Morocco: A French Tourist’s Paradise of Affordable Luxury and Rich Culture

Morocco attracts millions of tourists each year. According to official data, 17.4 million travelers visited the kingdom in 2024. With its attractive prices, the kingdom has established itself as a destination of choice for tourists in search of affordable dream vacations. In Morocco, prices in restaurants are 60% cheaper than in France. A small budget of 3.8 euros is enough to eat in an inexpensive restaurant, and 11.9 euros to savor good traditional dishes such as couscous, tagine, pastilla, harira, mechoui, or zaalouk, in a mid-range restaurant, which is half the price of France, reports the Journal du dimanche.

In Moroccan restaurants, a cappuccino or green tea served on site costs only 1.58 euros, or half the price of France. The 1.5-liter bottle of water costs 0.34 euros, or 83% less than in French supermarkets. To consume a beer or wine, you have to spend an average of 2.8 euros, or 53% less than in France. For food products, the price difference is also clear: a baguette of bread in Morocco costs about 0.44 euros, compared to 1.40 euros in France. A box of 12 eggs is sold for 1.70 euros in Morocco, or more than twice less than in the Hexagon. The same goes for cheese, fruits and vegetables, a piece of beef or a chicken escalope, whose prices are two to three times cheaper.

The same trend is observed in real estate where prices defy all competition in Morocco. An apartment located downtown in Casablanca, Fez, Tangier, Marrakech, Meknes, Agadir or Rabat costs an average of between 720 and 1,200 euros per square meter (8,000 to 12,000 dirhams), a price well below the average in France (between 4,500 and 7,000 euros). The purchase price in the interior regions varies between 500 and 900 euros, compared to 2,500 and 4,500 euros in France. The purchase of a renovated riad in the medina of Marrakech can cost between 1,000 and 1,500 euros per square meter and between 600 and 1,000 euros in Fez. Prices 5 to 7 times cheaper than in France.

Depending on its location and standing, a furnished apartment for rent in a large city like Marrakech, Casablanca or Rabat will cost between 2,500 and 5,000 dirhams/month (or 220 to 450 euros), and 1,500 dirhams/month (135 euros) in medium-sized cities. Utilities (water, electricity, internet) cost between 500 and 800 dirhams/month (45 to 70 euros), much less expensive than in France. The cost of public transportation is also affordable in Morocco. A tram ticket costs an average of 0.47 euros, or 74% less than a Parisian metro ticket (2.50 euros). The same goes for taxis, with rides costing 7 dirhams, or 0.66 euros. In addition, admission to national museums and monuments costs between 10 and 50 dirhams (1 to 4 euros), and about 60 dirhams, or 6.2 euros for the cinema.