Moving to New York from Morocco

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Morocco to New York? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Morocco to New York, you would find that New York is 4.4 times more expensive than Morocco overall. A MAD701,348 salary in Morocco would need to be roughly $155,988 in New York to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Albany averages 58°F vs 73°F in Rabat, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Morocco and New York.

What does your salary buy?

MAD701,348 $155,988

To maintain the same standard of living in New York

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 3.9 times more

Groceries

pay 3.8 times more

Transportation

pay 2.5 times more

Housing

pay 5.3 times more

Childcare

pay 11.7 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.6 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 MAD = 0.1069 USD (July 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in New York cost about 115% more than cities in Morocco.

Morocco

Kenitra 32%
Tetouan 31%

New York

Queens 73%
Ithaca 62%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

What the data shows about people moving from Morocco to New York.

Moved in 2023
5,810 ↑ 26% vs 2022

people moved from Morocco to United States · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to United States?

Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in New York compared to Morocco.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

MA
26.1%
NY
29.9%

Morocco performs better than New York across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

MA
88.0%
NY
89.7%

New York performs significantly better than Morocco across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

MA
9.1%
NY
4.4%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

MA
$8,800
NY
$91,992

New York generally does better on employment & economy, though Morocco leads in poverty rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

MA
73.7 yrs
NY
77.7 yrs

New York performs significantly better than Morocco across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Rabat Rain: 20.6 in/yr (522 mm)
73° / 55°F

Avg. annual high / low

Albany Rain: 39.4 in/yr (1000 mm)
58° / 39°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Rabat Albany
Jan–Mar 65°/47°F (19°/8°C) 37°/19°F (2°/-7°C)
Apr–Jun 74°/56°F (23°/13°C) 68°/47°F (20°/8°C)
Jul–Sep 81°/64°F (27°/18°C) 78°/58°F (26°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 71°/52°F (22°/11°C) 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C)
View all months
Month Rabat Albany
Jan 63°/45°F (17.4°/7.2°C) 31°/15°F (-0.8°/-9.7°C)
Feb 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.8°C) 35°/17°F (1.4°/-8.2°C)
Mar 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.5°C) 44°/26°F (6.9°/-3.5°C)
Apr 70°/52°F (21.2°/10.9°C) 58°/37°F (14.6°/2.9°C)
May 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.3°C) 69°/47°F (20.8°/8.4°C)
Jun 78°/61°F (25.6°/15.9°C) 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.6°C)
Jul 81°/64°F (27.2°/17.9°C) 82°/61°F (27.9°/16.3°C)
Aug 82°/65°F (27.8°/18.3°C) 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.5°C)
Sep 80°/62°F (26.6°/16.8°C) 72°/52°F (22.3°/10.9°C)
Oct 77°/58°F (24.8°/14.4°C) 60°/40°F (15.4°/4.2°C)
Nov 70°/51°F (21.1°/10.8°C) 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.3°C)
Dec 65°/48°F (18.6°/8.8°C) 36°/21°F (2.1°/-6.0°C)

Data: Direction de la Météorologie Nationale Direction de la Météorologie Nationale, National Weather Service National Weather Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Morocco and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.

Morocco passport

Morocco passport holder visiting United States

Visa Required
Morocco passport holders need a visa to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Morocco

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter Morocco without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in New York than Morocco?

On average New York is around 108% pricier than Morocco, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to New York?

Budget about $38,997 for 3 months in New York (based on a MAD701,348 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from New York?

From major New York cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Morocco and New York are what actually decide it long-term.

How is healthcare in New York compared to Morocco?

Morocco performs better than New York across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in New York compared to Morocco?

The average high temperature in Albany is 58°F, compared to 73°F in Rabat. Albany receives around 39.4 in of rainfall per year, while Rabat gets 20.6 in.

What language do they speak in New York?

The official language in New York is English. In Morocco, the official languages are Arabic and Berber.

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At a Glance

MA
Population 36,738,229 19,378,102
Currency Moroccan Dirham (MAD) United States Dollar ($)
Languages Arabic, Berber English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +212 +1
Time zones 1 11
Emergency number 15 911