Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rabat and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Rabat: $834 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Rabat
Learn more

Rabat Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
Learn more

Cape Town Living Index

Jump to prices

Rabat

🇲🇦 Morocco

$834

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rabat and in Cape Town

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

A single person spends $834 per month in Rabat vs $1,568 in Cape Town, rent included.

Rabat $834
Cape Town $1,568

A couple spends around $1,433 per month in Rabat vs $2,438 in Cape Town, rent included.

Rabat $1,433
Cape Town $2,438

A family of three spends $2,031 per month in Rabat vs $3,307 in Cape Town, rent included.

Rabat $2,031
Cape Town $3,307

Rabat is about 47% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Rabat sits 38% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.27 MAD 42.37

$11.78 R 195

-63.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.69 MAD 404

$46.55 R 772

-12.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.91 MAD 68.6

$5.96 R 98.9

15.94%

Cappuccino

$1.92 MAD 19.00

$2.47 R 41.01

-22.27%

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

$0.56 MAD 5.58

$1.33 R 22.03

-57.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 MAD 3.49

$1.03 R 17.08

-66.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 MAD 50.2

$3.01 R 49.98

68.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 MAD 30.65

$3.66 R 60.8

-15.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 MAD 8.53

$1.39 R 23.08

-38.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 MAD 6.41

$1.19 R 19.70

-45.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MAD 18.94

$2.11 R 35.02

-9.48%

Eggs

$1.84 MAD 18.28

$3.01 R 49.84

-38.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.01 MAD 109

$8.96 R 149

22.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.63 MAD 65.8

$6.65 R 110

-0.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.99 MAD 119

$9.29 R 154

29.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.59 MAD 15.78

$1.83 R 30.28

-13.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 MAD 13.44

$1.90 R 31.47

-28.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 MAD 8.23

$1.75 R 28.98

-52.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.88 MAD 8.74

$2.09 R 34.59

-57.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 MAD 7.06

$1.55 R 25.78

-54.19%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 MAD 7.80

$1.49 R 24.65

-46.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 MAD 3.90

$1.30 R 21.53

-70.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MAD 5.76

$1.16 R 19.29

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MAD 40.64

$3.71 R 61.5

10.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.14 MAD 70.9

$6.06 R 101

17.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 MAD 26.02

$1.39 R 22.97

88.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MAD 25.90

$2.20 R 36.51

18.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 MAD 4.86

$1.51 R 25.11

-67.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.98 MAD 248

$61.0 R 1,011

-59.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 MAD 7.13

$0.63 R 10.38

14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MAD 5.76

$1.53 R 25.42

-62.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MAD 14.64

$1.58 R 26.22

-6.33%

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

$30.2K MAD 299.3K

$35.5K R 588.7K

-14.99%

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

$29.6K MAD 293.6K

$31.7K R 526.6K

-6.76%

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

$35.22 MAD 349

$116 R 1,930

-69.74%

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

$9.44 MAD 93.7

$28.37 R 471

-66.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.23 MAD 330

$40.69 R 675

-18.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.99 MAD 278

$48.85 R 810

-42.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.54 MAD 233

$11.13 R 185

111.50%

Cinema Ticket

$5.97 MAD 59.2

$8.83 R 146

-32.39%

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

$180 MAD 1,786

$261 R 4,336

-31.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,210 MAD 91.3K

$6,702 R 111.2K

37.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.06 MAD 457

$55.4 R 919

-16.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.15 MAD 388

$32.27 R 535

21.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 MAD 906

$118 R 1,949

-22.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.9 MAD 644

$107 R 1,775

-39.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$521 MAD 5,171

$1,015 R 16.8K

-48.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$268 MAD 2,661

$715 R 11.9K

-62.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MAD 9,485

$1,801 R 29.9K

-46.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$686 MAD 6,809

$1,330 R 22.1K

-48.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,967 MAD 19.5K

$2,331 R 38.7K

-15.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,136 MAD 11.3K

$1,513 R 25.1K

-24.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$695 MAD 6,893

$1,636 R 27.1K

-57.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.52

10.97

-58.80%

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

Last update for Rabat: October 3, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rabat

$268 32%

Cape Town

$715 45.3% 167% $447

Groceries & Markets

Rabat

$201 23.9%

Cape Town

$222 14.1% 10.7% $22

Eating Out

Rabat

$113 13.5%

Cape Town

$174 11% 53.6% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Rabat

$109 13%

Cape Town

$141 8.9% 29.3% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rabat

$78 9.3%

Cape Town

$185 11.7% 138% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Rabat

$40 4.8%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 66.6% $27

Getting Around

Rabat

$31 3.6%

Cape Town

$75 4.8% 146% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $521 in Rabat versus $1,015 in Cape Town. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 135% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $41.00 in Rabat versus $47.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $201 vs $222 – making Rabat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Rabat

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

06:02 6:02 AM

07:02 7:02 AM

1 h ahead of Rabat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

573,895 Capital

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 MAD = 10.08 USD

100 MAD = 8.99 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.03 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.92 MAD (1 MAD = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.12 MAD (100 MAD = 8.99 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.59 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.03 USD). 1 EUR = 18.6 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR).

USD to MAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rabat Cape Town 8,000 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Rabat
Cape Town

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 Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 88% more than Rabat, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,251 per month in Rabat and $2,352 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rabat, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $834 in Rabat and $1,568 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 88%.

Public transport costs about 144% less in Rabat. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Rabat, where all-in costs run around $834, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Rabat it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rabat costs $834 versus $1,568 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Rabat. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.