Cost of Living Comparison Between Marrakech and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Marrakech and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $943 per month in Marrakech vs $947 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,380 per month in Marrakech vs $1,411 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,817 per month in Marrakech vs $1,874 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Marrakech and Chiang Mai have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Marrakech and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Marrakech 31% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.85 MAD 35.92

$2.08 ฿69.2

85.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.21 MAD 301

$19.64 ฿651

64.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.32 MAD 59.0

$5.65 ฿188

11.86%

Cappuccino

$2.36 MAD 22.05

$1.81 ฿59.9

30.39%

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

$2.01 MAD 18.79

$0.71 ฿23.66

183.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 MAD 5.94

$0.32 ฿10.48

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.97 MAD 65.1

$2.24 ฿74.2

211.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 MAD 50.9

$3.63 ฿121

50.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 MAD 8.55

$1.96 ฿65.0

-53.06%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 MAD 8.43

$1.50 ฿49.83

-40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MAD 14.61

$1.34 ฿44.32

16.42%

Eggs

$2.07 MAD 19.34

$2.26 ฿75.1

-8.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.99 MAD 74.6

$16.26 ฿539

-50.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.45 MAD 50.8

$2.95 ฿98.0

84.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.01 MAD 112

$9.94 ฿330

20.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 MAD 15.82

$2.57 ฿85.3

-34.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MAD 13.34

$1.06 ฿35.04

34.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.94 MAD 8.80

$1.61 ฿53.5

-41.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.77 MAD 7.18

$1.52 ฿50.4

-49.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 MAD 7.05

$1.27 ฿42.14

-40.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 MAD 7.53

$1.07 ฿35.37

-24.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.26 MAD 2.43

$0.72 ฿23.89

-63.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MAD 5.52

$0.51 ฿16.87

15.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.37 MAD 40.76

$4.19 ฿139

4.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.30 MAD 77.5

$17.87 ฿593

-53.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 MAD 21.60

$1.69 ฿56.2

36.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 MAD 31.59

$2.84 ฿94.1

19.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 MAD 3.90

$0.93 ฿30.70

-54.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.70 MAD 249

$53.9 ฿1,787

-50.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 MAD 8.72

$1.23 ฿40.95

-24.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 MAD 5.82

$0.58 ฿19.13

6.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.32 MAD 68.4

$2.42 ฿80.4

202.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 MAD 14.61

$1.41 ฿46.84

11.35%

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

$34.9K MAD 325.4K

$21.4K ฿711.3K

62.54%

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

$31.4K MAD 293.3K

$27.3K ฿906.7K

14.94%

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

$37.01 MAD 346

$63.7 ฿2,112

-41.87%

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

$9.67 MAD 90.3

$12.85 ฿426

-24.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.22 MAD 357

$20.22 ฿671

89.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.63 MAD 286

$38.74 ฿1,285

-20.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.32 MAD 208

$3.97 ฿132

462.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.56 MAD 61.3

$6.74 ฿223

-2.67%

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

$102 MAD 955

$778 ฿25.8K

-86.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,697 MAD 81.2K

$14.6K ฿484.6K

-40.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.69 MAD 305

$54.3 ฿1,801

-39.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.05 MAD 439

$25.45 ฿844

84.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.9 MAD 802

$94.3 ฿3,129

-8.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.5 MAD 788

$73.4 ฿2,436

14.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 MAD 4,671

$490 ฿16.2K

2.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 MAD 3,110

$289 ฿9,596

15.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$740 MAD 6,910

$894 ฿29.6K

-17.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MAD 4,385

$517 ฿17.1K

-9.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,979 MAD 18.5K

$1,955 ฿64.9K

1.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$975 MAD 9,104

$1,477 ฿49.0K

-33.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$514 MAD 4,797

$602 ฿20.0K

-14.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

5.57

-37.16%

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

Last update for Marrakech: August 29, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $500 in Marrakech versus $490 in Chiang Mai. 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 17% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Marrakech versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $192 in Marrakech vs $240 in Chiang Mai – so Marrakech wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Marrakech vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,414 per month in Marrakech and $1,421 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Marrakech, 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 $32.00 in Marrakech and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 102% less in Marrakech. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Marrakech, where all-in costs run around $943, than in Chiang Mai at $947. In Marrakech it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Marrakech costs $943 versus $947 in Chiang Mai. 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 Marrakech. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.