Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rabat and Meknes

For one person, living is cheaper in Meknes: $732 a month against $921 in Rabat, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Meknes
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Meknes Living Index

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Rabat

🇲🇦 Morocco

$921

/mo nomad

Meknes

🇲🇦 Morocco

$732

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rabat and in Meknes

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $921 in Rabat versus $732 in Meknes.

Rabat $921
Meknes $732

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,498 in Rabat versus $1,096 in Meknes.

Rabat $1,498
Meknes $1,096

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,074 in Rabat versus $1,460 in Meknes.

Rabat $2,074
Meknes $1,460

Living in Rabat is roughly 26% more expensive than in Meknes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rabat 32% lower, Meknes 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.99 MAD 39.21

$2.59 MAD 25.49

54.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.46 MAD 408

$15.47 MAD 152

168.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.96 MAD 68.4

$6.21 MAD 61.0

12.08%

Cappuccino

$1.94 MAD 19.04

$1.76 MAD 17.34

10.23%

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

$0.53 MAD 5.25

$0.95 MAD 9.30

-44.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MAD 3.60

$0.55 MAD 5.39

-32.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.19 MAD 51.0

$2.98 MAD 29.29

74.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MAD 30.87

$3.63 MAD 35.71

-13.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 MAD 8.84

$0.80 MAD 7.85

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 MAD 5.93

$0.37 MAD 3.67

62.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MAD 18.85

$1.28 MAD 12.54

50.00%

Eggs

$1.86 MAD 18.24

$1.79 MAD 17.61

3.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 MAD 110

$11.05 MAD 109

1.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 MAD 65.9

$5.13 MAD 50.4

30.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.08 MAD 119

$9.13 MAD 89.8

32.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.55 MAD 15.26

$1.19 MAD 11.69

30.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MAD 14.07

$1.31 MAD 12.91

9.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.81 MAD 7.96

$0.65 MAD 6.35

24.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.82 MAD 8.11

$0.71 MAD 6.97

15.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 MAD 7.06

$0.56 MAD 5.54

28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 MAD 7.36

$0.51 MAD 5.02

47.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.37 MAD 3.61

$0.48 MAD 4.75

-22.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 MAD 6.22

$0.54 MAD 5.30

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MAD 39.93

$3.98 MAD 39.11

2.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 MAD 72.1

$8.07 MAD 79.4

-9.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 MAD 25.20

$2.36 MAD 23.20

8.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 MAD 26.36

$2.61 MAD 25.61

2.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MAD 5.41

$0.39 MAD 3.87

41.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.62 MAD 252

$15.11 MAD 148

69.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 MAD 7.16

$0.69 MAD 6.74

5.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 MAD 7.59

$0.32 MAD 3.17

140.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.13 MAD 40.63

$4.56 MAD 44.84

-9.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MAD 14.96

$1.38 MAD 13.54

10.14%

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

$30.2K MAD 296.4K

$31.0K MAD 304.2K

-2.57%

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

$32.1K MAD 315.4K

$30.4K MAD 298.6K

5.65%

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

$35.47 MAD 349

$45.53 MAD 448

-22.10%

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

$10.21 MAD 100

$9.78 MAD 96.2

4.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 MAD 329

$37.13 MAD 365

-9.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.87 MAD 274

$27.67 MAD 272

0.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.11 MAD 237

$31.74 MAD 312

-24.04%

Cinema Ticket

$5.94 MAD 58.4

$4.18 MAD 41.08

42.11%

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

$180 MAD 1,773

$122 MAD 1,204

47.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,261 MAD 91.0K

$5,612 MAD 55.2K

65.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.83 MAD 460

$58.2 MAD 572

-19.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.60 MAD 399

$44.01 MAD 433

-7.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 MAD 900

$90.6 MAD 890

1.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.0 MAD 648

$60.2 MAD 592

9.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 MAD 5,618

$343 MAD 3,369

66.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$345 MAD 3,394

$207 MAD 2,039

66.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$987 MAD 9,700

$600 MAD 5,898

64.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$687 MAD 6,756

$323 MAD 3,179

112.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,126 MAD 20.9K

$950 MAD 9,337

123.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,214 MAD 11.9K

$592 MAD 5,818

105.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$721 MAD 7,092

$468 MAD 4,604

54.03%

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 Meknes: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rabat

$345 37.5%

Meknes

$207 28.3% 39.9% $138

Groceries & Markets

Rabat

$203 22%

Meknes

$174 23.8% 13.9% $28

Eating Out

Rabat

$112 12.1%

Meknes

$89 12.1% 20.7% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Rabat

$110 12%

Meknes

$114 15.6% 3.3% $3.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rabat

$79 8.6%

Meknes

$92 12.6% 16.7% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Rabat

$40 4.3%

Meknes

$36 4.9% 9.4% $3.7

Getting Around

Rabat

$32 3.5%

Meknes

$19 2.6% 41.4% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $572 in Rabat and $343 in Meknes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rabat pays 54% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $41 in Rabat vs $15 in Meknes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $174 per month, with Meknes cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Rabat

🇲🇦 Meknes

🕒 Local time

20:17 8:17 PM

Same time as Rabat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

573,895 Capital

520,428

💱 Currency

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

100 MAD = 10.17 USD

100 MAD = 9.11 EUR

100 MAD = 10.17 USD

100 MAD = 9.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Rabat Meknes 120 km

From you

Rabat
Meknes

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 Meknes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Meknes wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Rabat. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Meknes the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 54% higher in Rabat, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $572 in Rabat versus $343 in Meknes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Meknes – a meal for two runs $15 versus $41 in Rabat. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $921 per month in Rabat versus $732 in Meknes – Meknes is about 21% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.

Safety-wise, Rabat and Meknes are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Meknes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Rabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.