Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Meknes and Rabat

For one person, living is cheaper in Meknes: $732 a month against $921 in Rabat, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Meknes
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Meknes Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Rabat
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Rabat Living Index

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Meknes

🇲🇦 Morocco

$732

/mo nomad

Rabat

🇲🇦 Morocco

$921

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Meknes 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 Meknes and in Rabat actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $732 in Meknes versus $921 in Rabat.

Meknes $732
Rabat $921

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,096 in Meknes versus $1,498 in Rabat.

Meknes $1,096
Rabat $1,498

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,460 in Meknes versus $2,074 in Rabat.

Meknes $1,460
Rabat $2,074

Living in Meknes costs roughly 21% less than in Rabat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Meknes 46% lower, Rabat 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.59 MAD 25.49

$3.99 MAD 39.21

-35.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.47 MAD 152

$41.46 MAD 408

-62.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.21 MAD 61.0

$6.96 MAD 68.4

-10.78%

Cappuccino

$1.76 MAD 17.34

$1.94 MAD 19.04

-9.28%

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

$0.95 MAD 9.30

$0.53 MAD 5.25

79.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 MAD 5.39

$0.37 MAD 3.60

48.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 MAD 29.29

$5.19 MAD 51.0

-42.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MAD 35.71

$3.14 MAD 30.87

15.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 MAD 7.85

$0.90 MAD 8.84

-11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.37 MAD 3.67

$0.60 MAD 5.93

-38.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 MAD 12.54

$1.92 MAD 18.85

-33.33%

Eggs

$1.79 MAD 17.61

$1.86 MAD 18.24

-3.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.05 MAD 109

$11.16 MAD 110

-0.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.13 MAD 50.4

$6.71 MAD 65.9

-23.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.13 MAD 89.8

$12.08 MAD 119

-24.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 MAD 11.69

$1.55 MAD 15.26

-23.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 MAD 12.91

$1.43 MAD 14.07

-8.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.65 MAD 6.35

$0.81 MAD 7.96

-19.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 MAD 6.97

$0.82 MAD 8.11

-13.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 MAD 5.54

$0.72 MAD 7.06

-22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 MAD 5.02

$0.75 MAD 7.36

-32.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 MAD 4.75

$0.37 MAD 3.61

29.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MAD 5.30

$0.63 MAD 6.22

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.98 MAD 39.11

$4.06 MAD 39.93

-1.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.07 MAD 79.4

$7.33 MAD 72.1

10.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 MAD 23.20

$2.56 MAD 25.20

-7.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MAD 25.61

$2.68 MAD 26.36

-2.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MAD 3.87

$0.55 MAD 5.41

-29.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.11 MAD 148

$25.62 MAD 252

-41.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 MAD 6.74

$0.73 MAD 7.16

-5.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 MAD 3.17

$0.77 MAD 7.59

-58.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.56 MAD 44.84

$4.13 MAD 40.63

10.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 MAD 13.54

$1.52 MAD 14.96

-9.21%

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

$31.0K MAD 304.2K

$30.2K MAD 296.4K

2.63%

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

$30.4K MAD 298.6K

$32.1K MAD 315.4K

-5.34%

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

$45.53 MAD 448

$35.47 MAD 349

28.36%

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

$9.78 MAD 96.2

$10.21 MAD 100

-4.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.13 MAD 365

$33.51 MAD 329

10.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.67 MAD 272

$27.87 MAD 274

-0.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.74 MAD 312

$24.11 MAD 237

31.65%

Cinema Ticket

$4.18 MAD 41.08

$5.94 MAD 58.4

-29.63%

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

$122 MAD 1,204

$180 MAD 1,773

-32.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,612 MAD 55.2K

$9,261 MAD 91.0K

-39.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 MAD 572

$46.83 MAD 460

24.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.01 MAD 433

$40.60 MAD 399

8.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 MAD 890

$91.6 MAD 900

-1.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.2 MAD 592

$66.0 MAD 648

-8.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$343 MAD 3,369

$572 MAD 5,618

-40.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$207 MAD 2,039

$345 MAD 3,394

-39.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 MAD 5,898

$987 MAD 9,700

-39.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$323 MAD 3,179

$687 MAD 6,756

-52.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$950 MAD 9,337

$2,126 MAD 20.9K

-55.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$592 MAD 5,818

$1,214 MAD 11.9K

-51.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$468 MAD 4,604

$721 MAD 7,092

-35.08%

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 Meknes: October 26, 2026

Last update for Rabat: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Meknes

$207 28.3%

Rabat

$345 37.5% 66.5% $138

Groceries & Markets

Meknes

$174 23.8%

Rabat

$203 22% 16.2% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Meknes

$114 15.6%

Rabat

$110 12% 3.2% $3.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Meknes

$92 12.6%

Rabat

$79 8.6% 14.3% $13

Eating Out

Meknes

$89 12.1%

Rabat

$112 12.1% 26.2% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Meknes

$36 4.9%

Rabat

$40 4.3% 10.3% $3.7

Getting Around

Meknes

$19 2.6%

Rabat

$32 3.5% 70.8% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $343 in Meknes and $572 in Rabat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rabat pays 54% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $15 in Meknes vs $41 in Rabat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $174 vs $203 per month, with Meknes cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Meknes

🇲🇦 Rabat

🕒 Local time

18:21 6:21 PM

Same time as Meknes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

520,428

573,895 Capital

💱 Currency

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

100 MAD = 10.17 USD

100 MAD = 9.11 EUR

100 MAD = 10.17 USD

100 MAD = 9.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Meknes Rabat 120 km

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Meknes
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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

Meknes vs Rabat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Meknes wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Rabat. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Meknes the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Meknes. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $343 in Meknes versus $572 in Rabat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Meknes – a meal for two runs $15 versus $41 in Rabat. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $732 per month in Meknes versus $921 in Rabat – Meknes is about 21% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Meknes and Rabat are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Meknes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Rabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.