Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rabat and Ait Melloul

For one person, living is cheaper in Ait Melloul: $693 a month against $921 in Rabat, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Rabat, Morocco
Ait Melloul, Morocco
Rabat
🇲🇦 Morocco
$921
/mo nomad
Ait Melloul
🇲🇦 Morocco
$693
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rabat and in Ait Melloul

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $921 in Rabat versus $693 in Ait Melloul.

  • Rabat $921
  • Ait Melloul $693

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,498 in Rabat versus $1,042 in Ait Melloul.

  • Rabat $1,498
  • Ait Melloul $1,042

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,074 in Rabat versus $1,392 in Ait Melloul.

  • Rabat $2,074
  • Ait Melloul $1,392

Living in Rabat is roughly 33% more expensive than in Ait Melloul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rabat 32% lower, Ait Melloul 49% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rabat
Ait Melloul
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.99 MAD 39.30
$3.88 MAD 38.21
2.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$41.46 MAD 408
$25.49 MAD 251
62.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.96 MAD 68.6
$6.07 MAD 59.8
14.66%
Cappuccino
$1.94 MAD 19.08
$2.17 MAD 21.38
-10.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 MAD 5.26
$0.88 MAD 8.63
-39.77%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37 MAD 3.61
$0.37 MAD 3.61
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.19 MAD 51.1
$5.18 MAD 51.0
0.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.14 MAD 30.93
$4.38 MAD 43.18
-28.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rabat
Ait Melloul
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.90 MAD 8.86
$0.80 MAD 7.83
12.50%
White Bread (500g)
$0.60 MAD 5.95
$0.50 MAD 4.91
20.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.92 MAD 18.89
$1.49 MAD 14.63
28.86%
Eggs
$1.86 MAD 18.28
$1.68 MAD 16.57
10.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.16 MAD 110
$7.62 MAD 75.1
46.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.71 MAD 66.1
$5.28 MAD 52.0
27.08%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.08 MAD 119
$11.44 MAD 113
5.59%
Apples (1kg)
$1.55 MAD 15.29
$1.29 MAD 12.70
20.16%
Banana (1kg)
$1.43 MAD 14.10
$1.13 MAD 11.12
26.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.81 MAD 7.97
$0.90 MAD 8.90
-10.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.82 MAD 8.13
$0.77 MAD 7.63
6.49%
Potato (1kg)
$0.72 MAD 7.07
$0.71 MAD 6.99
1.41%
Onion (1kg)
$0.75 MAD 7.37
$0.75 MAD 7.42
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.37 MAD 3.62
$0.25 MAD 2.47
48.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63 MAD 6.24
$0.54 MAD 5.32
16.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.06 MAD 40.02
$4.12 MAD 40.59
-1.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.33 MAD 72.2
$7.52 MAD 74.1
-2.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.56 MAD 25.25
$2.30 MAD 22.64
11.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68 MAD 26.41
$3.36 MAD 33.08
-20.24%
🚌 Getting Around
Rabat
Ait Melloul
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MAD 5.42
$0.42 MAD 4.13
30.95%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.62 MAD 252
$19.47 MAD 192
31.59%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.73 MAD 7.18
$0.64 MAD 6.31
14.06%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.77 MAD 7.61
$0.63 MAD 6.24
22.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.13 MAD 40.71
$7.15 MAD 70.5
-42.24%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 MAD 14.99
$1.47 MAD 14.48
3.40%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.2K MAD 297.1K
$30.5K MAD 300.8K
-1.25%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.1K MAD 316.1K
$30.9K MAD 304.3K
3.87%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rabat
Ait Melloul
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$35.47 MAD 349
$24.05 MAD 237
47.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.21 MAD 101
$8.97 MAD 88.4
13.82%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.51 MAD 330
$28.86 MAD 284
16.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rabat
Ait Melloul
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$27.87 MAD 275
$22.95 MAD 226
21.44%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.11 MAD 238
$23.46 MAD 231
2.77%
Cinema Ticket
$5.94 MAD 58.5
$5.14 MAD 50.7
15.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rabat
Ait Melloul
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$180 MAD 1,777
$68.6 MAD 676
162.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,261 MAD 91.2K
$1,845 MAD 18.2K
401.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rabat
Ait Melloul
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.83 MAD 461
$31.19 MAD 307
50.14%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.60 MAD 400
$43.82 MAD 432
-7.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.6 MAD 902
$57.7 MAD 568
58.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$66.0 MAD 650
$46.44 MAD 457
42.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rabat
Ait Melloul
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$572 MAD 5,630
$284 MAD 2,798
101.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$345 MAD 3,402
$203 MAD 2,000
70.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$987 MAD 9,721
$436 MAD 4,295
126.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$687 MAD 6,771
$259 MAD 2,550
165.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,126 MAD 20.9K
$1,153 MAD 11.4K
84.38%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,214 MAD 12.0K
$812 MAD 8,000
49.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rabat
Ait Melloul
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$721 MAD 7,107
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.55
4.5
1.11%

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

Last update for Rabat: October 27, 2026

Last update for Ait Melloul: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Rabat
$345
Ait Melloul
$203 41.2% $142
Groceries & Markets
Rabat
$203
Ait Melloul
$174 14% $28
Eating Out
Rabat
$112
Ait Melloul
$115 2.7% $3
Clothing & Footwear
Rabat
$110
Ait Melloul
$81 26.9% $30
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rabat
$79
Ait Melloul
$62 21.9% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Rabat
$40
Ait Melloul
$33 16.4% $6.5
Getting Around
Rabat
$32
Ait Melloul
$25 23% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $572 in Rabat and $284 in Ait Melloul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $41 in Rabat vs $25 in Ait Melloul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $174 per month, with Ait Melloul cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇦 Rabat
🇲🇦 Ait Melloul
🕒 Local time
23:03 11:03 PM
23:03 11:03 PM
Same time as Rabat
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
573,895 Capital
171,847
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 9.85 MAD (1 MAD = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.98 MAD (100 MAD = 9.11 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rabat Ait Melloul 480 km
From you
  • Rabat
  • Ait Melloul

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
Rabat vs Ait Melloul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ait Melloul cheaper than Rabat?
Ait Melloul is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, groceries, and transport. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,382 in Rabat and $1,039 in Ait Melloul to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Rabat and Ait Melloul?
Rent for a central apartment: $572 in Rabat versus $284 in Ait Melloul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $180 in Rabat versus $69 in Ait Melloul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Rabat and in Ait Melloul?
Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Rabat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is it better to live in Rabat or in Ait Melloul?
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.
Which city is safer, Rabat or Ait Melloul?
Safety-wise, Rabat and Ait Melloul are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Ait Melloul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Rabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Rabat vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?