For one person, living is cheaper in Sale: $625 a month against $912 in Rabat, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 Sale actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $912 per month in Rabat vs $625 in Sale, rent included.
Rabat $912
Sale $625
A couple spends around $1,495 per month in Rabat vs $1,030 in Sale, rent included.
Rabat $1,495
Sale $1,030
A family of three spends $2,078 per month in Rabat vs $1,434 in Sale, rent included.
Rabat $2,078
Sale $1,434
😐
Rabat costs about 46% more than Sale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
Both Rabat and Sale are more affordable than the global median – Rabat33% lower, Sale54% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Rabat
Sale
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.02MAD 39.21
$3.58MAD 34.96
12.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.54MAD 395
$17.72MAD 173
128.78%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.99MAD 68.2
$7.08MAD 69.0
-1.27%
Cappuccino
$2.03MAD 19.84
$1.82MAD 17.71
11.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.57MAD 5.55
$0.53MAD 5.12
7.55%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.36MAD 3.52
$0.30MAD 2.93
20.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.23MAD 51.0
$2.60MAD 25.41
101.15%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10MAD 30.21
$3.10MAD 30.25
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rabat
Sale
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.89MAD 8.73
$0.88MAD 8.55
1.14%
White Bread(500g)
$0.61MAD 5.92
$0.62MAD 6.01
-1.61%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.93MAD 18.81
$1.95MAD 19.00
-1.03%
Eggs
$1.91MAD 18.59
$1.89MAD 18.47
1.06%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$11.25MAD 110
$11.30MAD 110
-0.44%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$6.83MAD 66.6
$6.51MAD 63.5
4.92%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$12.05MAD 117
$12.09MAD 118
-0.33%
Apples(1kg)
$1.59MAD 15.55
$1.38MAD 13.42
15.22%
Banana(1kg)
$1.38MAD 13.50
$1.21MAD 11.81
14.05%
Oranges(1kg)
$0.81MAD 7.92
$0.94MAD 9.20
-13.83%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.82MAD 8.02
$0.88MAD 8.63
-6.82%
Potato(1kg)
$0.72MAD 6.99
$0.70MAD 6.86
2.86%
Onion(1kg)
$0.80MAD 7.77
$0.73MAD 7.13
9.59%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.36MAD 3.53
$0.43MAD 4.18
-16.28%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.60MAD 5.89
$0.62MAD 6.01
-3.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.10MAD 39.96
$3.81MAD 37.12
7.61%
Wine(Bottle)
$7.51MAD 73.3
$4.50MAD 43.85
66.89%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.66MAD 25.98
$2.12MAD 20.67
25.47%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.59MAD 25.25
$2.14MAD 20.84
21.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Rabat
Sale
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.50MAD 4.92
$0.54MAD 5.26
-7.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$25.16MAD 245
$22.81MAD 222
10.30%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.72MAD 7.04
$0.74MAD 7.20
-2.70%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.74MAD 7.21
$0.53MAD 5.20
39.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$4.01MAD 39.14
$4.06MAD 39.56
-1.23%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.53MAD 14.96
$1.46MAD 14.23
4.79%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.2KMAD 294.5K
$30.3KMAD 295.2K
-0.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9KMAD 311.4K
$29.8KMAD 290.6K
7.13%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rabat
Sale
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$36.33MAD 354
$37.19MAD 363
-2.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.94MAD 96.9
$10.04MAD 97.9
-1.00%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.00MAD 332
$40.87MAD 399
-16.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rabat
Sale
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$25.85MAD 252
$16.01MAD 156
61.46%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.47MAD 229
$40.98MAD 400
-42.73%
Cinema Ticket
$6.03MAD 58.9
$5.03MAD 49.09
19.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rabat
Sale
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$181MAD 1,761
$101MAD 984
79.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$13.8KMAD 134.1K
$5,838MAD 56.9K
135.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rabat
Sale
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.10MAD 469
$31.59MAD 308
52.26%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.64MAD 396
$46.56MAD 454
-12.71%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$90.7MAD 885
$71.8MAD 700
26.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$66.7MAD 651
$64.4MAD 628
3.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rabat
Sale
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$565MAD 5,515
$205MAD 1,995
176.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$334MAD 3,259
$100MAD 976
234.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$963MAD 9,391
$356MAD 3,471
170.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$694MAD 6,771
$256MAD 2,499
170.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,132MAD 20.8K
$1,126MAD 11.0K
89.35%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,229MAD 12.0K
$812MAD 7,920
51.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rabat
Sale
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$672MAD 6,555
$508MAD 4,952
32.36%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
4.55
5
-9.00%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Rabat: November 1, 2026
Last update for Sale: October 31, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Rabat
$334 36.6%
Sale
$100 16% ↓ 70.1%$234
🛒Groceries & Markets
Rabat
$204 22.4%
Sale
$192 30.7% ↓ 5.9%$12
🍽Eating Out
Rabat
$114 12.5%
Sale
$94 15.1% ↓ 17.1%$19
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Rabat
$111 12.1%
Sale
$96 15.4% ↓ 13%$14
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rabat
$80 8.8%
Sale
$88 14.1% ↑ 9.8%$7.8
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Rabat
$38 4.2%
Sale
$26 4.2% ↓ 31.2%$12
🚌Getting Around
Rabat
$32 3.5%
Sale
$28 4.5% ↓ 10.2%$3.2
🏠Accommodation & Living
Rabat
$694 33.4%
Sale
$256 17.9% ↓ 63.1%$438
🛒Groceries & Markets
Rabat
$465 22.4%
Sale
$444 31% ↓ 4.5%$21
🍽Eating Out
Rabat
$419 20.1%
Sale
$270 18.8% ↓ 35.4%$148
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Rabat
$246 11.9%
Sale
$214 14.9% ↓ 13%$32
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rabat
$90 4.3%
Sale
$98 6.8% ↑ 8.8%$7.9
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Rabat
$99 4.8%
Sale
$93 6.5% ↓ 6.2%$6.2
🚌Getting Around
Rabat
$64 3.1%
Sale
$58 4% ↓ 9.9%$6.4
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $565 in Rabat versus $205 in Sale. 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 32% higher in Rabat, 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 in Rabat versus $18 in Sale. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $204 vs $192 – making Sale the more affordable choice for daily food spending.
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 Sale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Rabat or Sale?
Rabat costs about 46% more than Sale, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Rabat and in Sale?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,368 per month in Rabat and $938 in Sale. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Rabat or Sale?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sale, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $205 there versus $565 in Rabat.
How expensive is transport in Rabat compared to Sale?
Public transport costs about 9% less in Sale. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Rabat and in Sale?
Kindergarten costs $181 per month in Rabat and $101 in Sale. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $800/month in Rabat or in Sale?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Sale, where all-in costs run around $625, than in Rabat at $912. In Sale it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rabat it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Sale – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Rabat compared to Sale?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Rabat or to Sale?
If budget matters most, go with Sale. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rabat makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.