Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guelmim and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Guelmim: $568 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Guelmim
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Guelmim Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Guelmim

🇲🇦 Morocco

$568

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Guelmim and in Cape Town

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Guelmim and in Cape Town actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $568 per month in Guelmim vs $1,586 in Cape Town, rent included.

Guelmim $568
Cape Town $1,586

A couple spends around $924 per month in Guelmim vs $2,425 in Cape Town, rent included.

Guelmim $924
Cape Town $2,425

A family of three spends $1,281 per month in Guelmim vs $3,263 in Cape Town, rent included.

Guelmim $1,281
Cape Town $3,263

Guelmim is about 64% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Guelmim sits 58% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.05 MAD 49.22

$12.14 R 200

-58.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.16 MAD 245

$45.34 R 747

-44.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.17 MAD 69.9

$5.88 R 96.9

21.94%

Cappuccino

$2.02 MAD 19.69

$2.50 R 41.18

-19.20%

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

$0.84 MAD 8.17

$1.27 R 20.94

-33.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 MAD 4.84

$0.98 R 16.14

-48.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.27 MAD 51.4

$2.99 R 49.33

76.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MAD 43.93

$3.72 R 61.4

21.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 MAD 8.43

$1.30 R 21.40

-33.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 MAD 4.03

$1.25 R 20.68

-67.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 MAD 9.90

$2.23 R 36.76

-54.26%

Eggs

$1.68 MAD 16.36

$3.11 R 51.2

-45.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.18 MAD 79.8

$9.06 R 149

-9.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 MAD 33.23

$6.92 R 114

-50.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.58 MAD 83.6

$9.30 R 153

-7.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 MAD 12.26

$1.84 R 30.25

-31.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 MAD 11.63

$1.96 R 32.29

-39.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 MAD 8.81

$1.67 R 27.45

-46.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 MAD 6.34

$2.17 R 35.70

-70.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 MAD 6.20

$1.57 R 25.81

-59.24%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 MAD 5.88

$1.48 R 24.45

-59.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 MAD 5.72

$1.30 R 21.41

-54.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MAD 5.34

$1.13 R 18.60

-51.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 MAD 39.22

$3.60 R 59.3

11.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.32 MAD 110

$6.15 R 101

84.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MAD 11.90

$1.38 R 22.66

-11.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 MAD 13.17

$2.14 R 35.20

-36.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MAD 6.68

$1.50 R 24.65

-54.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.80 MAD 203

$60.8 R 1,001

-65.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 MAD 5.76

$0.59 R 9.71

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 MAD 5.83

$1.50 R 24.65

-60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.18 MAD 60.3

$5.11 R 84.2

20.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MAD 12.94

$1.55 R 25.50

-14.19%

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

$33.8K MAD 330.0K

$36.2K R 596.5K

-6.52%

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

$29.2K MAD 285.1K

$31.2K R 514.8K

-6.41%

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

$24.40 MAD 238

$114 R 1,883

-78.66%

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

$10.28 MAD 100

$28.91 R 476

-64.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.03 MAD 205

$39.73 R 654

-47.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.68 MAD 250

$49.01 R 808

-47.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.83 MAD 203

$10.99 R 181

89.54%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 MAD 49.08

$9.15 R 151

-45.03%

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

$70.2 MAD 684

$259 R 4,264

-72.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,880 MAD 18.3K

$6,794 R 111.9K

-72.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.36 MAD 179

$56.2 R 926

-67.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.47 MAD 151

$32.41 R 534

-52.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.4 MAD 579

$121 R 1,987

-50.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.08 MAD 303

$108 R 1,781

-71.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$193 MAD 1,879

$1,021 R 16.8K

-81.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$112 MAD 1,090

$717 R 11.8K

-84.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$319 MAD 3,112

$1,824 R 30.1K

-82.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$225 MAD 2,192

$1,327 R 21.9K

-83.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,225 MAD 11.9K

$2,391 R 39.4K

-48.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$829 MAD 8,080

$1,542 R 25.4K

-46.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$312 MAD 3,047

$1,639 R 27.0K

-80.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

10.97

-40.75%

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

Last update for Guelmim: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Guelmim

$155 27.2%

Cape Town

$225 14.2% 45.4% $70

Eating Out

Guelmim

$127 22.3%

Cape Town

$176 11.1% 38.9% $49

Accommodation & Living

Guelmim

$112 19.7%

Cape Town

$717 45.2% 541% $605

Clothing & Footwear

Guelmim

$56 9.9%

Cape Town

$143 9% 155% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guelmim

$56 9.8%

Cape Town

$183 11.5% 228% $127

Sport & Entertainment

Guelmim

$36 6.3%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 88.3% $32

Getting Around

Guelmim

$27 4.8%

Cape Town

$75 4.7% 176% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $193 in Guelmim versus $1,021 in Cape Town. 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 424% higher in Cape Town, 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 $25.00 in Guelmim versus $45.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $155 vs $225 – making Guelmim the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Guelmim

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

17:01 5:01 PM

18:01 6:01 PM

1 h ahead of Guelmim

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

118,318

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 MAD = 10.26 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇦 Moroccan Dirham (د.م.)

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to MAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Guelmim Cape Town 7,610 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Guelmim
Cape Town

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

Guelmim vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 179% more than Guelmim, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $852 per month in Guelmim and $2,379 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $568 in Guelmim and $1,586 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 179%.

Public transport costs about 192% less in Guelmim. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Guelmim, where all-in costs run around $568, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Guelmim it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Guelmim costs $568 versus $1,586 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Guelmim. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.