Morocco, Casablanca

Country Full Name: The Kingdom of Morocco.

Location: Morocco is in Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Western Sahara.

Country Climate: Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior.

Country Terrain: Northern coast and interior are mountainous with large areas of bordering plateaus, intermountain valleys, and rich coastal plains.

Major Languages: Arabic (official), Berber, French, Spanish.

Major Religions: Islam.

Population: 2.95 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of Morocco is considered a relatively liberal economy. The services sector accounts for just over half of GDP and industry, made up of mining, construction and manufacturing, is an additional quarter. The sectors who recorded the highest growth are the tourism, telecoms and textile sectors. Morocco , however, still depends on agriculture which accounts for only around 14% of GDP but employs 40-45% of the Moroccan population.

Currency: Moroccan Dirham (MAD). Make an international currency transfer to Morocco.

Inflation: 0.5% (2011 est.).

Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port and is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.

Casablanca is Morocco's biggest city, principal port, industrial centre, and as the economic capital it represents the key economic trading node for the African-European region.

The cost of living in Casablanca in Morocco is very low compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. Casablanca in Morocco is currently ranked 721 overall out of 780 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 780 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are high compared to other places for items such as alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, wine (where alcohol is legally sold) and tobacco related products. There are 215 places that are more expensive, and 564 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are low compared to other places for items such as business suits, casual clothing, children's clothing, coats, evening wear, footwear, hats, shoe repairs and underwear. There are 568 places that are more expensive, and 211 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are high compared to other places for various communication costs such as call charges, home telephone rental, internet connection, mobile data costs, mobile phone contract and service provider fees. There are 206 places that are more expensive, and 573 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are very low compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 715 places that are more expensive, and 64 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are low compared to other places for items such as DVD player, fridge freezer, furniture, household equipment, iron, kettle, light bulbs, microwave, television, toaster, vacuum cleaner and washing machine. There are 578 places that are more expensive, and 201 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are low compared to other places for items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning materials, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs. There are 561 places that are more expensive, and 218 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are very low compared to other places for general healthcare, general practitioner consultation rates, healthcare/medical insurance, hospital private ward daily rate and non-prescription medicine. There are 642 places that are more expensive, and 137 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are average compared to other places for items such as accommodation, apartment, flat, house, villa, rent, electricity, household fuels, household gas, water, and local property rates / residential taxes / levies. There are 393 places that are more expensive, and 386 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are low compared to other places for items such as dry cleaning, general goods, general services, linen, magazines, maid, newspapers, office supplies, postage stamps and stationery. There are 609 places that are more expensive, and 170 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are very low compared to other places for items such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer, nappies, pain relief tablets, shampoo, soap, sun block, toilet paper and toothpaste. There are 693 places that are more expensive, and 86 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are very low compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 756 places that are more expensive, and 23 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are low compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a family restaurant (non fast food), 4 star and 5 star hotel rates and take away meal (fast food). There are 619 places that are more expensive, and 160 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are very low compared to other places for items such as car hire purchase, car insurance, car lease, car maintenance, car rental, car service, diesel, petrol, tyres and public transport. There are 762 places that are more expensive, and 17 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Casablanca in Morocco are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Casablanca in Morocco is ranked as high degree of hardship with a hardship index of 30%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Casablanca in Morocco are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is as at 1 April 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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