,871

13.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.7 MAD 577

$59.4 SYP 7,215

3.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.99 MAD 402

$58.4 SYP 7,104

-26.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$406 MAD 3,801

$527 SYP 64.1K

-22.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 MAD 3,331

$183 SYP 22.3K

94.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 MAD 9,072

$837 SYP 101.7K

15.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 MAD 5,555

$443 SYP 53.8K

34.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,705 SYP 207.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$611 SYP 74.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$268 MAD 2,508

$72.7 SYP 8,833

268.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

14.25

-54.39%

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

Last update for Essaouira: August 30, 2026

Last update for Damascus: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $406 in Essaouira and $527 in Damascus. 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: $19.00 in Essaouira vs $45.00 in Damascus. Groceries flip the comparison at $177 vs $169, with Damascus 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

Essaouira vs Damascus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 269% higher in Essaouira, 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: $406 in Essaouira versus $527 in Damascus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $71.3 in Essaouira versus $66.8 in Damascus. 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, Essaouira and Damascus 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.