Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tangier and Essaouira

For one person, living is cheaper in Essaouira: $781 a month against $987 in Tangier, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Tangier
Learn more

Tangier Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Essaouira
Learn more

Essaouira Living Index

Jump to prices

Tangier

🇲🇦 Morocco

$987

/mo nomad

Essaouira

🇲🇦 Morocco

$781

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tangier and in Essaouira

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tangier and in Essaouira actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $987 per month in Tangier vs $781 in Essaouira, rent included.

Tangier $987
Essaouira $781

A couple spends around $1,506 per month in Tangier vs $1,172 in Essaouira, rent included.

Tangier $1,506
Essaouira $1,172

A family of three spends $2,025 per month in Tangier vs $1,563 in Essaouira, rent included.

Tangier $2,025
Essaouira $1,563

Tangier costs about 26% more than Essaouira, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Tangier and Essaouira are more affordable than the global median – Tangier 27% lower, Essaouira 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.10 MAD 49.75

$4.52 MAD 44.11

12.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.47 MAD 356

$18.78 MAD 183

94.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.14 MAD 69.6

$7.36 MAD 71.8

-2.99%

Cappuccino

$2.19 MAD 21.33

$1.33 MAD 12.92

64.66%

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

$0.78 MAD 7.60

$0.46 MAD 4.49

69.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MAD 3.77

$0.37 MAD 3.64

5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.25 MAD 60.9

$5.10 MAD 49.73

22.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 MAD 49.31

$4.39 MAD 42.83

15.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 MAD 10.33

$0.91 MAD 8.87

16.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 MAD 10.91

$0.52 MAD 5.08

115.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MAD 16.36

$1.67 MAD 16.33

0.60%

Eggs

$1.90 MAD 18.52

$1.62 MAD 15.76

17.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 MAD 96.6

$8.12 MAD 79.1

22.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.13 MAD 69.5

$5.92 MAD 57.8

20.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MAD 125

$10.67 MAD 104

20.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 MAD 14.90

$1.28 MAD 12.50

19.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MAD 13.88

$1.17 MAD 11.45

21.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.73 MAD 7.09

$0.66 MAD 6.45

10.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.77 MAD 7.50

$0.77 MAD 7.48

Potato (1kg)

$0.60 MAD 5.87

$0.58 MAD 5.67

3.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 MAD 6.67

$0.70 MAD 6.79

-2.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.50 MAD 4.87

$0.35 MAD 3.41

42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MAD 5.43

$0.59 MAD 5.72

-5.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MAD 39.63

$3.85 MAD 37.58

5.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.09 MAD 88.7

$5.98 MAD 58.3

52.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 MAD 35.71

$1.70 MAD 16.58

115.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 MAD 38.36

$2.09 MAD 20.34

88.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 MAD 3.86

$0.85 MAD 8.32

-52.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.07 MAD 147

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 MAD 6.83

$0.62 MAD 6.09

12.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 MAD 8.53

$0.64 MAD 6.23

35.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.01 MAD 87.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MAD 14.32

$1.48 MAD 14.46

-0.68%

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

$30.9K MAD 301.5K

$31.0K MAD 302.6K

-0.36%

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

$31.3K MAD 304.9K

$32.1K MAD 313.0K

-2.58%

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

$74.2 MAD 724

$24.14 MAD 235

207.50%

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

$13.39 MAD 131

$16.96 MAD 165

-21.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 MAD 386

$29.95 MAD 292

32.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.85 MAD 281

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.31 MAD 354

Cinema Ticket

$7.25 MAD 70.7

$5.10 MAD 49.70

42.16%

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

$91.7 MAD 894

$67.8 MAD 661

35.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,048 MAD 59.0K

$1,803 MAD 17.6K

235.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.89 MAD 350

$29.33 MAD 286

22.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.56 MAD 473

$42.93 MAD 419

13.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 MAD 958

$59.1 MAD 576

66.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 MAD 1,001

$40.42 MAD 394

154.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 MAD 4,646

$386 MAD 3,760

23.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$312 MAD 3,046

$334 MAD 3,259

-6.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$869 MAD 8,477

$913 MAD 8,905

-4.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 MAD 4,870

$569 MAD 5,547

-12.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,772 MAD 17.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,198 MAD 11.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$488 MAD 4,758

$254 MAD 2,479

91.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.67

6.5

-43.54%

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

Last update for Tangier: October 18, 2026

Last update for Essaouira: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tangier

$312 31.7%

Essaouira

$334 42.8% 7% $22

Groceries & Markets

Tangier

$219 22.2%

Essaouira

$170 21.7% 22.6% $50

Eating Out

Tangier

$135 13.6%

Essaouira

$112 14.3% 16.9% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Tangier

$128 13%

Essaouira

$77 9.9% 39.8% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tangier

$127 12.9%

Essaouira

$71 9.1% 44.2% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Tangier

$43 4.4%

Essaouira

$10 * 1.3% 76.5% $33

Getting Around

Tangier

$22 2.2%

Essaouira

$7.2 * 0.9% 66.7% $15

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Tangier versus $386 in Essaouira. 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 92% higher in Tangier, 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 $36.00 in Tangier versus $19.00 in Essaouira. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $219 vs $170 – making Essaouira the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Tangier

🇲🇦 Essaouira

🕒 Local time

15:54 3:54 PM

Same time as Tangier

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

947,952

77,966

💱 Currency

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

100 MAD = 10.26 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

100 MAD = 10.26 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tangier Essaouira 600 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Tangier
Essaouira

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

Tangier vs Essaouira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tangier is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,480 per month in Tangier and $1,172 in Essaouira. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Tangier and $19.00 in Essaouira. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% more in Tangier, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Essaouira, where all-in costs run around $781, than in Tangier at $987. In Essaouira it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tangier it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Essaouira – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Essaouira. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tangier makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.