Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rabat and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Rabat: $912 a month against $1,371 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Rabat
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Rabat Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Rabat

🇲🇦 Morocco

$912

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,371

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rabat and in Bucharest

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $912 in Rabat versus $1,371 in Bucharest.

Rabat $912
Bucharest $1,371

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,495 in Rabat versus $2,067 in Bucharest.

Rabat $1,495
Bucharest $2,067

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,078 in Rabat versus $2,764 in Bucharest.

Rabat $2,078
Bucharest $2,764

Living in Rabat costs roughly 33% less than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.02 MAD 39.19

$14.51 RON 69.0

-72.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.54 MAD 395

$61.2 RON 291

-33.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.99 MAD 68.1

$7.46 RON 35.50

-6.30%

Cappuccino

$2.03 MAD 19.83

$3.64 RON 17.33

-44.23%

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

$0.57 MAD 5.55

$2.62 RON 12.44

-78.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MAD 3.52

$2.36 RON 11.24

-84.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.23 MAD 51.0

$3.78 RON 18.00

38.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 MAD 30.20

$4.11 RON 19.54

-24.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 MAD 8.72

$1.66 RON 7.90

-46.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.61 MAD 5.92

$1.40 RON 6.64

-56.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MAD 18.80

$1.79 RON 8.54

7.82%

Eggs

$1.91 MAD 18.58

$3.63 RON 17.27

-47.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.25 MAD 110

$8.92 RON 42.43

26.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 MAD 66.6

$6.86 RON 32.65

-0.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.05 MAD 117

$11.99 RON 57.0

0.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.59 MAD 15.54

$1.30 RON 6.17

22.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MAD 13.50

$1.63 RON 7.77

-15.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.81 MAD 7.92

$1.49 RON 7.10

-45.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.82 MAD 8.01

$2.54 RON 12.09

-67.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 MAD 6.99

$0.81 RON 3.86

-11.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 MAD 7.77

$0.80 RON 3.79

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.36 MAD 3.53

$0.86 RON 4.07

-58.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 MAD 5.88

$0.94 RON 4.46

-36.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MAD 39.94

$6.60 RON 31.42

-37.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.51 MAD 73.2

$6.33 RON 30.11

18.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 MAD 25.97

$1.19 RON 5.64

123.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 MAD 25.24

$1.58 RON 7.54

63.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 MAD 4.92

$0.98 RON 4.64

-48.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.16 MAD 245

$20.91 RON 99.5

20.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 MAD 7.03

$0.60 RON 2.86

20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 MAD 7.21

$0.62 RON 2.93

19.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 MAD 39.12

$6.37 RON 30.28

-37.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MAD 14.96

$2.02 RON 9.63

-24.26%

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

$30.2K MAD 294.4K

$28.2K RON 134.1K

7.07%

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

$31.9K MAD 311.2K

$26.3K RON 125.0K

21.49%

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

$36.33 MAD 354

$196 RON 933

-81.48%

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

$9.94 MAD 96.9

$8.60 RON 40.89

15.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.00 MAD 331

$9.20 RON 43.74

269.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.85 MAD 252

$51.0 RON 243

-49.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.47 MAD 229

$25.04 RON 119

-6.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.03 MAD 58.8

$8.26 RON 39.31

-27.00%

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

$181 MAD 1,761

$681 RON 3,237

-73.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K MAD 134.1K

$18.7K RON 89.1K

-26.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.10 MAD 469

$93.3 RON 444

-48.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.64 MAD 396

$39.87 RON 190

1.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 MAD 884

$80.1 RON 381

13.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.7 MAD 651

$90.6 RON 431

-26.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$565 MAD 5,512

$731 RON 3,477

-22.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 MAD 3,258

$470 RON 2,234

-28.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MAD 9,386

$1,110 RON 5,282

-13.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$694 MAD 6,767

$722 RON 3,435

-3.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,132 MAD 20.8K

$3,749 RON 17.8K

-43.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,229 MAD 12.0K

$2,233 RON 10.6K

-44.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$672 MAD 6,551

$1,365 RON 6,494

-50.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.55

6.75

-32.59%

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

Last update for Rabat: November 1, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rabat

$334 36.6%

Bucharest

$470 34.3% 40.6% $136

Groceries & Markets

Rabat

$204 22.4%

Bucharest

$225 16.4% 10.2% $21

Eating Out

Rabat

$114 12.5%

Bucharest

$229 16.7% 102% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Rabat

$111 12.1%

Bucharest

$137 10% 23.5% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rabat

$80 8.8%

Bucharest

$214 15.6% 167% $134

Sport & Entertainment

Rabat

$38 4.2%

Bucharest

$68 4.9% 78.1% $30

Getting Around

Rabat

$32 3.5%

Bucharest

$29 2.1% 9.8% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $565 in Rabat and $731 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays about 2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $41 in Rabat vs $61 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $225 per month, with Rabat cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Rabat

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

18:30 6:30 PM

20:30 8:30 PM

2 h ahead of Rabat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

573,895 Capital

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 MAD = 10.26 USD

100 MAD = 9.13 EUR

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇦 Moroccan Dirham (د.م.)

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.95 MAD (100 MAD = 9.13 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 4.76 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to MAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rabat Bucharest 3,040 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Rabat
Bucharest

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 Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $912 in Rabat and $1,371 in Bucharest, so Rabat is about 33% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 51% lower in Rabat. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $565 in Rabat versus $731 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $912 per month in Rabat versus $1,371 in Bucharest – Rabat is about 33% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 17% less than in Rabat. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Rabat is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Rabat wins on affordability, Bucharest on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.