Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Essaouira and Marrakech

For one person, living is cheaper in Essaouira: $781 a month against $881 in Marrakech, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Marrakech despite lower rent and utilities.

38

Cost of Living Index in Essaouira
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Essaouira Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Marrakech
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Marrakech Living Index

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Essaouira

🇲🇦 Morocco

$781

/mo nomad

Marrakech

🇲🇦 Morocco

$881

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Essaouira and in Marrakech

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

A single person spends $781 per month in Essaouira vs $881 in Marrakech, rent included.

Essaouira $781
Marrakech $881

A couple spends around $1,172 per month in Essaouira vs $1,325 in Marrakech, rent included.

Essaouira $1,172
Marrakech $1,325

A family of three spends $1,563 per month in Essaouira vs $1,769 in Marrakech, rent included.

Essaouira $1,563
Marrakech $1,769

Essaouira is about 11% cheaper than Marrakech, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Essaouira and Marrakech are more affordable than the global median – Essaouira 42% lower, Marrakech 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.52 MAD 44.11

$3.62 MAD 35.28

24.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.78 MAD 183

$30.90 MAD 301

-39.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.36 MAD 71.8

$6.10 MAD 59.5

20.66%

Cappuccino

$1.33 MAD 12.92

$2.26 MAD 22.05

-41.15%

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

$0.46 MAD 4.49

$1.95 MAD 18.99

-76.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MAD 3.64

$0.61 MAD 5.90

-39.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 MAD 49.73

$6.77 MAD 66.0

-24.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 MAD 42.83

$5.59 MAD 54.5

-21.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 MAD 8.87

$0.82 MAD 7.95

10.98%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 MAD 5.08

$0.87 MAD 8.49

-40.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 MAD 16.33

$1.48 MAD 14.39

12.84%

Eggs

$1.62 MAD 15.76

$1.95 MAD 19.06

-16.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 MAD 79.1

$7.95 MAD 77.6

2.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 MAD 57.8

$5.35 MAD 52.2

10.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.67 MAD 104

$11.61 MAD 113

-8.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 MAD 12.50

$1.57 MAD 15.32

-18.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 MAD 11.45

$1.36 MAD 13.29

-13.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.66 MAD 6.45

$0.93 MAD 9.10

-29.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.77 MAD 7.48

$0.74 MAD 7.24

4.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 MAD 5.67

$0.70 MAD 6.85

-17.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 MAD 6.79

$0.74 MAD 7.24

-5.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 MAD 3.41

$0.23 MAD 2.23

52.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MAD 5.72

$0.56 MAD 5.42

5.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.85 MAD 37.58

$4.07 MAD 39.70

-5.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.98 MAD 58.3

$7.57 MAD 73.8

-21.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 MAD 16.58

$2.20 MAD 21.46

-22.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 MAD 20.34

$3.21 MAD 31.34

-34.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 MAD 8.32

$0.43 MAD 4.17

97.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.97 MAD 253

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.62 MAD 6.09

$0.83 MAD 8.08

-25.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 MAD 6.23

$0.64 MAD 6.22

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.36 MAD 71.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MAD 14.46

$1.52 MAD 14.80

-2.63%

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

$31.0K MAD 302.6K

$30.6K MAD 298.8K

1.28%

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

$32.1K MAD 313.0K

$30.8K MAD 300.2K

4.25%

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

$24.14 MAD 235

$35.11 MAD 342

-31.24%

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

$16.96 MAD 165

$9.04 MAD 88.1

87.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.95 MAD 292

$36.36 MAD 355

-17.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.38 MAD 277

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.92 MAD 204

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MAD 49.70

$6.22 MAD 60.6

-18.01%

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

$67.8 MAD 661

$97.8 MAD 954

-30.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,803 MAD 17.6K

$8,143 MAD 79.4K

-77.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.33 MAD 286

$31.34 MAD 306

-6.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.93 MAD 419

$43.75 MAD 427

-1.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.1 MAD 576

$82.9 MAD 808

-28.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.42 MAD 394

$82.4 MAD 803

-50.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 MAD 3,760

$482 MAD 4,698

-19.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 MAD 3,259

$307 MAD 2,995

8.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 MAD 8,905

$704 MAD 6,864

29.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 MAD 5,547

$457 MAD 4,455

24.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,883 MAD 18.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$907 MAD 8,842

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$254 MAD 2,479

$494 MAD 4,817

-48.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

4.5

44.44%

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

Last update for Essaouira: October 18, 2026

Last update for Marrakech: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Essaouira

$334 42.8%

Marrakech

$307 34.9% 8.1% $27

Groceries & Markets

Essaouira

$170 21.7%

Marrakech

$183 20.8% 8.1% $14

Eating Out

Essaouira

$112 14.3%

Marrakech

$130 14.7% 16% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Essaouira

$77 9.9%

Marrakech

$108 12.3% 39.9% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Essaouira

$71 9.1%

Marrakech

$81 9.1% 13.3% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Essaouira

$10 * 1.3%

Marrakech

$41 4.6% 300% $31

Getting Around

Essaouira

$7.2 * 0.9%

Marrakech

$32 3.6% 339% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $386 in Essaouira versus $482 in Marrakech. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 94% higher in Marrakech, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Essaouira versus $31.00 in Marrakech. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $170 vs $183 – making Essaouira the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Essaouira

🇲🇦 Marrakech

🕒 Local time

12:43 12:43 PM

Same time as Essaouira

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

77,966

1,002,697

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Essaouira Marrakech 170 km

From you

Essaouira
Marrakech

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 Marrakech: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Marrakech is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,172 per month in Essaouira and $1,322 in Marrakech. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Essaouira, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Essaouira and $31.00 in Marrakech. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Marrakech, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Essaouira, where all-in costs run around $781, than in Marrakech at $881. In Essaouira it covers expenses comfortably, while in Marrakech it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Essaouira – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Essaouira. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Marrakech makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.