Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Morocco Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Morocco

Name: Morocco
Address: MA

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,144 per month in South Africa vs $740 in Morocco, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,780 per month in South Africa vs $1,149 in Morocco, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,415 per month in South Africa vs $1,558 in Morocco, rent included.

The cost of living in South Africa is about 55% higher than in Morocco on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both South Africa and Morocco are more affordable than the global median – South Africa 17% lower, Morocco 46% lower.

The regional cost range is wider in South Africa ($636–$1,831) than in Morocco ($576–$1,045), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.96 R 175

$4.39 MAD 41.11

149.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.98 R 702

$27.45 MAD 257

60.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.02 R 96.0

$7.18 MAD 67.1

-16.16%

Cappuccino

$2.46 R 39.20

$1.77 MAD 16.54

38.98%

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

$1.15 R 18.27

$0.72 MAD 6.70

59.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 14.97

$0.42 MAD 3.91

123.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 R 40.03

$4.20 MAD 39.30

-40.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 R 50.3

$4.37 MAD 40.84

-27.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 R 20.03

$0.90 MAD 8.39

40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 R 18.40

$0.64 MAD 6.00

79.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 R 28.45

$1.81 MAD 16.98

-1.66%

Eggs

$2.63 R 41.97

$1.89 MAD 17.72

39.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.31 R 133

$10.09 MAD 94.4

-17.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.34 R 85.1

$6.14 MAD 57.5

-13.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.81 R 125

$11.54 MAD 108

-32.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 R 30.27

$1.49 MAD 13.97

27.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.09

$1.42 MAD 13.32

19.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 R 27.42

$0.86 MAD 8.07

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 R 29.81

$0.83 MAD 7.78

125.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 R 24.30

$0.69 MAD 6.41

120.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 R 23.93

$0.76 MAD 7.09

97.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 R 19.99

$0.44 MAD 4.11

184.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 18.57

$0.62 MAD 5.81

87.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 R 53.1

$4.25 MAD 39.72

-21.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.18 R 82.6

$8.07 MAD 75.5

-35.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 R 24.87

$2.68 MAD 25.04

-41.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 R 32.27

$2.94 MAD 27.49

-31.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.84 R 29.34

$0.52 MAD 4.85

253.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.3 R 978

$21.89 MAD 205

180.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.08

$0.77 MAD 7.18

46.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.29

$0.77 MAD 7.18

16.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 R 122

$5.42 MAD 50.7

41.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 R 23.03

$1.50 MAD 14.03

-4.00%

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

$36.5K R 583.0K

$35.1K MAD 328.6K

4.04%

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

$32.1K R 511.7K

$31.4K MAD 294.1K

2.03%

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

$132 R 2,103

$39.33 MAD 368

235.19%

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

$35.05 R 559

$11.45 MAD 107

206.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.77 R 650

$39.98 MAD 374

1.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.05 R 543

$26.51 MAD 248

28.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.06 R 192

$21.09 MAD 197

-42.82%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 R 119

$6.48 MAD 60.7

14.81%

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

$232 R 3,701

$141 MAD 1,320

64.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,509 R 87.9K

$4,158 MAD 38.9K

32.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 R 861

$37.75 MAD 353

42.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.03 R 559

$44.24 MAD 414

-20.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 R 1,662

$86.9 MAD 813

19.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.0 R 1,420

$65.7 MAD 614

35.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 R 7,947

$369 MAD 3,455

34.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,671

$218 MAD 2,040

91.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$991 R 15.8K

$632 MAD 5,914

56.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 R 13.2K

$375 MAD 3,509

121.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,136 R 18.1K

$1,623 MAD 15.2K

-29.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$815 R 13.0K

$1,032 MAD 9,655

-21.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,548 R 24.7K

$496 MAD 4,643

211.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.23

4.72

137.92%

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

Last update for South Africa: August 30, 2026

Last update for Morocco: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $432 in South Africa vs $286 in Morocco. For reference, capital cities sit at $333 in Bloemfontein and $514 in Rabat.

Average salary: $1,547 in South Africa vs $428 in Morocco. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 51% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 54% more in South Africa.

Salaries are 261% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

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

South Africa vs Morocco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Morocco is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 52% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in South Africa, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but South Africa consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Morocco, contributing to the overall 52% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Morocco, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Morocco is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.