Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Morocco and Ethiopia

For one person, living is cheaper in Morocco: $756 a month against $1,212 in Ethiopia, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

🇲🇦 Morocco
$756
/mo nomad
🇪🇹 Ethiopia
$1,212
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Morocco and in Ethiopia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Morocco and in Ethiopia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $756 in Morocco versus $1,212 in Ethiopia.

  • Morocco $756
  • Ethiopia $1,212

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,177 in Morocco versus $1,821 in Ethiopia.

  • Morocco $1,177
  • Ethiopia $1,821

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,598 in Morocco versus $2,430 in Ethiopia.

  • Morocco $1,598
  • Ethiopia $2,430

Living in Morocco costs about 38% less than in Ethiopia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Morocco 44% lower, Ethiopia 11% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Morocco
Ethiopia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.14 MAD 40.39
$4.02 ETB 645
2.99%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$25.95 MAD 253
$42.41 ETB 6,807
-38.81%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.07 MAD 68.9
$6.61 ETB 1,061
6.96%
Cappuccino
$1.71 MAD 16.69
$0.91 ETB 146
87.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69 MAD 6.70
$0.57 ETB 92.1
21.05%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.36 MAD 3.53
$0.55 ETB 88.5
-34.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.10 MAD 40.01
$0.87 ETB 140
371.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.01 MAD 39.08
$1.97 ETB 315
103.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Morocco
Ethiopia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.86 MAD 8.42
$1.02 ETB 164
-15.69%
White Bread (500g)
$0.57 MAD 5.60
$0.97 ETB 156
-41.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.73 MAD 16.87
$1.79 ETB 287
-3.35%
Eggs
$1.86 MAD 18.16
$1.87 ETB 300
-0.53%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.03 MAD 97.8
$7.18 ETB 1,153
39.69%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.03 MAD 58.8
$10.55 ETB 1,694
-42.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.75 MAD 105
$10.02 ETB 1,608
7.29%
Apples (1kg)
$1.50 MAD 14.61
$4.36 ETB 701
-65.60%
Banana (1kg)
$1.30 MAD 12.66
$0.74 ETB 119
75.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.84 MAD 8.19
$2.43 ETB 390
-65.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.79 MAD 7.72
$0.65 ETB 104
21.54%
Potato (1kg)
$0.67 MAD 6.49
$0.51 ETB 82.3
31.37%
Onion (1kg)
$0.71 MAD 6.89
$1.35 ETB 217
-47.41%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.38 MAD 3.73
$0.83 ETB 133
-54.22%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 MAD 5.38
$0.57 ETB 92.3
-3.51%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.06 MAD 39.62
$7.84 ETB 1,259
-48.21%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.25 MAD 70.7
$5.22 ETB 837
38.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.38 MAD 23.24
$0.77 ETB 123
209.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 MAD 27.12
$1.43 ETB 230
94.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Morocco
Ethiopia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.49 MAD 4.77
$0.37 ETB 59.7
32.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$20.27 MAD 198
$17.31 ETB 2,778
17.10%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.71 MAD 6.88
$1.31 ETB 210
-45.80%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.75 MAD 7.28
$0.29 ETB 46.90
158.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.22 MAD 50.9
$1.94 ETB 312
169.07%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.50 MAD 14.64
$0.94 ETB 151
59.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.9K MAD 301.1K
$51.8K ETB 8.3M
-40.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.9K MAD 300.9K
$55.6K ETB 8.9M
-44.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Morocco
Ethiopia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$40.14 MAD 391
$142 ETB 22.7K
-71.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.88 MAD 106
$9.75 ETB 1,565
11.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$37.30 MAD 364
$236 ETB 37.8K
-84.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Morocco
Ethiopia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.00 MAD 244
$42.92 ETB 6,888
-41.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.22 MAD 187
$36.49 ETB 5,857
-47.33%
Cinema Ticket
$6.25 MAD 60.9
$5.13 ETB 823
21.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Morocco
Ethiopia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$136 MAD 1,325
$121 ETB 19.3K
12.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,223 MAD 41.2K
$29.9K ETB 4.8M
-85.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Morocco
Ethiopia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$35.53 MAD 346
$36.13 ETB 5,798
-1.66%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.02 MAD 410
$62.4 ETB 10.0K
-32.62%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.0 MAD 809
$78.6 ETB 12.6K
5.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$62.2 MAD 606
$88.9 ETB 14.3K
-30.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Morocco
Ethiopia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$357 MAD 3,479
$649 ETB 104.2K
-45.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$208 MAD 2,031
$345 ETB 55.4K
-39.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$604 MAD 5,893
$1,811 ETB 290.6K
-66.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$365 MAD 3,559
$722 ETB 115.9K
-49.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,565 MAD 15.3K
$1,776 ETB 285.0K
-11.90%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$968 MAD 9,436
$1,019 ETB 163.5K
-5.00%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Morocco
Ethiopia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$455 MAD 4,431
$198 ETB 31.8K
129.42%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.7
17
-72.35%

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

Last update for Morocco: October 20, 2026

Last update for Ethiopia: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Morocco
$208
Ethiopia
$345 65.8% $137
Groceries & Markets
Morocco
$187
Ethiopia
$210 11.9% $22
Eating Out
Morocco
$108
Ethiopia
$76 29.6% $32
Clothing & Footwear
Morocco
$100
Ethiopia
$120 19.4% $19
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Morocco
$88
Ethiopia
$387 338% $299
Sport & Entertainment
Morocco
$38
Ethiopia
$53 41.8% $16
Getting Around
Morocco
$27
Ethiopia
$22 19.1% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $278 in Morocco, $182 in Ethiopia. Capital cities: $522 in Rabat vs $711 in Addis Ababa.

National salary averages: $403 in Morocco, $180 in Ethiopia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 53% higher in Morocco.

Public transport is 280% more expensive in Morocco.

Salaries are 124% higher in Morocco, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Morocco.

Good to know
🇲🇦 Morocco
🇪🇹 Ethiopia
🕒 Local time
17:57 5:57 PM
19:57 7:57 PM
2 h ahead of Morocco
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
37,076,584
128,691,692
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ETB, USD, EUR to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 160 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.23 USD). 1 EUR = 180 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.54 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Morocco Ethiopia 5,410 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Morocco
  • Ethiopia

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
Morocco vs Ethiopia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Ethiopia and Morocco?
At $1,212 per month in Ethiopia and $756 in Morocco, there's a 60% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Does the cost gap hold in every spending category?
Overall, Morocco is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.
Is $1,200 a realistic budget in Ethiopia or in Morocco?
In Morocco, $1,200 covers most cities easily; in Ethiopia it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to Ethiopia or to Morocco?
It depends on what you're after: Morocco wins on affordability; Ethiopia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

Morocco vs other spots: cost of living compared

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