Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fes and Rabat

For one person, living is cheaper in Fes: $675 a month against $857 in Rabat, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Fes
🇲🇦 Morocco
$675
/mo nomad
Rabat
🇲🇦 Morocco
$857
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fes 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 Fes and in Rabat actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $675 per month in Fes vs $857 in Rabat, rent included.

  • Fes $675
  • Rabat $857

A couple spends around $1,042 per month in Fes vs $1,484 in Rabat, rent included.

  • Fes $1,042
  • Rabat $1,484

A family of three spends $1,408 per month in Fes vs $2,111 in Rabat, rent included.

  • Fes $1,408
  • Rabat $2,111

Fes is about 21% cheaper than Rabat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Fes and Rabat are more affordable than the global median – Fes 50% lower, Rabat 36% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Fes
Rabat
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.04 MAD 29.68
$4.06 MAD 39.57
-25.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$31.52 MAD 307
$41.05 MAD 400
-23.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.09 MAD 59.4
$7.27 MAD 70.8
-16.23%
Cappuccino
$1.31 MAD 12.82
$1.92 MAD 18.73
-31.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.54 MAD 5.31
$0.54 MAD 5.26
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.38 MAD 3.75
$0.37 MAD 3.58
2.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.67 MAD 35.81
$5.20 MAD 50.7
-29.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.20 MAD 40.98
$3.25 MAD 31.72
29.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Fes
Rabat
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.79 MAD 7.72
$0.84 MAD 8.23
-5.95%
White Bread (500g)
$0.54 MAD 5.26
$0.65 MAD 6.38
-16.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.74 MAD 16.99
$1.91 MAD 18.65
-8.90%
Eggs
$1.87 MAD 18.27
$1.88 MAD 18.35
-0.53%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.74 MAD 95.0
$11.35 MAD 111
-14.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.44 MAD 43.30
$6.62 MAD 64.5
-32.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.50 MAD 92.6
$12.13 MAD 118
-21.68%
Apples (1kg)
$1.89 MAD 18.46
$1.64 MAD 15.98
15.24%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 MAD 15.31
$1.46 MAD 14.26
7.53%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.08 MAD 10.53
$0.85 MAD 8.28
27.06%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.05 MAD 10.21
$0.84 MAD 8.20
25.00%
Potato (1kg)
$0.91 MAD 8.89
$0.71 MAD 6.94
28.17%
Onion (1kg)
$1.05 MAD 10.27
$0.78 MAD 7.64
34.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.48 MAD 4.70
$0.38 MAD 3.66
26.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.57 MAD 5.51
$0.61 MAD 5.90
-6.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.31 MAD 41.98
$4.24 MAD 41.29
1.65%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.52 MAD 44.08
$7.74 MAD 75.4
-41.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.67 MAD 26.07
$2.70 MAD 26.36
-1.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.16 MAD 30.85
$2.72 MAD 26.52
16.18%
🚌 Getting Around
Fes
Rabat
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.39 MAD 3.83
$0.55 MAD 5.41
-29.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$10.14 MAD 98.9
$26.09 MAD 254
-61.13%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.64 MAD 6.24
$0.71 MAD 6.92
-9.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.75 MAD 7.28
$0.78 MAD 7.62
-3.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$4.09 MAD 39.83
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MAD 14.00
$1.58 MAD 15.41
-8.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.9K MAD 339.9K
$31.1K MAD 303.4K
12.02%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K MAD 336.5K
$31.1K MAD 303.7K
10.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fes
Rabat
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$32.49 MAD 317
$36.64 MAD 357
-11.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.33 MAD 101
$10.41 MAD 101
-0.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.45 MAD 346
$33.79 MAD 329
4.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Fes
Rabat
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$26.35 MAD 257
$28.95 MAD 282
-8.98%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.30 MAD 188
$24.25 MAD 236
-20.41%
Cinema Ticket
$5.03 MAD 49.00
$6.28 MAD 61.3
-19.90%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Fes
Rabat
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$94.6 MAD 922
$182 MAD 1,775
-48.05%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,313 MAD 61.6K
$9,632 MAD 93.9K
-34.46%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Fes
Rabat
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$19.29 MAD 188
$48.69 MAD 475
-60.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.4 MAD 511
$41.28 MAD 403
26.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$81.8 MAD 797
$92.1 MAD 898
-11.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$56.7 MAD 552
$65.6 MAD 639
-13.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Fes
Rabat
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$313 MAD 3,050
$517 MAD 5,037
-39.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$183 MAD 1,782
$272 MAD 2,653
-32.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$539 MAD 5,252
$1,002 MAD 9,766
-46.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$249 MAD 2,431
$710 MAD 6,924
-64.89%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$724 MAD 7,062
$1,960 MAD 19.1K
-63.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$342 MAD 3,333
$1,169 MAD 11.4K
-70.75%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Fes
Rabat
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$483 MAD 4,709
$709 MAD 6,913
-31.88%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5
4.55
9.89%

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

Last update for Fes: October 13, 2026

Last update for Rabat: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Fes
$183
Rabat
$272 48.9% $89
Groceries & Markets
Fes
$178
Rabat
$205 15% $27
Clothing & Footwear
Fes
$95
Rabat
$111 17.8% $17
Eating Out
Fes
$89
Rabat
$113 27.6% $25
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fes
$78
Rabat
$81 3.3% $2.6
Sport & Entertainment
Fes
$36
Rabat
$42 14% $5.1
Getting Around
Fes
$16
Rabat
$33 105% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $313 in Fes versus $517 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 47% 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 $32.00 in Fes versus $41.00 in Rabat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $178 vs $205 – making Fes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇦 Fes
🇲🇦 Rabat
🕒 Local time
12:46 12:46 PM
12:46 12:46 PM
Same time as Fes
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,167,842
573,895 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Fes Rabat 170 km
From you
  • Fes
  • 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
Fes vs Rabat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Fes or Rabat?
Rabat costs about 27% more than Fes, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Fes and in Rabat?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,013 per month in Fes and $1,286 in Rabat. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Fes or Rabat?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Fes, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Fes and in Rabat?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Fes and $41.00 in Rabat. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Fes compared to Rabat?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $675 in Fes and $857 in Rabat. That's a gap of about 27%.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Fes or in Rabat?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Fes, where all-in costs run around $675, than in Rabat at $857. In Fes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rabat it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Fes – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Fes compared to Rabat?
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.
Should I move to Fes or to Rabat?
If budget matters most, go with Fes. 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.

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