Moving to Morocco from South Africa
What to Expect
Considering a move from South Africa to Morocco? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from South Africa to Morocco, you would find that Morocco is 36.4% cheaper than South Africa overall. A ZAR1,200,000 salary in South Africa would need to be roughly MAD454,000 in Morocco to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic and Berber. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between South Africa and Morocco.
What does your salary buy?
ZAR1,200,000 → MAD454,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Morocco
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 42.8% less
Groceries
pay 34.1% less
Transportation
pay 30.7% less
Housing
pay 47.1% less
Childcare
pay 21.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 8.0% less
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 Morocco cost about 26% less than cities in South Africa.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Morocco compared to South Africa.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Morocco performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Morocco generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
South Africa generally does better on environment, though Morocco leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Morocco generally does better on infrastructure, though South Africa leads in electricity per capita.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Morocco generally does better on employment & economy, though South Africa leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
South Africa generally does better on family life, though Morocco leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), South African Revenue Service (2017), Direction Générale des Impôts, Morocco (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Pretoria | Rabat |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) | 65°/47°F (19°/8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) | 74°/56°F (23°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) | 81°/64°F (27°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) | 71°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
View all months
| Month | Pretoria | Rabat |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) | 63°/45°F (17.4°/7.2°C) |
| Feb | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.8°C) |
| Mar | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) | 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.5°C) |
| Apr | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) | 70°/52°F (21.2°/10.9°C) |
| May | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) | 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.3°C) |
| Jun | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) | 78°/61°F (25.6°/15.9°C) |
| Jul | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) | 81°/64°F (27.2°/17.9°C) |
| Aug | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) | 82°/65°F (27.8°/18.3°C) |
| Sep | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) | 80°/62°F (26.6°/16.8°C) |
| Oct | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) | 77°/58°F (24.8°/14.4°C) |
| Nov | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) | 70°/51°F (21.1°/10.8°C) |
| Dec | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) | 65°/48°F (18.6°/8.8°C) |
Data:
South African Weather Service,
Direction de la Météorologie Nationale
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Africa and Morocco. To live, work, or study long-term in Morocco, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Morocco's immigration authority.
South Africa passport holder visiting Morocco
Visa Required
Morocco passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa Online (e-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 Morocco than South Africa?
On average Morocco is about 36% less expensive than South Africa, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Morocco?
Budget about MAD113,500 for 3 months in Morocco (based on a ZAR1,200,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Morocco?
Connectivity is usually fine (Morocco: 7.3 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Morocco offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Morocco safe for expats?
Morocco performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Morocco is 1.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 43.7 in South Africa.
How is healthcare in Morocco compared to South Africa?
Morocco generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 7.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Morocco, compared to 7.9 in South Africa. Morocco scores 69 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Africa: 71).
What's the weather like in Morocco compared to South Africa?
The average high temperature in Rabat is 73°F, compared to 77°F in Pretoria. Rabat receives around 20.6 in of rainfall per year, while Pretoria gets 27.0 in.
What language do they speak in Morocco?
The official languages in Morocco are Arabic and Berber. In South Africa, the official languages are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
Compare further: South Africa vs. Morocco
At a Glance
ZA
|
MA
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 64,747,319 | 38,430,770 |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZAR) | Moroccan Dirham (MAD) |
| Languages | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu | Arabic, Berber |
| Driving side | Left | Right |
| Calling code | +27 | +212 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 10111 | 15 |