Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Marrakech

For one person, living is cheaper in Marrakech: $872 a month against $2,203 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,203
/mo nomad
Marrakech
🇲🇦 Morocco
$872
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,203 in Lisbon versus $872 in Marrakech.

  • Lisbon $2,203
  • Marrakech $872

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,237 in Lisbon versus $1,299 in Marrakech.

  • Lisbon $3,237
  • Marrakech $1,299

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $1,726 in Marrakech.

  • Lisbon $4,272
  • Marrakech $1,726

Living in Lisbon is roughly 152% more expensive than in Marrakech, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Marrakech is 35% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Marrakech
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.01 €15.17
$3.44 MAD 34.16
394.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.7 €55.9
$30.44 MAD 302
105.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.42 €10.18
$5.88 MAD 58.3
94.22%
Cappuccino
$3.09 €2.75
$2.14 MAD 21.25
44.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 €2.11
$1.85 MAD 18.30
28.11%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 €1.48
$0.59 MAD 5.90
181.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.46 €3.08
$6.56 MAD 65.1
-47.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.29 €2.93
$5.55 MAD 55.1
-40.72%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Marrakech
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.04
$0.80 MAD 7.94
46.25%
White Bread (500g)
$1.87 €1.66
$0.78 MAD 7.76
139.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.52 €1.35
$1.50 MAD 14.84
1.33%
Eggs
$3.88 €3.46
$1.93 MAD 19.17
101.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.87 €11.48
$7.51 MAD 74.5
71.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.94 €7.08
$5.14 MAD 51.0
54.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.63 €15.72
$11.06 MAD 110
59.40%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$1.59 MAD 15.81
42.14%
Banana (1kg)
$1.76 €1.57
$1.32 MAD 13.09
33.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.88 €1.68
$0.92 MAD 9.16
104.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.47 €2.20
$0.76 MAD 7.51
225.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$0.66 MAD 6.51
181.82%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.85
$0.77 MAD 7.66
168.83%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.39 €1.24
$0.22 MAD 2.18
531.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.81 €0.72
$0.59 MAD 5.83
37.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.89 €6.15
$4.00 MAD 39.67
72.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.53 €4.93
$7.55 MAD 74.9
-26.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.33 €1.19
$2.16 MAD 21.44
-38.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 €1.93
$3.16 MAD 31.35
-31.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Marrakech
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.24 €2.00
$0.39 MAD 3.84
474.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$45.14 €40.25
$24.95 MAD 247
80.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.00 €3.57
$0.80 MAD 7.96
400.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.95
$0.57 MAD 5.70
87.72%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.53 €14.74
$6.97 MAD 69.2
137.16%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.26 €2.02
$1.44 MAD 14.25
56.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.5K €29.9K
$33.1K MAD 328.4K
1.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.5K €36.1K
$29.1K MAD 288.3K
39.25%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Marrakech
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$164 €146
$34.25 MAD 340
377.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.54 €16.53
$8.91 MAD 88.4
108.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.21 €29.61
$36.28 MAD 360
-8.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Marrakech
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.01 €41.02
$27.95 MAD 277
64.62%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.80 €16.77
$20.22 MAD 201
-7.02%
Cinema Ticket
$9.47 €8.44
$6.44 MAD 63.9
47.05%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Marrakech
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$690 €615
$98.8 MAD 980
598.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K €15.0K
$8,253 MAD 81.9K
104.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Marrakech
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$105 €93.3
$30.84 MAD 306
239.36%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.27 €40.37
$44.10 MAD 437
2.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.0 €88.2
$79.5 MAD 788
24.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$80.0 MAD 794
54.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Marrakech
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,583 €1,411
$459 MAD 4,557
244.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,209 €1,078
$299 MAD 2,969
303.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,833 €2,526
$705 MAD 6,995
301.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,964 €1,751
$437 MAD 4,334
349.56%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,643 €6,815
$1,846 MAD 18.3K
314.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,431 €3,951
$899 MAD 8,915
392.98%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Marrakech
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,573 €1,402
$483 MAD 4,795
225.30%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.79
4.5
-15.78%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 4, 2026

Last update for Marrakech: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Marrakech
$299 75.2% $910
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Marrakech
$178 34.6% $94
Eating Out
Lisbon
$247
Marrakech
$125 49.6% $123
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$215
Marrakech
$79 63.1% $136
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Marrakech
$106 37.1% $62
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$65
Marrakech
$41 37.1% $24
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Marrakech
$30 52.5% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,583 in Lisbon and $459 in Marrakech. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 225% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $30.00 in Marrakech for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $178 per month, with Marrakech cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇲🇦 Marrakech
🕒 Local time
07:18 7:18 AM
07:18 7:18 AM
Same time as Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
1,002,697
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

MAD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.92 MAD (1 MAD = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.12 MAD (100 MAD = 8.99 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Marrakech 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • 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
Lisbon vs Marrakech: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Marrakech?
Lisbon and Marrakech differ by about 152% in total monthly costs ($2,203 vs $872 including rent). Marrakech is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Marrakech?
Average pay runs 225% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Marrakech?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,583 in Lisbon versus $459 in Marrakech. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Marrakech?
Childcare runs $690 in Lisbon versus $98.8 in Marrakech. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $872 in Marrakech versus $2,203 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Marrakech but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Marrakech the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Marrakech?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Lisbon or Marrakech safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Marrakech are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Marrakech?
Expats usually find Marrakech gentler on the wallet – expenses run 152% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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