Discovering the prices in Morocco is crucial for any traveler planning a visit. Questions about the cost of renting accommodations, purchasing food, dining out, and enjoying entertainment naturally arise. Additionally, understanding the average income of Moroccan residents provides insight into the country’s standard of living.
Therefore, we have compiled an overview of prices in Morocco, covering essential expenses such as public transport, restaurant dining, rent, and healthcare. This comprehensive guide aims to assist travelers and individuals alike in budgeting for their Moroccan experience.
*1 euro is approximately equal to 11 Moroccan Dirhams
*1 dollar is approximately equal to 10 Moroccan Dirhams
Food prices in supermarkets
Food prices in Morocco are comparable to international prices. However, the selection and quality of vegetables, fruits, meat, and seafood in Morocco are much better. Here are some grocery prices in Morocco:
- oranges: 4-6 DH/kg
- apples: 10-15 DH/kg
- strawberry: 15-25 DH/kg
- potatoes, carrots, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers: 4-6 dx/kg
- beef (on the bone/tenderloin): 60-120 dx/kg
- fish: 60-120 DH/kg
- chicken: 40 DH/kg
- eggs (ten): 15 DH
- milk (liter): 7 DH
- bread (round Moroccan or baguette): 2-6 dx
- bottle of mineral water 0.5 l: 2.5-3.5 DH
- butter: 20 DH/200 g
- imported cheese: from 200 DH/kg
Prices in restaurants and cafes
You can eat or eat in Morocco from 10 to 1000 Dirhams. For 10 Dirhams in a street restaurant, you can buy a plate of beans in tomato sauce, a sandwich, or a couple of hearty spring rolls (msmen). For 50 DH, you can dine like an average office worker: take a snack, tagine, and tea in a simple restaurant. At 100 DH, you can eat like a tourist or an upper-middle-income Moroccan: in a clean restaurant with an exciting interior and view and a menu with a large selection. For 250-450 DH, you can eat in an upscale restaurant with entertainment and alcohol. Well, dinner at one of the best gastronomic restaurants in the country will cost 1000 DH!
A cup of coffee or a pot of Moroccan tea at a street cafe costs an average of 10 to 20 Dirhams. For the same price, you can drink a glass of excellent freshly squeezed juice (exceptional establishments offer up to 20-30 varieties).
Rental prices
Numerous visitors enjoy their time in Morocco so much that they consider returning for the winter or settling permanently in the country. In this case, the main expense item, of course, will be rent. In major cities (Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakech…), the cost of renting an apartment with 1 bedroom and a living room starts from 2000 DH per month for an unfurnished apartment in a remote area. A budget apartment with furniture near the center can be rented for 4000 DH. Expat housing options in good locations and luxury residences with quality finishes and furnishings start at 6,000 DH and go up to 10,000 DH in Casablanca. You can also rent a villa with a pool near the ocean in Rabat or Casablanca’s suburbs for 10,000 DH. To the cost of renting an apartment, you must add the payment for water, electricity, Internet, and concierge,
The cost of mobile communications and the Internet
Depending on your needs, a mobile Internet connection in Morocco will cost 100-200 Dirhams per month (10-20 hours of calls + 10-20 GB of Internet). Home Internet ADSL will cost 100-200 DH per month. Fiber optic Internet with a speed of 100-200 Mbps and unlimited phone calls – 500-1000 DH per month.
Public transport prices
The most famous urban transport in Morocco is a small taxi (petit taxi). A trip on such a taxi around the city will cost 10-20 Dirhams (payment by the meter). There is only so much to do in Morocco’s cities besides taking a tiny taxi because there isn’t an excellent public transportation system. Taking multiple daily trips can add up to a decent amount. You can travel between cities by bus or train.
Train travel cost:
- Casablanca – Rabat (1 hour): 45 days
- Casablanca – Marrakech (2.5-3 hours): 100 DH
- Casablanca – Fez (4 hours): 120 DH
Bus travel cost:
- Marrakech – Agadir (3h): 100 DH
- Marrakech – Essaouira (3h): 80-100 DH
- Marrakech – Ouarzazate (4.5 h): 100 DH
Prices for alcohol and cigarettes
Alcohol and cigarettes in Morocco are sold in a limited number of stores, are subject to high excise taxes, and are expensive. Approximate prices:
- beer Heineken or Casablanca (0.25 l): 20-25 DH
- local wine of average or good quality (0.75 l): 100-150 DH
- Marlboro cigarettes: 33 DH
The cost of leisure, sports, culture, and nightlife
In Morocco, leisure and entertainment can be significant expenses. An annual subscription to a fitness club of the standard we are used to will cost 10,000 DH per year. You can go to a fitness club for 2000 DH a year, but you have to put up with poor hygiene, cramped rooms, and a lack of ventilation and air conditioning.
So popular with us, yoga is an exotic hobby for the wealthy in Morocco. One lesson in a yoga studio will cost 150-200 Dirhams. If you like running or cycling, a few places in Morocco are suitable. There are just as few opportunities to develop your talents in music, dance, drawing, and other hobbies.
Nightlife in Morocco– is an expensive pleasure and is concentrated only in 2 cities: Casablanca and Marrakech. Liquor licenses are difficult to obtain and costly, hence the high cost of nightclubs. A bottle of beer, coca-cola, or water in a lounge will cost 100 Dirhams, and more potent alcohol will cost even more. Some establishments may charge an additional entrance fee of 100-200 Dirhams. Of course, there are cheaper bars and clubs, but you probably don’t want to go to them.
Cultural life in the cities of Morocco is less rich than ours, but it has enough exciting events. For a nominal fee of 20 to 100 DH, you can watch concerts and performances in theaters and cultural centers of Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech, and Tangier. Major cities of Morocco host many interesting music festivals with the participation of world stars: Mawazine in Rabat, Tanjazz in Tangier, Jazzablanca in Casablanca, and others. Many of these events are accessible or more affordable than ours.
Prices for car rental and gasoline
Renting a small car in Morocco will cost 200 DH per day. It is better to rent in small agencies that offer lower prices and flexible conditions (look for recommendations on travel forums). For 300 DH per day, you can rent a Dacia Duster diesel car. The cost of a liter of gasoline in Morocco is 10 DH, and diesel – is 8 DH.
The budget for traveling by car must also include parking, which is paid for absolutely everywhere in Morocco. For each stop (even for 5 minutes), you will have to pay parking attendants 2 dirhams for fenced parking near tourist attractions – from 10 hh, overnight parking – from 20 DH.
Expressways between major cities in Morocco are also paid for. You will have to pay from 20 to 80 DH for travel on each of them.
The cost of medicine
Getting sick in Morocco is expensive. Foreigners in Morocco and Moroccans who can afford it prefer to use better quality private healthcare. A visit to a therapist or specialist will cost 200-300 Dirhams. Blood tests, ultrasounds, x-rays, and other diagnostics will cost even more. Finally, medicines are also quite expensive in the country. Moroccans, for whom the employer makes contributions to the social insurance fund, receive compensation for most doctors and drug costs. However, this system only covers some.
The cost of education
Morocco has public and private kindergartens, schools, and higher education institutions. Those who can afford it prefer private education for their children. For a month of kindergarten or elementary school, you will have to pay 1500 DH (plus transport, meals, and textbooks) for middle and high school – from 2500-3000 DH. Higher education in full-time in Morocco exists only on a fee basis; the cost depends on the chosen specialty and educational institution. So, for example, a year of study as a dentist will cost 150,000 Dirhams. Therefore, many Moroccans prefer to study in the EU countries, Russia or Ukraine, where education is cheaper or covered by grants and scholarships.
Additional education and leisure for children in Morocco can also be afforded only by wealthy families. To teach a child to draw, sing, or dance, you must send him to a paid circle or hire a private foreign teacher. Mugs will cost 1000 DH per month, and a private lesson – from 150 DH. To this must be added the transport or driver costs.
How much do Moroccans earn?
The minimum wage in Morocco is 3000 DH per month. So many receives, for example, a housekeeper who comes every day for several hours.
A graduate with higher education and knowledge of foreign languages can get a first job in a call center with a salary of 6000-8000 Dirhams per month. An accountant or an ordinary travel agent will receive approximately the same amount.
Engineers, sales managers, and other qualified employees with work experience receive 10,000 Dirhams and above. More than 20,000 DH in Morocco is earned by doctors, lawyers, business people, and senior managers.
When an employee is laid off in Morocco, the employer must pay him several salaries (depending on the length of service).
Primarily only civil servants receive a pension in Morocco. Still, its size is approximately equal to the average earnings during the work period, and it is quite possible to live on it.