Cost of Living in Marrakesh, Safi
Marrakesh, Safi, Morocco: CPI 17.0, rent index 5.1, purchasing power 14.9. 1BR centre rent ~MAD 1,767 MAD. Net salary ~MAD 9,146 MAD. Data: Regional.
Author: CityCost Global · Methodology · Data Sources · Last updated: 2026-08-21
Key metrics
- Country: Morocco
- Currency: MAD
- Avg 1BR rent (centre): MAD 1,767
- Avg net salary: MAD 9,146
- Cost of living index (CPI): 17
- Rent index: 5.1
- Purchasing power index: 14.9
- Groceries sample (milk 1L): MAD 3
- Transport ticket: MAD 3
- Utilities (85m²): MAD 101
- Restaurant meal: MAD 35
Marrakesh overview
Marrakesh, Safi, Morocco is indexed for cost-of-living analysis using Regional with confidence label "★★★☆☆ Regional estimation". This page is a structured knowledge document: every number below comes from the CityCost engine or the eligible-city registry — not from generative guesswork. Primary timezone reference on record: Africa/Casablanca. Local currency for published prices: MAD (MAD). Coordinates on record: 31.63, -8.00. Marrakesh is flagged as a tourism or business hub in index signals. Internal tier signal on record: 5. Readers should treat city-centre references as anchors, then validate neighbourhood leases, taxes, and visas independently before relocating. Verified information is currently unavailable for: nearby airports, climate, major industries, education, healthcare, safety. Those topics are omitted rather than estimated.
Metro definitions vary across Morocco; treat city-wide averages as planning anchors and validate neighbourhood rents independently.
Average monthly net salary (after tax) on record is about MAD 9,146 MAD. Purchasing power index 14.9 describes how far a typical local salary stretches against local prices. Stress-test affordability by comparing the MAD 1,767 MAD 1BR centre reference against MAD 9,146 MAD net pay, then adjusting for your actual housing target. Offers denominated in foreign currency should be converted carefully; published figures on this page stay in MAD. Industry wage premiums are not asserted without verified payroll datasets. Students and new graduates may earn below the average net salary figure — treat MAD 9,146 MAD as a market midpoint signal, not a personal guarantee.
These values are estimated using state/regional baselines and city-tier adjustments.
Housing costs
A reference 1-bedroom apartment in the city centre averages about MAD 1,767 MAD per month in the published basket. The rent index (5.1) situates that housing pressure relative to the global baseline used by CityCost. On published figures, the centre 1BR reference is about 19% of the average net monthly salary — a stress-test ratio, not a household budget. Neighbourhood choice, building age, and furnishings can move actual leases well above or below the city-centre reference. Outer districts often price differently from the CBD sample. When comparing Marrakesh to peers, prefer paired rent indices on comparison pages rather than converting foreign rents with informal FX guesses.
Suburban or older stock can undercut CBD averages substantially. Families should model 2–3BR premiums and deposits; students should price shared flats near transit. Cross-check Marrakesh against nearby peers on this site before locking a budget.
Food & groceries
Lifestyle costs in Marrakesh track the local CPI, grocery, and restaurant indices more closely than tourist menus or hotel rates. With CPI at 17.0, everyday services and goods sit below the NYC baseline on this methodology. Fixed monthly anchors on record include transport tickets (~MAD 3 MAD one-way) and utilities (~MAD 101 MAD for the 85m² sample). Lifestyle fit also depends on education, healthcare, and safety — verified overviews for those domains are unavailable on this page and are therefore omitted.
Tourist corridors often inflate dining samples. Build a personal basket (home cooking vs eating out) and compare with similar-cost cities linked below. Groceries usually move with CPI more tightly than luxury dining.
Transport
A one-way local transport ticket averages about MAD 3 MAD in the reference basket for Marrakesh. That single-ticket proxy does not equal a monthly commute budget: passes, ride-hail, fuel, parking, and last-mile costs can dominate for some households. Remote-first workers may underweight transport relative to rent; on-site workers should model peak-hour routes before treating MAD 3 MAD as representative.
Commuters should price monthly passes and last-mile gaps; car ownership adds insurance, parking, and fuel outside this basket. Pair transport with housing: a cheaper suburb can erase savings if every commute is long.
Typical monthly budget
Illustrative single-adult monthly sketch for Marrakesh using on-page samples (not a quote): rent ~MAD 1,767, utilities ~MAD 101, transit scaled from ticket samples, and a mixed grocery/dining allowance. Core essentials land near MAD 2,356 MAD; a modest lifestyle buffer ~MAD 2,710; a more comfortable buffer ~MAD 3,417.
Compare essentials with net salary MAD 9,146. If rent alone exceeds ~35–40% of net pay, look at outer districts or similar-cost cities linked below. Utilities notes: Basic utilities for an 85m² apartment average about MAD 101 MAD in the reference basket (electricity, heating/cooling, water, garbage — before internet and mobile). Seasonal heating or cooling can change monthly totals. Verified climate time series are not attached on this page, so weather-driven utility swings are not estimated here. Add broadband and mobile plans separately when building a relocation spreadsheet for Marrakesh, Safi, Morocco..
- CPI 17 · Rent index 5.1 · PP 14.9
- Currency: MAD
- Confidence: ★★★☆☆ Regional estimation
FAQ
Is Marrakesh cheaper than Safi?
Open the side-by-side comparison for Marrakesh and Safi for CPI, rent, and purchasing power. A single city page cannot settle pairwise rankings without the paired indices.
Which cities near Marrakesh should I compare?
Indexed nearby options include Safi, Rabat, Casablanca. Open each city page or a compare URL to inspect CPI and rent together.
Is Marrakesh expensive?
Marrakesh, Safi, Morocco has a CPI of 17.0 (NYC=100). Whether that feels expensive depends on your income (reference net salary ~MAD 9,146 MAD) and whether housing tracks the rent index or a premium micro-market.
How much rent should I expect in Marrakesh?
A reference 1-bedroom city-centre apartment averages about MAD 1,767 MAD per month. Outer districts and shared flats can price lower; tourist cores can price higher.
What salary is needed to live in Marrakesh?
Reference net salary is about MAD 9,146 MAD. Stress-test against the MAD 1,767 MAD 1BR centre benchmark plus utilities and transport before treating the average as “enough.”
Is Marrakesh good for students?
Students should prioritize housing: the 1BR centre reference is MAD 1,767 MAD. Shared housing and campus location can change budgets substantially versus that headline.
Is Marrakesh good for families?
Families should model 2–3BR rents, schooling, and healthcare separately — those verified datasets are not attached on this page. Use CPI 17.0 and salary/rent as starting anchors only.
Can a remote worker live affordably in Marrakesh?
Remote workers often optimize for CPI (17.0) and rent while earning elsewhere, but visas, tax residency, and connectivity are not verified facts on this page.
What is a realistic monthly budget in Marrakesh?
Start with centre 1BR rent (MAD 1,767), add utilities (MAD 101), transit, and groceries/dining. Compare the total with net salary MAD 9,146 and purchasing power 14.9.
How does Marrakesh compare on groceries and dining?
Groceries index 24.6, restaurant index 14.1. Sample milk MAD 3; inexpensive meal MAD 35 MAD.
Where can I compare Marrakesh with other cities?
Try Rabat vs Marrakesh; Bali vs Marrakesh; Buenos Aires vs Marrakesh, or use the homepage calculator with any pair.
Planning a move to Marrakesh
Marrakesh, Safi is best evaluated as rent-to-wage fit first, CPI second. With CPI 17, rent index 5.1, and purchasing power 14.9, decide which constraint binds your household—shelter, everyday prices, or local wages.
Next steps: open Safi, Rabat, Casablanca for nearby alternatives, run a side-by-side in the calculator, and read Methodology if confidence is ★★★☆☆ Regional estimation. Country context: cost of living in Morocco.
Marrakesh, Safi, Morocco: CPI 17.0, rent index 5.1, purchasing power 14.9. 1BR centre rent ~MAD 1,767 MAD. Net salary ~MAD 9,146 MAD. Data: Regional.
Trust & data transparency
Last updated: 2026-08-21
Data Sources
This page uses CityCost index inputs. Platform sources (see also Data sources):
- Regional
- ★★★☆☆ Regional estimation
On-page labels for this view: Regional · ★★★☆☆ Regional estimation.
Methodology
Each indexed city is associated with a reference basket of common living costs (for example rent, groceries samples, transport tickets, utilities, restaurant meals, and net salary where available). From those items, the platform derives relative indices such as CPI, rent, groceries, restaurants, and local purchasing power, using New York City = 100 as the familiar baseline convention for relative comparison.