Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Essaouira and Rabat

For one person, living is cheaper in Essaouira: $781 a month against $852 in Rabat, rent and utilities included – about $850 less a year. The total is higher in Rabat despite lower rent and utilities.

38

Cost of Living Index in Essaouira
Learn more

Essaouira Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Rabat
Learn more

Rabat Living Index

Jump to prices

Essaouira

🇲🇦 Morocco

$781

/mo nomad

Rabat

🇲🇦 Morocco

$852

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Essaouira and in Rabat

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

A single person spends $781 per month in Essaouira vs $852 in Rabat, rent included.

Essaouira $781
Rabat $852

A couple spends around $1,172 per month in Essaouira vs $1,463 in Rabat, rent included.

Essaouira $1,172
Rabat $1,463

A family of three spends $1,563 per month in Essaouira vs $2,074 in Rabat, rent included.

Essaouira $1,563
Rabat $2,074

Essaouira is about 8% cheaper than Rabat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Essaouira and Rabat are more affordable than the global median – Essaouira 42% lower, Rabat 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.52 MAD 44.11

$3.99 MAD 38.91

13.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.78 MAD 183

$41.34 MAD 403

-54.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.36 MAD 71.8

$7.04 MAD 68.6

4.55%

Cappuccino

$1.33 MAD 12.92

$1.96 MAD 19.10

-32.14%

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

$0.46 MAD 4.49

$0.57 MAD 5.52

-19.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MAD 3.64

$0.34 MAD 3.31

8.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 MAD 49.73

$5.10 MAD 49.68

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 MAD 42.83

$3.15 MAD 30.73

39.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 MAD 8.87

$0.82 MAD 7.99

10.98%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 MAD 5.08

$0.60 MAD 5.90

-13.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 MAD 16.33

$1.96 MAD 19.08

-14.80%

Eggs

$1.62 MAD 15.76

$1.96 MAD 19.09

-17.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 MAD 79.1

$11.11 MAD 108

-26.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 MAD 57.8

$6.87 MAD 67.0

-13.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.67 MAD 104

$11.86 MAD 116

-10.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 MAD 12.50

$1.61 MAD 15.73

-20.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 MAD 11.45

$1.45 MAD 14.10

-19.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.66 MAD 6.45

$0.88 MAD 8.61

-25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.77 MAD 7.48

$0.89 MAD 8.71

-13.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 MAD 5.67

$0.67 MAD 6.49

-13.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 MAD 6.79

$0.73 MAD 7.12

-4.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 MAD 3.41

$0.36 MAD 3.53

-2.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MAD 5.72

$0.65 MAD 6.31

-9.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.85 MAD 37.58

$4.18 MAD 40.72

-7.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.98 MAD 58.3

$7.23 MAD 70.5

-17.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 MAD 16.58

$2.56 MAD 24.94

-33.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 MAD 20.34

$2.67 MAD 26.03

-21.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 MAD 8.32

$0.57 MAD 5.52

49.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.95 MAD 253

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.62 MAD 6.09

$0.69 MAD 6.72

-10.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 MAD 6.23

$0.75 MAD 7.36

-14.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 MAD 40.68

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MAD 14.46

$1.56 MAD 15.20

-5.13%

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

$31.0K MAD 302.6K

$30.4K MAD 296.5K

2.04%

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

$32.1K MAD 313.0K

$31.7K MAD 309.1K

1.27%

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

$24.14 MAD 235

$36.23 MAD 353

-33.37%

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

$16.96 MAD 165

$10.07 MAD 98.2

68.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.95 MAD 292

$33.42 MAD 326

-10.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.80 MAD 281

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.63 MAD 230

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MAD 49.70

$6.00 MAD 58.5

-15.00%

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

$67.8 MAD 661

$183 MAD 1,780

-62.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,803 MAD 17.6K

$9,576 MAD 93.4K

-81.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.33 MAD 286

$48.61 MAD 474

-39.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.93 MAD 419

$40.09 MAD 391

7.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.1 MAD 576

$91.5 MAD 892

-35.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.42 MAD 394

$66.5 MAD 648

-39.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 MAD 3,760

$522 MAD 5,085

-26.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 MAD 3,259

$273 MAD 2,657

22.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 MAD 8,905

$978 MAD 9,533

-6.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 MAD 5,547

$682 MAD 6,651

-16.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,977 MAD 19.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,135 MAD 11.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$254 MAD 2,479

$719 MAD 7,008

-64.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

4.55

42.86%

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

Last update for Essaouira: October 18, 2026

Last update for Rabat: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Essaouira

$334 42.8%

Rabat

$273 32% 18.5% $62

Groceries & Markets

Essaouira

$170 21.7%

Rabat

$203 23.9% 19.8% $34

Eating Out

Essaouira

$112 14.3%

Rabat

$112 13.1% 0.1% $0.2

Clothing & Footwear

Essaouira

$77 9.9%

Rabat

$111 13% 43.6% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Essaouira

$71 9.1%

Rabat

$80 9.4% 12.2% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Essaouira

$10 * 1.3%

Rabat

$41 4.8% 300% $31

Getting Around

Essaouira

$7.2 * 0.9%

Rabat

$33 3.8% 352% $25

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 $522 in Rabat. 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 183% higher in Rabat, 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 $41.00 in Rabat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $170 vs $203 – making Essaouira the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Essaouira

🇲🇦 Rabat

🕒 Local time

14:16 2:16 PM

Same time as Essaouira

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

77,966

573,895 Capital

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Essaouira Rabat 390 km

From you

Essaouira
Rabat

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 Rabat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rabat is pricier by about 9%, 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 $1,278 in Rabat. 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 $41.00 in Rabat. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Rabat, 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 Rabat at $852. In Essaouira it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rabat 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, Rabat makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.