The cost of living in Tangier

المعيشة غالية بزاف!

In nearly any conversation about Tangier with one of its inhabitants, it is almost a given that the city’s high cost of living will come up. (No one seems to know why it is so high. A friend once told me, ‘I don’t know, but it is because of the Spanish.’) Indeed, Tangier is notorious for being the most expensive city in Morocco. How much truth is there to this commonly lodged complaint? Let’s first look at the price index of Tangier and how it has changed in recent years.

Price Index by category and year, Tangier

% change in Price Index by category and year, Tangier

Clearly, prices are increasing across the board. Not excessively, but enough that Tangerines might have reason to complain about the rising prices in their city. How then does all this compare to other Moroccan cities?

General Price Indices in major Moroccan cities

% change in General Price Indices in major Moroccan cities

If these statistics are correct, Tangerinos’ complaints appear to have some validity, as theirs’ is the most expensive major city in Morocco and appears to be getting more expensive just as fast as most other cities. Somewhat surprising from this data is Casablanca’s apparent low cost of living, even below Fes’, despite being the economic capital of Morocco. Also noteworthy is Tetouan’s fairly high cost of living. Maybe it is the Spanish after all…

Note: The above price index used by the Haut Commissariat du Plan is based on 385 items commonly consumed by families of ‘modest income.’ The index is used to measure relative changes in prices.

Source: Annuaire statistique du Maroc, Haut Commissariat au Plan, 2007