Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Marrakech and Ouarzazate

For one person, living is cheaper in Ouarzazate: $706 a month against $934 in Marrakech, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Marrakech, Morocco
Ouarzazate, Morocco
Marrakech
🇲🇦 Morocco
$934
/mo nomad
Ouarzazate
🇲🇦 Morocco
$706
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Marrakech and in Ouarzazate

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

A single person spends $934 per month in Marrakech vs $706 in Ouarzazate, rent included.

  • Marrakech $934
  • Ouarzazate $706

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Marrakech vs $1,099 in Ouarzazate, rent included.

  • Marrakech $1,350
  • Ouarzazate $1,099

A family of three spends $1,766 per month in Marrakech vs $1,492 in Ouarzazate, rent included.

  • Marrakech $1,766
  • Ouarzazate $1,492

Marrakech costs about 32% more than Ouarzazate, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Marrakech and Ouarzazate are more affordable than the global median – Marrakech 31% lower, Ouarzazate 48% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Marrakech
Ouarzazate
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.81 MAD 37.43
$3.93 MAD 38.58
-3.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$30.09 MAD 296
$30.65 MAD 301
-1.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.98 MAD 58.8
$6.02 MAD 59.2
-0.66%
Cappuccino
$2.34 MAD 22.99
$2.47 MAD 24.29
-5.26%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.85 MAD 18.18
$0.56 MAD 5.46
230.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.67 MAD 6.61
$0.37 MAD 3.60
81.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.72 MAD 66.0
$6.56 MAD 64.5
2.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.58 MAD 54.9
$5.58 MAD 54.8
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Marrakech
Ouarzazate
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.82 MAD 8.02
$0.80 MAD 7.81
2.50%
White Bread (500g)
$0.79 MAD 7.80
$0.85 MAD 8.38
-7.06%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.54 MAD 15.13
$1.47 MAD 14.43
4.76%
Eggs
$1.97 MAD 19.41
$1.52 MAD 14.95
29.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.72 MAD 75.9
$7.64 MAD 75.1
1.05%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.35 MAD 52.6
$4.45 MAD 43.69
20.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.57 MAD 114
$11.29 MAD 111
2.48%
Apples (1kg)
$1.61 MAD 15.84
$0.74 MAD 7.32
117.57%
Banana (1kg)
$1.35 MAD 13.24
$1.26 MAD 12.34
7.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.92 MAD 9.08
$0.64 MAD 6.25
43.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.78 MAD 7.68
$0.72 MAD 7.03
8.33%
Potato (1kg)
$0.72 MAD 7.08
$0.66 MAD 6.45
9.09%
Onion (1kg)
$0.80 MAD 7.84
$0.75 MAD 7.38
6.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.25 MAD 2.46
$0.23 MAD 2.26
8.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.57 MAD 5.58
$0.61 MAD 5.97
-6.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.99 MAD 39.21
$3.99 MAD 39.23
-
Wine (Bottle)
$7.69 MAD 75.6
$7.68 MAD 75.5
0.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.19 MAD 21.54
$2.23 MAD 21.92
-1.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.23 MAD 31.70
$3.38 MAD 33.27
-4.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Marrakech
Ouarzazate
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.39 MAD 3.84
$0.50 MAD 4.94
-22.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$31.05 MAD 305
$18.66 MAD 183
66.40%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.86 MAD 8.42
$0.53 MAD 5.19
62.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.60 MAD 5.88
$0.62 MAD 6.10
-3.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.98 MAD 68.6
$7.09 MAD 69.7
-1.55%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 MAD 14.40
$1.41 MAD 13.84
4.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.3K MAD 297.7K
$30.1K MAD 296.4K
0.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.8K MAD 302.6K
$30.9K MAD 303.6K
-0.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Marrakech
Ouarzazate
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$35.37 MAD 348
$35.09 MAD 345
0.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.80 MAD 86.5
$4.96 MAD 48.75
77.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$36.26 MAD 356
$25.40 MAD 250
42.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Marrakech
Ouarzazate
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.33 MAD 278
$25.27 MAD 248
12.11%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.59 MAD 202
$17.98 MAD 177
14.52%
Cinema Ticket
$6.41 MAD 63.0
$6.41 MAD 63.0
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Marrakech
Ouarzazate
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$99.4 MAD 977
$98.6 MAD 969
0.85%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,210 MAD 80.7K
$8,270 MAD 81.3K
-0.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Marrakech
Ouarzazate
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$31.09 MAD 306
$31.20 MAD 307
-0.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.39 MAD 426
$43.88 MAD 431
-1.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$82.3 MAD 809
$80.4 MAD 790
2.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$80.1 MAD 787
$79.7 MAD 783
0.53%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Marrakech
Ouarzazate
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$518 MAD 5,091
$278 MAD 2,730
86.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$355 MAD 3,488
$176 MAD 1,732
101.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$720 MAD 7,077
$519 MAD 5,105
38.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$449 MAD 4,414
$265 MAD 2,606
69.40%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,866 MAD 18.3K
$1,196 MAD 11.8K
56.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,062 MAD 10.4K
$828 MAD 8,134
28.32%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Marrakech
Ouarzazate
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$489 MAD 4,808
$201 MAD 1,979
143.01%
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: October 24, 2026

Last update for Ouarzazate: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Marrakech
$355
Ouarzazate
$176 50.4% $179
Groceries & Markets
Marrakech
$183
Ouarzazate
$170 7.1% $13
Eating Out
Marrakech
$131
Ouarzazate
$127 3.5% $4.5
Clothing & Footwear
Marrakech
$107
Ouarzazate
$106 0.7% $0.8
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Marrakech
$80
Ouarzazate
$65 18.6% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Marrakech
$41
Ouarzazate
$38 7.4% $3.1
Getting Around
Marrakech
$36
Ouarzazate
$24 33.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $518 in Marrakech versus $278 in Ouarzazate. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Marrakech are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Marrakech versus $31 in Ouarzazate. Groceries tell a different story – $183 in Marrakech vs $170 in Ouarzazate – so Ouarzazate wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇦 Marrakech
🇲🇦 Ouarzazate
🕒 Local time
20:18 8:18 PM
20:18 8:18 PM
Same time as Marrakech
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,002,697
71,067
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 9.83 MAD (1 MAD = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.98 MAD (100 MAD = 9.11 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Marrakech Ouarzazate 130 km
From you
  • Marrakech
  • Ouarzazate

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 Ouarzazate: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ouarzazate cheaper than Marrakech?
Yes – Marrakech is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,400 per month in Marrakech and $1,059 in Ouarzazate. 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 Ouarzazate, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $278 there versus $518 in Marrakech.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $99 per month in Marrakech and $99 in Ouarzazate. 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 Ouarzazate?
Groceries cost about 8% more in Marrakech, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $1,200 enough for either Marrakech or Ouarzazate?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $934 in Marrakech and $706 in Ouarzazate, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Marrakech or in Ouarzazate?
It depends on your priorities. Marrakech has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $706 in Ouarzazate to $934 in Marrakech. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Marrakech or Ouarzazate?
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 Ouarzazate. 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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