Three Moroccan Cities Among Africa’s Most Expensive, Study Finds

With a cost of living index of 31.4, Casablanca ranks fourth, while Rabat takes ninth place with an index of 29.9. Marrakech is in tenth position (index of 29.4). Numbeo notes that the cost of living in Rabat is 5.2% lower than in Casablanca, excluding rent. However, rental prices in the capital are 2.2% higher than in the economic capital and 34.1% higher than in Marrakech. According to Numbeo estimates, the monthly costs for a single person without rent amount to 5,290 dirhams in Rabat, 5,483 dirhams in Casablanca and 5,141 dirhams in Marrakech.

Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, tops the ranking of the 10 most expensive cities in Africa. It is followed by Johannesburg (South Africa) and Accra (Ghana). Cape Town and Pretoria occupy the fifth and sixth places respectively. These two South African cities are followed by Nairobi and Lagos.

This Numbeo report confirms the high cost of living in Moroccan cities, particularly in Rabat and Casablanca, where the cost of living has increased considerably in recent years. Prices of basic necessities such as food have increased due to inflation. More than 60% of Moroccans have reduced their food purchases due to rising prices, according to a 2023 survey by the market research firm Sunergia. Food inflation reached spectacular levels in 2023, reaching 18.4% in February of the same year, it is specified.

*However, the Numbeo index should be taken with a grain of salt. It only aggregates data with very little verification.