Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Marrakech and Rabat

For one person, living costs are similar in Marrakech and in Rabat: $934 and $921 a month, rent and utilities included.

Marrakech, Morocco
Rabat, Morocco
Marrakech
🇲🇦 Morocco
$934
/mo nomad
Rabat
🇲🇦 Morocco
$921
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Marrakech and in Rabat

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

A single person spends $934 per month in Marrakech vs $921 in Rabat, rent included.

  • Marrakech $934
  • Rabat $921

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Marrakech vs $1,498 in Rabat, rent included.

  • Marrakech $1,350
  • Rabat $1,498

A family of three spends $1,766 per month in Marrakech vs $2,074 in Rabat, rent included.

  • Marrakech $1,766
  • Rabat $2,074

Marrakech costs about 1% more than Rabat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Marrakech and Rabat are more affordable than the global median – Marrakech 31% lower, Rabat 32% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Marrakech
Rabat
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.81 MAD 37.51
$3.99 MAD 39.30
-4.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$30.09 MAD 296
$41.46 MAD 408
-27.42%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.98 MAD 58.9
$6.96 MAD 68.6
-14.08%
Cappuccino
$2.34 MAD 23.04
$1.94 MAD 19.08
20.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.85 MAD 18.22
$0.53 MAD 5.26
249.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.67 MAD 6.63
$0.37 MAD 3.61
81.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.72 MAD 66.2
$5.19 MAD 51.1
29.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.58 MAD 55.0
$3.14 MAD 30.94
77.71%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Marrakech
Rabat
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.82 MAD 8.04
$0.90 MAD 8.86
-8.89%
White Bread (500g)
$0.79 MAD 7.82
$0.60 MAD 5.95
31.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.54 MAD 15.16
$1.92 MAD 18.89
-19.79%
Eggs
$1.97 MAD 19.45
$1.86 MAD 18.28
5.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.72 MAD 76.0
$11.16 MAD 110
-30.82%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.35 MAD 52.7
$6.71 MAD 66.1
-20.27%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.57 MAD 114
$12.08 MAD 119
-4.22%
Apples (1kg)
$1.61 MAD 15.88
$1.55 MAD 15.29
3.87%
Banana (1kg)
$1.35 MAD 13.27
$1.43 MAD 14.10
-5.59%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.92 MAD 9.10
$0.81 MAD 7.97
13.58%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.78 MAD 7.70
$0.82 MAD 8.13
-4.88%
Potato (1kg)
$0.72 MAD 7.09
$0.72 MAD 7.07
-
Onion (1kg)
$0.80 MAD 7.86
$0.75 MAD 7.37
6.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.25 MAD 2.47
$0.37 MAD 3.62
-32.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.57 MAD 5.60
$0.63 MAD 6.24
-9.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.99 MAD 39.29
$4.06 MAD 40.02
-1.72%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.69 MAD 75.7
$7.33 MAD 72.2
4.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.19 MAD 21.59
$2.56 MAD 25.25
-14.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.23 MAD 31.77
$2.68 MAD 26.42
20.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Marrakech
Rabat
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.39 MAD 3.85
$0.55 MAD 5.42
-29.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$31.05 MAD 306
$25.62 MAD 252
21.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.86 MAD 8.43
$0.73 MAD 7.18
17.81%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.60 MAD 5.89
$0.77 MAD 7.61
-22.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.98 MAD 68.8
$4.13 MAD 40.72
69.01%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 MAD 14.43
$1.52 MAD 15.00
-3.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.3K MAD 298.3K
$30.2K MAD 297.1K
0.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.8K MAD 303.3K
$32.1K MAD 316.1K
-4.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Marrakech
Rabat
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$35.37 MAD 348
$35.47 MAD 349
-0.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.80 MAD 86.7
$10.21 MAD 101
-13.81%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$36.26 MAD 357
$33.51 MAD 330
8.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Marrakech
Rabat
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.33 MAD 279
$27.87 MAD 275
1.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.59 MAD 203
$24.11 MAD 238
-14.60%
Cinema Ticket
$6.41 MAD 63.1
$5.94 MAD 58.5
7.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Marrakech
Rabat
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$99.4 MAD 980
$180 MAD 1,777
-44.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,210 MAD 80.9K
$9,261 MAD 91.2K
-11.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Marrakech
Rabat
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$31.09 MAD 306
$46.83 MAD 461
-33.61%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.39 MAD 427
$40.60 MAD 400
6.87%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$82.3 MAD 811
$91.6 MAD 902
-10.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$80.1 MAD 789
$66.0 MAD 650
21.43%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Marrakech
Rabat
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$518 MAD 5,103
$572 MAD 5,630
-9.38%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$355 MAD 3,496
$345 MAD 3,402
2.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$720 MAD 7,093
$987 MAD 9,722
-27.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$449 MAD 4,424
$687 MAD 6,771
-34.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,866 MAD 18.4K
$2,126 MAD 20.9K
-12.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,062 MAD 10.5K
$1,214 MAD 12.0K
-12.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Marrakech
Rabat
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$489 MAD 4,819
$721 MAD 7,108
-32.20%
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 Rabat: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Marrakech
$355
Rabat
$345 2.7% $9.5
Groceries & Markets
Marrakech
$183
Rabat
$203 10.8% $20
Eating Out
Marrakech
$131
Rabat
$112 14.8% $19
Clothing & Footwear
Marrakech
$107
Rabat
$110 3.4% $3.6
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Marrakech
$80
Rabat
$79 1.5% $1.2
Sport & Entertainment
Marrakech
$41
Rabat
$40 3.4% $1.4
Getting Around
Marrakech
$36
Rabat
$32 11.1% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $518 in Marrakech versus $572 in Rabat. 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 47% higher in Rabat, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Marrakech versus $41 in Rabat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $183 vs $203 – making Marrakech the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇦 Marrakech
🇲🇦 Rabat
🕒 Local time
11:04 11:04 AM
11:04 11:04 AM
Same time as Marrakech
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,002,697
573,895 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.85 MAD (1 MAD = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Marrakech Rabat 290 km
From you
  • Marrakech
  • Rabat

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 Rabat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rabat cheaper than Marrakech?
Yes – Marrakech is pricier by about 1%, 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 $1,400 per month in Marrakech and $1,382 in Rabat. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Marrakech and Rabat?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $518 in Marrakech and $572 in Rabat. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $99 per month in Marrakech and $180 in Rabat. 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 Rabat?
Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Marrakech – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Is $800 enough to cover costs in Marrakech or in Rabat?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $934 in Marrakech and $921 in Rabat. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is it better to live in Marrakech or in Rabat?
It depends on your priorities. Rabat has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $921 in Rabat to $934 in Marrakech. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Marrakech or Rabat?
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.

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