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 $728 per month in Morocco vs $1,020 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,146 per month in Morocco vs $1,587 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,564 per month in Morocco vs $2,154 in South Africa, rent included.

The cost of living in Morocco is roughly 29% lower than in 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.

Cost ranges are similar: Morocco spans $570–$1,017, South Africa $803–$1,362. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.36 MAD 40.77

$9.14 R 151

-52.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.43 MAD 257

$39.14 R 646

-29.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.51 MAD 60.9

$5.19 R 85.6

25.43%

Cappuccino

$1.82 MAD 16.99

$1.98 R 32.63

-8.08%

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

$0.60 MAD 5.59

$1.00 R 16.52

-40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MAD 3.41

$0.79 R 12.97

-54.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MAD 31.38

$2.21 R 36.50

51.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 MAD 35.55

$2.57 R 42.45

47.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 MAD 8.68

$1.12 R 18.50

-16.96%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 MAD 5.05

$0.97 R 15.96

-44.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 MAD 17.40

$1.54 R 25.47

20.78%

Eggs

$1.96 MAD 18.30

$2.25 R 37.10

-12.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.41 MAD 97.4

$7.86 R 130

32.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.13 MAD 57.4

$4.58 R 75.6

33.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MAD 102

$6.68 R 110

62.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 MAD 13.62

$1.57 R 25.98

-7.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 MAD 12.30

$1.47 R 24.27

-10.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.80 MAD 7.52

$1.52 R 25.10

-47.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.81 MAD 7.62

$1.51 R 24.91

-46.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 MAD 6.62

$1.26 R 20.79

-43.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 MAD 6.87

$1.27 R 21.04

-42.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 MAD 4.21

$1.09 R 17.93

-58.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 MAD 5.64

$0.97 R 16.00

-38.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MAD 40.95

$2.84 R 46.81

54.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.72 MAD 72.2

$5.20 R 85.9

48.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 MAD 23.11

$1.38 R 22.84

78.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 MAD 25.86

$1.72 R 28.36

60.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MAD 5.30

$1.72 R 28.42

-66.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.00 MAD 206

$44.22 R 730

-50.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 MAD 7.32

$1.15 R 19.01

-32.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 MAD 6.39

$1.07 R 17.59

-36.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 MAD 51.5

$4.74 R 78.2

16.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MAD 14.26

$1.28 R 21.18

18.75%

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

$37.7K MAD 352.9K

$20.4K R 336.1K

85.21%

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

$29.6K MAD 277.3K

$24.0K R 395.8K

23.56%

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

$40.94 MAD 383

$113 R 1,864

-63.75%

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

$11.32 MAD 106

$32.35 R 534

-65.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.57 MAD 370

$41.46 R 684

-4.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.91 MAD 233

$31.04 R 512

-19.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.64 MAD 231

$9.72 R 160

153.50%

Cinema Ticket

$6.69 MAD 62.6

$6.67 R 110

0.30%

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

$109 MAD 1,017

$186 R 3,063

-41.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,447 MAD 32.2K

$4,399 R 72.6K

-21.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.27 MAD 377

$50.2 R 828

-19.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.12 MAD 413

$30.37 R 501

45.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 MAD 798

$93.4 R 1,541

-8.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 MAD 665

$80.4 R 1,327

-11.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$374 MAD 3,497

$439 R 7,239

-14.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 MAD 1,998

$372 R 6,136

-42.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$699 MAD 6,539

$903 R 14.9K

-22.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 MAD 3,660

$705 R 11.6K

-44.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,648 MAD 15.4K

$1,116 R 18.4K

47.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$997 MAD 9,328

$793 R 13.1K

25.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$472 MAD 4,419

$1,506 R 24.9K

-68.64%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $288 in Morocco vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $459 in Rabat and $292 in Bloemfontein.

Average salary: $418 in Morocco vs $1,513 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 262% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

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 36% 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 36% 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.