Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Marrakech and Essaouira

For one person, living is cheaper in Essaouira: $781 a month against $881 in Marrakech, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Marrakech despite lower rent and utilities.

43

Cost of Living Index in Marrakech
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Marrakech Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Essaouira
Learn more

Essaouira Living Index

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Marrakech

🇲🇦 Morocco

$881

/mo nomad

Essaouira

🇲🇦 Morocco

$781

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Marrakech and in Essaouira

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

A single person spends $881 per month in Marrakech vs $781 in Essaouira, rent included.

Marrakech $881
Essaouira $781

A couple spends around $1,325 per month in Marrakech vs $1,172 in Essaouira, rent included.

Marrakech $1,325
Essaouira $1,172

A family of three spends $1,769 per month in Marrakech vs $1,563 in Essaouira, rent included.

Marrakech $1,769
Essaouira $1,563

Marrakech costs about 13% more than Essaouira, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Marrakech and Essaouira are more affordable than the global median – Marrakech 35% lower, Essaouira 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.62 MAD 35.28

$4.52 MAD 44.11

-19.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.90 MAD 301

$18.78 MAD 183

64.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.10 MAD 59.5

$7.36 MAD 71.8

-17.12%

Cappuccino

$2.26 MAD 22.05

$1.33 MAD 12.92

69.92%

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

$1.95 MAD 18.99

$0.46 MAD 4.49

323.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 MAD 5.90

$0.37 MAD 3.64

64.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.77 MAD 66.0

$5.10 MAD 49.73

32.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.59 MAD 54.5

$4.39 MAD 42.83

27.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 MAD 7.95

$0.91 MAD 8.87

-9.89%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 MAD 8.49

$0.52 MAD 5.08

67.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MAD 14.39

$1.67 MAD 16.33

-11.38%

Eggs

$1.95 MAD 19.06

$1.62 MAD 15.76

20.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.95 MAD 77.6

$8.12 MAD 79.1

-2.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.35 MAD 52.2

$5.92 MAD 57.8

-9.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.61 MAD 113

$10.67 MAD 104

8.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 MAD 15.32

$1.28 MAD 12.50

22.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 MAD 13.29

$1.17 MAD 11.45

16.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.93 MAD 9.10

$0.66 MAD 6.45

40.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.74 MAD 7.24

$0.77 MAD 7.48

-3.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 MAD 6.85

$0.58 MAD 5.67

20.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 MAD 7.24

$0.70 MAD 6.79

5.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.23 MAD 2.23

$0.35 MAD 3.41

-34.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MAD 5.42

$0.59 MAD 5.72

-5.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.07 MAD 39.70

$3.85 MAD 37.58

5.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.57 MAD 73.8

$5.98 MAD 58.3

26.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 MAD 21.46

$1.70 MAD 16.58

29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 MAD 31.34

$2.09 MAD 20.34

53.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 MAD 4.17

$0.85 MAD 8.32

-49.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.97 MAD 253

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 MAD 8.08

$0.62 MAD 6.09

33.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 MAD 6.22

$0.64 MAD 6.23

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.36 MAD 71.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MAD 14.80

$1.48 MAD 14.46

2.70%

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

$30.6K MAD 298.8K

$31.0K MAD 302.6K

-1.26%

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

$30.8K MAD 300.2K

$32.1K MAD 313.0K

-4.08%

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

$35.11 MAD 342

$24.14 MAD 235

45.44%

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

$9.04 MAD 88.1

$16.96 MAD 165

-46.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.36 MAD 355

$29.95 MAD 292

21.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.38 MAD 277

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.92 MAD 204

Cinema Ticket

$6.22 MAD 60.6

$5.10 MAD 49.70

21.96%

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

$97.8 MAD 954

$67.8 MAD 661

44.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,143 MAD 79.4K

$1,803 MAD 17.6K

351.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.34 MAD 306

$29.33 MAD 286

6.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.75 MAD 427

$42.93 MAD 419

1.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.9 MAD 808

$59.1 MAD 576

40.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.4 MAD 803

$40.42 MAD 394

103.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 MAD 4,698

$386 MAD 3,760

24.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$307 MAD 2,995

$334 MAD 3,259

-8.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$704 MAD 6,864

$913 MAD 8,905

-22.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$457 MAD 4,455

$569 MAD 5,547

-19.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,883 MAD 18.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$907 MAD 8,842

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 MAD 4,817

$254 MAD 2,479

94.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

6.5

-30.77%

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

Last update for Marrakech: October 20, 2026

Last update for Essaouira: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Marrakech

$307 34.9%

Essaouira

$334 42.8% 8.8% $27

Groceries & Markets

Marrakech

$183 20.8%

Essaouira

$170 21.7% 7.5% $14

Eating Out

Marrakech

$130 14.7%

Essaouira

$112 14.3% 13.8% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Marrakech

$108 12.3%

Essaouira

$77 9.9% 28.5% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Marrakech

$81 9.1%

Essaouira

$71 9.1% 11.8% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Marrakech

$41 4.6%

Essaouira

$10 * 1.3% 75% $31

Getting Around

Marrakech

$32 3.6%

Essaouira

$7.2 * 0.9% 77.2% $24

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Marrakech versus $386 in Essaouira. 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 94% higher in Marrakech, 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 $31.00 in Marrakech versus $19.00 in Essaouira. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $183 vs $170 – making Essaouira the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Marrakech

🇲🇦 Essaouira

🕒 Local time

14:56 2:56 PM

Same time as Marrakech

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,002,697

77,966

💱 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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Marrakech Essaouira 170 km

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Marrakech
Essaouira

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

Marrakech vs Essaouira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Marrakech is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,322 per month in Marrakech and $1,172 in Essaouira. 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 $31.00 in Marrakech and $19.00 in Essaouira. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Marrakech, 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 Marrakech at $881. In Essaouira it covers expenses comfortably, while in Marrakech 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, Marrakech makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.