Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Marrakech and Oued Zem

For one person, living is cheaper in Oued Zem: $751 a month against $934 in Marrakech, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Marrakech
Learn more

Marrakech Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Oued Zem
Learn more

Oued Zem Living Index

Jump to prices

Marrakech

🇲🇦 Morocco

$934

/mo nomad

Oued Zem

🇲🇦 Morocco

$751

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Marrakech and in Oued Zem

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

A single person spends $934 per month in Marrakech vs $751 in Oued Zem, rent included.

Marrakech $934
Oued Zem $751

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Marrakech vs $1,196 in Oued Zem, rent included.

Marrakech $1,350
Oued Zem $1,196

A family of three spends $1,766 per month in Marrakech vs $1,640 in Oued Zem, rent included.

Marrakech $1,766
Oued Zem $1,640

Marrakech costs about 24% more than Oued Zem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Marrakech and Oued Zem are more affordable than the global median – Marrakech 31% lower, Oued Zem 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.81 MAD 37.50

$4.18 MAD 41.18

-8.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.09 MAD 296

$41.10 MAD 405

-26.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.98 MAD 58.9

$7.11 MAD 70.0

-15.89%

Cappuccino

$2.34 MAD 23.03

$1.93 MAD 19.03

21.24%

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

$1.85 MAD 18.22

$0.57 MAD 5.59

224.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 MAD 6.62

$0.36 MAD 3.58

86.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.72 MAD 66.1

$4.95 MAD 48.75

35.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.58 MAD 55.0

$3.19 MAD 31.46

74.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 MAD 8.04

$0.82 MAD 8.05

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 MAD 7.81

$0.61 MAD 5.96

29.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 MAD 15.16

$1.85 MAD 18.21

-16.76%

Eggs

$1.97 MAD 19.44

$1.95 MAD 19.18

1.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.72 MAD 76.0

$11.22 MAD 111

-31.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.35 MAD 52.7

$6.67 MAD 65.7

-19.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MAD 114

$11.88 MAD 117

-2.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.61 MAD 15.88

$1.60 MAD 15.80

0.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 MAD 13.27

$1.42 MAD 13.99

-4.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.92 MAD 9.10

$0.89 MAD 8.77

3.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.78 MAD 7.69

$0.82 MAD 8.08

-4.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 MAD 7.09

$0.71 MAD 7.03

1.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 MAD 7.85

$0.79 MAD 7.74

1.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.25 MAD 2.47

$0.39 MAD 3.86

-35.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MAD 5.60

$0.61 MAD 5.97

-6.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 MAD 39.28

$4.23 MAD 41.63

-5.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.69 MAD 75.7

$7.23 MAD 71.2

6.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 MAD 21.58

$2.56 MAD 25.25

-14.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 MAD 31.77

$2.58 MAD 25.45

25.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MAD 3.84

$0.50 MAD 4.95

-22.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.05 MAD 306

$19.08 MAD 188

62.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 MAD 8.43

$0.73 MAD 7.19

17.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 MAD 5.89

$0.75 MAD 7.36

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.98 MAD 68.8

$3.95 MAD 38.95

76.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MAD 14.43

$1.50 MAD 14.77

-2.00%

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

$30.3K MAD 298.2K

$29.9K MAD 294.5K

1.28%

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

$30.8K MAD 303.2K

$32.7K MAD 322.5K

-5.99%

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

$35.37 MAD 348

$36.51 MAD 360

-3.12%

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

$8.80 MAD 86.6

$9.90 MAD 97.5

-11.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.26 MAD 357

$33.95 MAD 334

6.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.33 MAD 279

$22.75 MAD 224

24.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.59 MAD 203

$19.10 MAD 188

7.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.41 MAD 63.1

$6.24 MAD 61.4

2.72%

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

$99.4 MAD 979

$181 MAD 1,779

-44.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,210 MAD 80.9K

$9,550 MAD 94.1K

-14.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.09 MAD 306

$47.28 MAD 466

-34.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.39 MAD 427

$39.31 MAD 387

10.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.3 MAD 810

$91.6 MAD 902

-10.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 MAD 789

$66.5 MAD 655

20.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$518 MAD 5,101

$314 MAD 3,096

64.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 MAD 3,495

$185 MAD 1,824

91.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$720 MAD 7,090

$476 MAD 4,686

51.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 MAD 4,422

$283 MAD 2,788

58.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,866 MAD 18.4K

$1,129 MAD 11.1K

65.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,062 MAD 10.5K

$874 MAD 8,606

21.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$489 MAD 4,817

$230 MAD 2,264

112.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

4.55

-1.10%

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

Last update for Marrakech: October 24, 2026

Last update for Oued Zem: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Marrakech

$355 38%

Oued Zem

$185 24.7% 47.8% $170

Groceries & Markets

Marrakech

$183 19.6%

Oued Zem

$201 26.8% 10.1% $18

Eating Out

Marrakech

$131 14.1%

Oued Zem

$113 15% 14.1% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Marrakech

$107 11.4%

Oued Zem

$110 14.7% 3.3% $3.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Marrakech

$80 8.6%

Oued Zem

$80 10.7% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Marrakech

$41 4.4%

Oued Zem

$35 4.7% 14.4% $5.9

Getting Around

Marrakech

$36 3.9%

Oued Zem

$26 3.4% 29.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $518 in Marrakech versus $314 in Oued Zem. 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 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Marrakech versus $41 in Oued Zem. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $183 vs $201 – making Marrakech the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Marrakech

🇲🇦 Oued Zem

🕒 Local time

22:54 10:54 PM

Same time as Marrakech

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,002,697

95,267

💱 Currency

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

100 MAD = 10.15 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

100 MAD = 10.15 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Marrakech Oued Zem 190 km

From you

Marrakech
Oued Zem

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 Oued Zem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Marrakech is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,400 per month in Marrakech and $1,126 in Oued Zem. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Oued Zem, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $314 there versus $518 in Marrakech.

Kindergarten costs $99 per month in Marrakech and $181 in Oued Zem. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Marrakech – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $934 in Marrakech and $751 in Oued Zem, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Marrakech has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $751 in Oued Zem to $934 in Marrakech. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Oued Zem. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Marrakech makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.