Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Morocco and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

For one person, living is cheaper in Morocco: $756 a month against $1,214 in South Africa, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Morocco
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Morocco Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in South Africa
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South Africa Living Index

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🇲🇦 Morocco

$756

/mo nomad

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,214

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Morocco and in South Africa

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

A single person spends $756 per month in Morocco vs $1,209 in South Africa, rent included.

Morocco $756
South Africa $1,209

A couple spends around $1,177 per month in Morocco vs $1,900 in South Africa, rent included.

Morocco $1,177
South Africa $1,900

A family of three spends $1,598 per month in Morocco vs $2,590 in South Africa, rent included.

Morocco $1,598
South Africa $2,590

The regional cost range is wider in South Africa ($625–$1,586) than in Morocco ($565–$987), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Morocco is roughly 37% lower than in South Africa on average.

Both Morocco and South Africa are more affordable than the global median – Morocco 44% lower, South Africa 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.14 MAD 40.39

$11.17 R 184

-62.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.95 MAD 253

$42.79 R 705

-39.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 MAD 68.9

$5.75 R 94.8

22.96%

Cappuccino

$1.71 MAD 16.69

$2.35 R 38.68

-27.23%

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

$0.69 MAD 6.70

$1.14 R 18.73

-39.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MAD 3.53

$0.86 R 14.23

-58.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 MAD 40.01

$2.38 R 39.19

72.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 MAD 39.08

$3.07 R 50.6

30.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 MAD 8.42

$1.22 R 20.13

-29.51%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 MAD 5.60

$1.10 R 18.10

-48.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 MAD 16.87

$1.74 R 28.66

-0.57%

Eggs

$1.86 MAD 18.16

$2.61 R 42.98

-28.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MAD 97.8

$8.46 R 139

18.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.03 MAD 58.8

$5.17 R 85.1

16.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.75 MAD 105

$7.81 R 129

37.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.50 MAD 14.61

$1.79 R 29.52

-16.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 MAD 12.66

$1.75 R 28.87

-25.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.84 MAD 8.19

$1.73 R 28.50

-51.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 MAD 7.72

$1.79 R 29.47

-55.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 MAD 6.49

$1.44 R 23.75

-53.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 MAD 6.89

$1.52 R 24.97

-53.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.38 MAD 3.73

$1.25 R 20.59

-69.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MAD 5.38

$1.10 R 18.18

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MAD 39.62

$3.43 R 56.5

18.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.25 MAD 70.7

$4.90 R 80.7

47.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 MAD 23.24

$1.53 R 25.21

55.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 MAD 27.12

$2.00 R 32.96

39.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 MAD 4.77

$1.57 R 25.85

-68.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.27 MAD 198

$59.7 R 983

-66.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.71 MAD 6.88

$1.07 R 17.58

-33.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 MAD 7.28

$1.04 R 17.17

-27.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.22 MAD 50.9

$7.74 R 128

-32.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 MAD 14.64

$1.50 R 24.75

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

$30.9K MAD 301.1K

$36.4K R 600.2K

-15.22%

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

$30.9K MAD 300.9K

$33.1K R 545.0K

-6.70%

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

$40.14 MAD 391

$132 R 2,172

-69.55%

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

$10.88 MAD 106

$35.19 R 580

-69.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.30 MAD 364

$39.82 R 656

-6.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.00 MAD 244

$33.82 R 557

-26.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.22 MAD 187

$11.61 R 191

65.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.25 MAD 60.9

$7.15 R 118

-12.59%

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

$136 MAD 1,325

$227 R 3,740

-40.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,223 MAD 41.2K

$5,604 R 92.3K

-24.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.53 MAD 346

$53.1 R 874

-33.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.02 MAD 410

$34.46 R 568

21.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 MAD 809

$102 R 1,680

-18.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.2 MAD 606

$90.0 R 1,482

-30.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 MAD 3,479

$488 R 8,036

-26.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$208 MAD 2,031

$403 R 6,634

-48.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$604 MAD 5,893

$960 R 15.8K

-37.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 MAD 3,559

$824 R 13.6K

-55.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,565 MAD 15.3K

$1,115 R 18.4K

40.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$968 MAD 9,436

$803 R 13.2K

20.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$455 MAD 4,431

$1,482 R 24.4K

-69.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.7

11.23

-58.15%

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

Last update for Morocco: October 20, 2026

Last update for South Africa: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Morocco

$208 27.5%

South Africa

$403 33.2% 93.3% $194

Groceries & Markets

Morocco

$187 24.8%

South Africa

$198 16.3% 5.5% $10

Eating Out

Morocco

$108 14.2%

South Africa

$161 13.3% 49.5% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Morocco

$100 13.3%

South Africa

$126 10.4% 25.5% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Morocco

$88 11.7%

South Africa

$207 17% 134% $119

Sport & Entertainment

Morocco

$38 5%

South Africa

$48 4% 28.3% $11

Getting Around

Morocco

$27 3.5%

South Africa

$72 6% 171% $46

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $278 in Morocco vs $421 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $522 in Rabat and $1,021 in Cape Town.

Average salary: $403 in Morocco vs $1,487 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 51% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 52% more in South Africa.

Salaries are 269% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Morocco

🇿🇦 South Africa

🕒 Local time

11:00 11:00 AM

12:00 12:00 PM

1 h ahead of Morocco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,076,584

62,027,503

💱 Currency

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 MAD = 10.26 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇦 Moroccan Dirham (د.م.)

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).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to MAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Morocco South Africa 7,830 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Morocco
South Africa

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 South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Morocco is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 60% lower on average.

Housing costs more in South Africa: a central one-bedroom averages $421 versus $278 in Morocco.

$1,200 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.