Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Marrakech and Meknes

For one person, living is cheaper in Meknes: $730 a month against $938 in Marrakech, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Marrakech, Morocco
Meknes, Morocco
Marrakech
🇲🇦 Morocco
$938
/mo nomad
Meknes
🇲🇦 Morocco
$730
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Marrakech and in Meknes

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 Meknes actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $938 per month in Marrakech vs $730 in Meknes, rent included.

  • Marrakech $938
  • Meknes $730

A couple spends around $1,354 per month in Marrakech vs $1,098 in Meknes, rent included.

  • Marrakech $1,354
  • Meknes $1,098

A family of three spends $1,771 per month in Marrakech vs $1,466 in Meknes, rent included.

  • Marrakech $1,771
  • Meknes $1,466

Marrakech costs about 28% more than Meknes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Marrakech and Meknes are more affordable than the global median – Marrakech 31% lower, Meknes 46% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Marrakech
Meknes
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.74 MAD 36.44
$2.60 MAD 25.38
43.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$31.01 MAD 302
$15.17 MAD 148
104.42%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.15 MAD 60.0
$6.20 MAD 60.5
-0.81%
Cappuccino
$2.33 MAD 22.72
$1.72 MAD 16.73
35.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.91 MAD 18.65
$0.96 MAD 9.32
98.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.67 MAD 6.58
$0.40 MAD 3.86
67.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.70 MAD 65.3
$3.02 MAD 29.47
121.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 MAD 53.1
$3.64 MAD 35.50
49.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Marrakech
Meknes
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.82 MAD 7.97
$0.85 MAD 8.32
-3.53%
White Bread (500g)
$0.82 MAD 7.98
$0.35 MAD 3.38
134.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 MAD 14.96
$1.27 MAD 12.41
20.47%
Eggs
$1.89 MAD 18.46
$1.86 MAD 18.10
1.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.67 MAD 74.8
$10.74 MAD 105
-28.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.13 MAD 50.0
$5.03 MAD 49.07
1.99%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.49 MAD 112
$8.97 MAD 87.4
28.09%
Apples (1kg)
$1.62 MAD 15.82
$1.24 MAD 12.11
30.65%
Banana (1kg)
$1.40 MAD 13.63
$1.37 MAD 13.33
2.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.93 MAD 9.06
$0.68 MAD 6.61
36.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.78 MAD 7.61
$0.67 MAD 6.51
16.42%
Potato (1kg)
$0.67 MAD 6.55
$0.53 MAD 5.15
26.42%
Onion (1kg)
$0.79 MAD 7.70
$0.51 MAD 4.98
54.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.25 MAD 2.45
$0.45 MAD 4.40
-44.44%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 MAD 5.40
$0.50 MAD 4.88
10.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.11 MAD 40.10
$4.10 MAD 39.93
0.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.73 MAD 75.4
$8.21 MAD 80.1
-5.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.32 MAD 22.57
$2.33 MAD 22.69
-0.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.37 MAD 32.88
$2.50 MAD 24.41
34.80%
🚌 Getting Around
Marrakech
Meknes
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.42 MAD 4.12
$0.43 MAD 4.16
-2.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.39 MAD 296
$15.17 MAD 148
100.33%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.88 MAD 8.59
$0.68 MAD 6.60
29.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.59 MAD 5.74
$0.32 MAD 3.16
84.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.01 MAD 68.4
$4.64 MAD 45.21
51.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 MAD 14.15
$1.42 MAD 13.89
2.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.8K MAD 299.8K
$29.9K MAD 292.0K
2.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.7K MAD 299.6K
$30.9K MAD 300.9K
-0.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Marrakech
Meknes
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$35.00 MAD 341
$45.32 MAD 442
-22.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.28 MAD 90.5
$10.19 MAD 99.3
-8.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$36.03 MAD 351
$37.76 MAD 368
-4.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Marrakech
Meknes
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.27 MAD 276
$27.62 MAD 269
2.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.82 MAD 203
$32.20 MAD 314
-35.34%
Cinema Ticket
$6.29 MAD 61.3
$4.01 MAD 39.08
56.86%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Marrakech
Meknes
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$99.6 MAD 971
$122 MAD 1,191
-18.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.8K MAD 124.4K
$11.5K MAD 112.0K
11.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Marrakech
Meknes
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$30.82 MAD 300
$64.7 MAD 631
-52.39%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.30 MAD 432
$46.46 MAD 453
-4.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.5 MAD 784
$91.5 MAD 892
-12.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$80.9 MAD 789
$58.9 MAD 575
37.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Marrakech
Meknes
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$504 MAD 4,911
$343 MAD 3,343
46.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$361 MAD 3,519
$204 MAD 1,985
77.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 MAD 6,978
$585 MAD 5,702
22.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$453 MAD 4,421
$326 MAD 3,176
39.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,895 MAD 18.5K
$932 MAD 9,090
103.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,043 MAD 10.2K
$594 MAD 5,790
75.61%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Marrakech
Meknes
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$490 MAD 4,780
$477 MAD 4,648
2.84%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.5
4.5
-

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

Last update for Marrakech: November 2, 2026

Last update for Meknes: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Marrakech
$361
Meknes
$204 43.6% $157
Groceries & Markets
Marrakech
$182
Meknes
$173 5.3% $9.6
Eating Out
Marrakech
$131
Meknes
$88 33% $43
Clothing & Footwear
Marrakech
$106
Meknes
$118 10.6% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Marrakech
$80
Meknes
$93 16.1% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Marrakech
$41
Meknes
$36 12.8% $5.2
Getting Around
Marrakech
$36
Meknes
$19 46.6% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $504 in Marrakech versus $343 in Meknes. 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 3% 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 in Marrakech versus $15 in Meknes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $182 vs $173 – making Meknes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇦 Marrakech
🇲🇦 Meknes
🕒 Local time
21:50 9:50 PM
21:50 9:50 PM
Same time as Marrakech
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,002,697
520,428
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.94 MAD (100 MAD = 9.14 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Marrakech Meknes 340 km
From you
  • Marrakech
  • Meknes

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 Meknes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Meknes cheaper than Marrakech?
Yes – Marrakech is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,407 per month in Marrakech and $1,095 in Meknes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Meknes, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $343 there versus $504 in Marrakech.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $100 per month in Marrakech and $122 in Meknes. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Marrakech and in Meknes?
Groceries cost about 6% more in Marrakech, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is it better to live in Marrakech or in Meknes?
It depends on your priorities. Marrakech has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $730 in Meknes to $938 in Marrakech. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Marrakech or Meknes?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Meknes. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Marrakech makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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