Manilavs
MarrakechManila vs Marrakech: cost, size & quality of life compared
Trying to decide between Manila and Marrakech? Here's the honest bottom line first — then the full, sourced breakdown on cost of living, salary, safety and quality of life.
Marrakech comes out ahead overall — by a narrow edge.
But the "winner" depends on what you care about. Here's who takes each dimension:
MarrakechMarrakechMarrakechManilaComposite scores
Overall: Marrakech wins by 0.6 points
Population & size
Is Manila bigger than Marrakech?
Manila is the bigger city: about 1.8M people versus Marrakech's 1.0M — roughly 1.8× larger.
City-proper / metro population estimates. Size is one input — scroll on for cost of living, salary equivalence and quality-of-life scoring.
National income
Is Manila richer than Marrakech?
Philippines is the higher earner — income per capita (GNI, PPP) of $13,330 against $10,260 in Morocco, about 30% more in purchasing-power terms.
Country-level figures — Manila is not Philippines and Marrakech is not Morocco, and both cities typically pay above their national average. Gross, before tax: see take-home pay by country for what lands in the account.
Distance
How far is Manila from Marrakech?
Manila is about 12,530 km (7,790 mi) from Marrakech in a straight line — roughly 15 h 30 m of nonstop flight time.
Great-circle distance, not a routed itinerary; flight estimate assumes ~850 km/h cruise plus 45 minutes of taxi, climb and descent.
Climate
Is Manila warmer than Marrakech?
Manila is the warmer city: January highs average 30°C vs 18°C, and July 31°C vs 37°C. Marrakech gets noticeably more sun — about 860 more sunshine hours per year.
| Month | Manila | Marrakech |
|---|---|---|
| January (high / low) | 30° / 22°C | 18° / 6°C |
| July (high / low) | 31° / 25°C | 37° / 20°C |
Tropical monsoon — hot all year, typhoon-season rains Jun-Nov can shut the city down. Dec-Feb is the dry, marginally cooler window.
Semi-arid interior — scorching dry summers (regularly 40°C+), gloriously mild sunny winters. The winter-sun destination profile.
Marrakech's 5.6 rating edges Manila's 5.2 by a narrow margin, suggesting both cities deliver comparable urban experiences despite their vastly different geographic and cultural contexts.
A 0.4-point difference between two major cities in entirely different regions indicates scorecard variations reflect local priorities rather than absolute livability hierarchies.
Examine the specific category breakdowns—Manila and Marrakech likely excel in different dimensions, so prioritize whichever metrics matter most to your actual move or investment decision.
Data signals
What separates Manila and Marrakech
How decisive
Marrakech comes out ahead by 0.6 composite points — a narrow edge.
Biggest difference
The widest gap is quality of life, where Marrakech leads by 1.2 points.
Where they match
They're most evenly matched on remote-work friendliness — within 0.0 points of each other.
Overall cost gap
Total monthly costs in Marrakech run about 11% lower than in Manila.
Where budgets split most
Transport is the line item that diverges most: roughly 103% pricier in Marrakech than Manila.
Size difference
Manila is the larger metro — about 1.8× the population of the other, which shapes commute times, housing supply and how "big-city" daily life feels.
Safety
Marrakech scores higher on safety (58 vs 35 / 100) — a common deciding factor for families.
Score-by-score, side-by-side
Each axis is scored independently with disclosed weights and a calculation string.
The exact scores and winners:
| Axis | Manila | Marrakech | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability | 8.3 | 8.6 | Marrakech +0.3 |
| Quality of life | 4.3 | 5.5 | Marrakech +1.2 |
| Remote-work friendliness | 5.5 | 5.5 | Manila +0.0 |
| Healthcare | 3.8 | 4.7 | Marrakech +0.9 |
Each axis is a weighted aggregate of underlying indicators normalized to a 0–10 scale. Weights are explicit and disclosed per axis. The composite is the unweighted mean of the four axes — axes are not collapsed further because the underlying trade-offs (e.g. low cost vs poor air quality) are user-dependent.
Affordability
- Cost-of-living index (weight 60%)20
- Rent index (weight 40%)13
How this is calculated
Affordability = ((100 − costIndex)/100 × 0.6 + (100 − rentIndex)/100 × 0.4) × 10. For Manila: ((100 − 20)/100 × 0.6 + (100 − 13)/100 × 0.4) × 10 = 8.3.
Manila sits well below the New York baseline on both cost-of-living and rent. Budgets stretch further here than in benchmark Tier-1 cities.
Quality of life
- Safety index (weight 40%)35
- Healthcare index (weight 35%)54
- Air quality index (weight 25%)40
How this is calculated
QoL = (safety/100 × 0.4 + healthcare/100 × 0.35 + airQuality/100 × 0.25) × 10. For Manila: (35/100 × 0.4 + 54/100 × 0.35 + 40/100 × 0.25) × 10 = 4.3.
Manila has a mixed quality profile. Safety: fair; healthcare: fair; air: fair. Weigh the weakest axis against your personal priorities.
Remote-work friendliness
- Internet (median Mbps) (weight 45%)60 Mbps
- Effective income tax (lower = better) (weight 30%)12.0%
- Cost-of-living (lower = better) (weight 25%)20
How this is calculated
RemoteWork = (min(Mbps/300, 1) × 0.45 + (1 − incomeTax) × 0.3 + (100 − costIndex)/100 × 0.25) × 10. For Manila: (min(60/300, 1) × 0.45 + (1 − 0.12) × 0.3 + (100 − 20)/100 × 0.25) × 10 = 5.5.
Manila works for remote work but isn't optimized for it: internet 60 Mbps, income tax 12%, cost index 20.
Healthcare
- Healthcare quality index (weight 70%)54
- Healthcare out-of-pocket / month (lower = better) (weight 30%)1728
How this is calculated
Healthcare = (qualityIndex/100 × 0.7 + max(0, 1 − OOP/500) × 0.3) × 10. For Manila: (54/100 × 0.7 + max(0, 1 − 1728/500) × 0.3) × 10 = 3.8.
Manila has trade-offs in healthcare: quality is fair, typical out-of-pocket cost is ~1728 PHP/month. Cross-border insurance closes the gap.
Each axis is a weighted aggregate of underlying indicators normalized to a 0–10 scale. Weights are explicit and disclosed per axis. The composite is the unweighted mean of the four axes — axes are not collapsed further because the underlying trade-offs (e.g. low cost vs poor air quality) are user-dependent.
Affordability
- Cost-of-living index (weight 60%)16
- Rent index (weight 40%)11
How this is calculated
Affordability = ((100 − costIndex)/100 × 0.6 + (100 − rentIndex)/100 × 0.4) × 10. For Marrakech: ((100 − 16)/100 × 0.6 + (100 − 11)/100 × 0.4) × 10 = 8.6.
Marrakech sits well below the New York baseline on both cost-of-living and rent. Budgets stretch further here than in benchmark Tier-1 cities.
Quality of life
- Safety index (weight 40%)58
- Healthcare index (weight 35%)48
- Air quality index (weight 25%)60
How this is calculated
QoL = (safety/100 × 0.4 + healthcare/100 × 0.35 + airQuality/100 × 0.25) × 10. For Marrakech: (58/100 × 0.4 + 48/100 × 0.35 + 60/100 × 0.25) × 10 = 5.5.
Marrakech has a mixed quality profile. Safety: good; healthcare: fair; air: good. Weigh the weakest axis against your personal priorities.
Remote-work friendliness
- Internet (median Mbps) (weight 45%)50 Mbps
- Effective income tax (lower = better) (weight 30%)12.0%
- Cost-of-living (lower = better) (weight 25%)16
How this is calculated
RemoteWork = (min(Mbps/300, 1) × 0.45 + (1 − incomeTax) × 0.3 + (100 − costIndex)/100 × 0.25) × 10. For Marrakech: (min(50/300, 1) × 0.45 + (1 − 0.12) × 0.3 + (100 − 16)/100 × 0.25) × 10 = 5.5.
Marrakech works for remote work but isn't optimized for it: internet 50 Mbps, income tax 12%, cost index 16.
Healthcare
- Healthcare quality index (weight 70%)48
- Healthcare out-of-pocket / month (lower = better) (weight 30%)278
How this is calculated
Healthcare = (qualityIndex/100 × 0.7 + max(0, 1 − OOP/500) × 0.3) × 10. For Marrakech: (48/100 × 0.7 + max(0, 1 − 278/500) × 0.3) × 10 = 4.7.
Marrakech has trade-offs in healthcare: quality is fair, typical out-of-pocket cost is ~278 MAD/month. Cross-border insurance closes the gap.
Monthly cost delta: Manila vs Marrakech
Normalized to PHP at 1 MAD = 6.5065 PHP.
| Category | Manila | Marrakech | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| housing | ₱33,243 | MAD 4,676 | -8% |
| food | ₱12,669 | MAD 1,750 | -10% |
| transport | ₱800 | MAD 250 | +103% |
| utilities | ₱7,544 | MAD 346 | -70% |
| leisure | ₱13,821 | MAD 2,227 | +5% |
| healthcare | ₱1,728 | MAD 278 | +5% |
Where each city's money goes
Two cities can have the same monthly total but very different shapes — one might burn 50% on housing while the other splits more evenly. The composition matters as much as the headline.
The biggest shape difference is utilities: Manila spends 7.2 percentage points more of its budget on it (11% vs. 4%). If you're sensitive to that category, weight the per-axis scores accordingly.
Buying property
Apartment prices: Manila vs Marrakech
Approximate asking prices in EUR per square meter (as of 2025-01), central vs mid-distance neighborhoods.
Buying in central Marrakech runs about 60% cheaper per square meter (€1,700/m² vs €4,300/m²).
Midpoints of public listing ranges — a scoping number for rent-vs-buy thinking, not a valuation. Renting comparisons live in the cost table above.
Getting around
Public transport: Manila vs Marrakech
Monthly pass and casual-ride pricing in EUR (as of 2025-01) plus the modes each network runs.
LRT-1/2 + MRT-3 elevated lines beat EDSA traffic when not at crush load; jeepneys and buses fill the grid. Beep card taps across rail lines.
Single ride: €0.48 · Modes: Light rail, Bus
ALSA city buses at MAD 4 flat; no rail modes. Most residents default to petits taxis — agree the meter before moving.
Single ride: €0.37 · Modes: Bus
Salary equivalence: Manila ↔ Marrakech
What earning the same purchasing power costs in each city. Cost-adjusted using the local cost-of-living index (Manila = 20, Marrakech = 16); currency-converted at 1 MAD = 6.5065 PHP. Tax differences are not modeled.
| Manila gross | Marrakech equivalent |
|---|---|
| ₱40,000 | MAD 4,918 |
| ₱75,000 | MAD 9,222 |
| ₱120,000 | MAD 14,755 |
| Marrakech gross | Manila equivalent |
|---|---|
| MAD 40,000 | ₱325,324 |
| MAD 75,000 | ₱609,983 |
| MAD 120,000 | ₱975,972 |
Equivalence here means same cost-of-living purchasing power, not same net take-home. Effective tax rates differ between countries; a salary equivalent on cost can still net more or less depending on the destination's tax regime. Use the calculator for tax-adjusted figures at a specific lifestyle tier.
Pros and cons
Why pick Manila
Manila doesn't have any standout advantages of ≥0.3 points on the scoring model.
Why pick Marrakech
- Wins on affordability (+0.3 points vs Manila).
- Wins on quality of life (+1.2 points vs Manila).
- Wins on healthcare (+0.9 points vs Manila).
Manila trade-offs
- Trails Marrakech on quality of life by 1.2 points.
- Trails Marrakech on healthcare by 0.9 points.
Marrakech trade-offs
No material trade-offs versus Manila on the scored axes.
Remote work logistics
Time zones and language: Manila vs Marrakech
Manila (Asia/Manila) and Marrakech (Africa/Casablanca) sit 7 hours apart in standard time. A 9-to-5 in one overlaps the other's for 1 hour a day.
Official: Filipino, English · English: Native-equivalent · Local language: Not needed
English is co-official, the language of business, law and education — the Philippines' core BPO advantage. Taglish is the street blend; English alone is fully functional.
Official: Arabic, Amazigh · English: Moderate · Local language: Recommended
Tourism makes English moderately usable in the medina and Gueliz; French remains the admin/business language. Darija for daily-life depth.
Who should choose which
The composite winner doesn't always match what matters to you. These four reader profiles weigh the axes differently — find the closest fit.
Single, salaried remote worker, 25-40, optimizing for runway + bandwidth.
Axes scored: affordability, remoteWork
Couple with school-age children, prioritizing safety, healthcare, and air quality.
Axes scored: qualityOfLife, healthcare
Fixed income, healthcare-sensitive, prefers low cost and stable infrastructure.
Axes scored: healthcare, qualityOfLife, affordability
Salary stretch matters most. Cuts everything else if it lowers the burn rate.
Axes scored: affordability
Profiles use simple axis averaging — for a deeper read with your own weights, use the per-axis breakdown above.
Tools that work for either choice
Some links below are affiliate links — if you sign up we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
How this page is calculated
Data sources
- Mundevo per-city dataset. Cost basket, rent index, safety, healthcare, air quality and median internet for both cities. Reference date: 2026-06-10 (Manila) and 2026-06-10 (Marrakech).
- FX rate. 1 MAD = 6.5065 PHP, used to normalize cost baskets.
- CityScoreCalculator. Four axes (Affordability, Quality of life, Remote work, Healthcare) computed with explicit weights and explanations. See per-axis calculation strings rendered on this page.
- ComparisonService. Per-category cost deltas (housing, food, transport, utilities, leisure, healthcare) normalized to the origin currency.
Update cadence
Data as of . Last reviewed .
Calculation
For each of the four axes we compute an independent 0–10 score using the formulas printed beside each axis. The composite is the unweighted mean of the four axes. The overall winner is the city with the higher composite, unless the margin is under 0.05 points — in which case Manila is shown first as a tiebreaker to keep results stable.
Limitations
- Climate is not scored — we don't yet hold a maintained climate dataset, so weather-driven preferences are not modeled.
- Tax differences between cities in the same country are not modeled (Spain and Germany don't have material regional differences for this dataset).
- Indices are population-level. Personal cost varies with neighborhood, employer benefits and family status.
- Quality-of-life axis weights (safety 0.4 / healthcare 0.35 / air 0.25) are editorial defaults — readers with strong preferences should re-weight manually.
Frequently asked questions
Manila vs Marrakech: which is cheaper?
Marrakech is roughly 11% cheaper than Manila on the monthly cost basket (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare). Manila has cost index 20 vs Marrakech at 16 (both with New York = 100).
Which city has better quality of life?
Manila scores 5.5/10 on the Mundevo composite versus Marrakech at 6.1/10. The composite weights safety (40%), healthcare (35%) and air quality (25%). Marrakech wins overall by 0.6 points.
Is Manila or Marrakech better for remote work?
Manila has 60 Mbps median internet vs Marrakech at 50 Mbps. The four-axis decision rubric on this page (affordability, quality of life, remote work, healthcare) gives a per-dimension breakdown rather than a single answer.
Is Manila bigger than Marrakech?
Manila is larger — about 1.8M people versus Marrakech's 1.0M, roughly 1.8× the size.
Is Manila safer than Marrakech?
Marrakech scores higher on safety — 58 vs 35 / 100 on the Mundevo safety index (crime and personal-security signals).
Should I move to Manila or Marrakech?
It depends on what you weight. Marrakech wins the overall Mundevo composite by 0.6 points, but Marrakech is cheaper, and the two split differently across affordability, quality of life, remote work and healthcare. Use the per-axis table and the reader-profile section above to match the verdict to your own priorities.