Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Essaouira and Tangier

For one person, living is cheaper in Essaouira: $781 a month against $987 in Tangier, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 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
48

Cost of Living Index in Tangier
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Tangier Living Index

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Essaouira

🇲🇦 Morocco

$781

/mo nomad

Tangier

🇲🇦 Morocco

$987

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Essaouira and in Tangier

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

A single person spends $781 per month in Essaouira vs $987 in Tangier, rent included.

Essaouira $781
Tangier $987

A couple spends around $1,172 per month in Essaouira vs $1,506 in Tangier, rent included.

Essaouira $1,172
Tangier $1,506

A family of three spends $1,563 per month in Essaouira vs $2,025 in Tangier, rent included.

Essaouira $1,563
Tangier $2,025

Essaouira is about 21% cheaper than Tangier, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Essaouira and Tangier are more affordable than the global median – Essaouira 42% lower, Tangier 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.52 MAD 44.11

$5.10 MAD 49.75

-11.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.78 MAD 183

$36.47 MAD 356

-48.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.36 MAD 71.8

$7.14 MAD 69.6

3.08%

Cappuccino

$1.33 MAD 12.92

$2.19 MAD 21.33

-39.27%

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

$0.46 MAD 4.49

$0.78 MAD 7.60

-41.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MAD 3.64

$0.39 MAD 3.77

-5.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 MAD 49.73

$6.25 MAD 60.9

-18.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 MAD 42.83

$5.06 MAD 49.31

-13.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 MAD 8.87

$1.06 MAD 10.33

-14.15%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 MAD 5.08

$1.12 MAD 10.91

-53.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 MAD 16.33

$1.68 MAD 16.36

-0.60%

Eggs

$1.62 MAD 15.76

$1.90 MAD 18.52

-14.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 MAD 79.1

$9.91 MAD 96.6

-18.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 MAD 57.8

$7.13 MAD 69.5

-16.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.67 MAD 104

$12.86 MAD 125

-17.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 MAD 12.50

$1.53 MAD 14.90

-16.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 MAD 11.45

$1.42 MAD 13.88

-17.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.66 MAD 6.45

$0.73 MAD 7.09

-9.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.77 MAD 7.48

$0.77 MAD 7.50

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 MAD 5.67

$0.60 MAD 5.87

-3.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 MAD 6.79

$0.68 MAD 6.67

2.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 MAD 3.41

$0.50 MAD 4.87

-30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MAD 5.72

$0.56 MAD 5.43

5.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.85 MAD 37.58

$4.06 MAD 39.63

-5.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.98 MAD 58.3

$9.09 MAD 88.7

-34.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 MAD 16.58

$3.66 MAD 35.71

-53.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 MAD 20.34

$3.93 MAD 38.36

-46.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 MAD 8.32

$0.40 MAD 3.86

112.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.07 MAD 147

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.62 MAD 6.09

$0.70 MAD 6.83

-11.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 MAD 6.23

$0.87 MAD 8.53

-26.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.01 MAD 87.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MAD 14.46

$1.47 MAD 14.32

0.68%

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

$31.0K MAD 302.6K

$30.9K MAD 301.5K

0.37%

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

$32.1K MAD 313.0K

$31.3K MAD 304.9K

2.65%

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

$24.14 MAD 235

$74.2 MAD 724

-67.48%

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

$16.96 MAD 165

$13.39 MAD 131

26.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.95 MAD 292

$39.61 MAD 386

-24.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.85 MAD 281

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.31 MAD 354

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MAD 49.70

$7.25 MAD 70.7

-29.66%

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

$67.8 MAD 661

$91.7 MAD 894

-26.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,803 MAD 17.6K

$6,048 MAD 59.0K

-70.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.33 MAD 286

$35.89 MAD 350

-18.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.93 MAD 419

$48.56 MAD 473

-11.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.1 MAD 576

$98.3 MAD 958

-39.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.42 MAD 394

$103 MAD 1,001

-60.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 MAD 3,760

$476 MAD 4,646

-19.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 MAD 3,259

$312 MAD 3,046

7.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 MAD 8,905

$869 MAD 8,477

5.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 MAD 5,547

$499 MAD 4,870

13.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,772 MAD 17.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,198 MAD 11.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$254 MAD 2,479

$488 MAD 4,758

-47.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

3.67

77.11%

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

Last update for Essaouira: October 18, 2026

Last update for Tangier: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Essaouira

$334 42.8%

Tangier

$312 31.7% 6.6% $22

Groceries & Markets

Essaouira

$170 21.7%

Tangier

$219 22.2% 29.3% $50

Eating Out

Essaouira

$112 14.3%

Tangier

$135 13.6% 20.3% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Essaouira

$77 9.9%

Tangier

$128 13% 66.2% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Essaouira

$71 9.1%

Tangier

$127 12.9% 79.1% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Essaouira

$10 * 1.3%

Tangier

$43 4.4% 325% $33

Getting Around

Essaouira

$7.2 * 0.9%

Tangier

$22 2.2% 201% $15

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 $476 in Tangier. 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 92% higher in Tangier, 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 $36.00 in Tangier. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $170 vs $219 – making Essaouira the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Essaouira

🇲🇦 Tangier

🕒 Local time

14:57 2:57 PM

Same time as Essaouira

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

77,966

947,952

💱 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 Tangier 600 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Essaouira
Tangier

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 Tangier: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tangier is pricier by about 26%, 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 $1,480 in Tangier. 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 $36.00 in Tangier. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% more in Tangier, 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 Tangier at $987. In Essaouira it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tangier 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, Tangier makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.