Cost of Living Comparison Between Morocco and South Africa Cost of Living Comparison Between Morocco and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $729 per month in Morocco vs $1,020 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,146 per month in Morocco vs $1,598 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,562 per month in Morocco vs $2,175 in South Africa, rent included.

Morocco is roughly 29% cheaper than South Africa on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Morocco and South Africa are more affordable than the global median – Morocco 46% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Both countries show comparable internal variation: Morocco spans $563–$1,014, South Africa spans $819–$1,339. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 MAD 40.97

$9.05 R 148

-50.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.59 MAD 254

$39.48 R 644

-30.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.61 MAD 60.9

$4.94 R 80.6

33.81%

Cappuccino

$1.80 MAD 16.54

$2.06 R 33.60

-12.62%

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

$0.63 MAD 5.76

$0.95 R 15.46

-33.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 MAD 3.65

$0.81 R 13.19

-50.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 MAD 29.66

$2.21 R 36.05

45.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 MAD 36.39

$2.48 R 40.50

59.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 MAD 8.59

$1.11 R 18.14

-16.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 MAD 5.28

$1.02 R 16.71

-44.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 MAD 16.22

$1.56 R 25.39

12.82%

Eggs

$2.00 MAD 18.37

$2.34 R 38.21

-14.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.37 MAD 95.5

$7.73 R 126

34.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.99 MAD 55.2

$4.49 R 73.4

33.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.48 MAD 96.5

$6.73 R 110

55.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.50 MAD 13.82

$1.56 R 25.50

-3.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 MAD 12.18

$1.43 R 23.32

-7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.87 MAD 7.99

$1.44 R 23.58

-39.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 MAD 7.28

$1.51 R 24.65

-47.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 MAD 6.98

$1.22 R 19.89

-37.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 MAD 6.69

$1.28 R 20.83

-42.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 MAD 4.34

$1.04 R 16.96

-54.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 MAD 5.56

$0.94 R 15.27

-36.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 MAD 39.65

$2.99 R 48.75

44.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 MAD 71.0

$5.16 R 84.2

49.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 MAD 23.17

$1.39 R 22.65

81.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 MAD 24.42

$1.66 R 27.04

59.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MAD 4.93

$1.63 R 26.59

-67.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.35 MAD 206

$45.05 R 735

-50.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 MAD 6.83

$1.13 R 18.48

-34.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 MAD 6.74

$1.10 R 18.00

-33.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.49 MAD 50.6

$4.86 R 79.3

12.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 MAD 14.59

$1.24 R 20.23

27.42%

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

$37.7K MAD 347.4K

$20.3K R 331.6K

85.62%

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

$29.5K MAD 272.1K

$23.5K R 383.0K

25.89%

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

$40.90 MAD 377

$113 R 1,851

-63.94%

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

$11.32 MAD 104

$32.36 R 528

-65.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 MAD 365

$41.45 R 676

-4.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.86 MAD 229

$31.59 R 516

-21.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.39 MAD 225

$9.61 R 157

153.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 MAD 62.0

$6.83 R 111

-1.32%

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

$111 MAD 1,021

$187 R 3,052

-40.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,406 MAD 31.4K

$4,362 R 71.2K

-21.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.11 MAD 369

$49.50 R 808

-18.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.57 MAD 401

$30.42 R 496

43.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 MAD 802

$91.7 R 1,496

-4.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.3 MAD 657

$78.9 R 1,287

-9.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$376 MAD 3,459

$442 R 7,205

-14.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$208 MAD 1,915

$367 R 5,988

-43.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 MAD 6,555

$884 R 14.4K

-19.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MAD 3,542

$723 R 11.8K

-46.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,648 MAD 15.2K

$1,090 R 17.8K

51.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,016 MAD 9,356

$780 R 12.7K

30.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$483 MAD 4,444

$1,558 R 25.4K

-69.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.98

11.55

-56.88%

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

Last update for Morocco: June 1, 2026

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $288 in Morocco vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $460 in Rabat and $765 in Cape Town.

Average salary: $431 in Morocco vs $1,520 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 28% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 40% more in South Africa.

Salaries are 253% higher in South Africa, giving South Africa stronger purchasing power.

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 South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Morocco is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 37% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in South Africa, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but South Africa consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Morocco, contributing to the overall 37% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Morocco, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Morocco is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.