Overview
Rabat is the capital of the Kingdom of Morocco. Tourism and the presence of all foreign embassies in Morocco serve to make Rabat the second most important city in the country after the larger and more economically significant Casablanca. Morocco is in Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Western Sahara. The climate is mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior. The official language is Arabic. French predominates in business and tourism, as well as in political and academic circles. Spanish is more common than French in north-western areas around Tangiers, Tetouan and Chefchaouen. Many businesspeople and government officials in Rabat and Casablanca have some knowledge of English. The main religion is Islam. 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. In Morocco, hospitality is very important. Moroccans are extremely welcoming to visitors and expatriates may be invited to a business acquaintance's home. It may be considered rude to refuse. Expatriate business dress is usually conservative. Men typically wear a suit and tie, while women normally wear conservative business suits. The security risk for expatriates in Morocco is low, but medium in the Western Sahara. Risks include petty crime, mugging, mobile telephone theft, bag-snatching, pickpocketing, the underlying threat of terrorism, and kidnapping (in the Western Sahara). The currency of Morocco is the Moroccan Dirham (MAD). Most major credit cards are accepted. ATMs are widely available in larger urban areas. Medical facilities vary and the cost of treatment for expatriates can be high. The population of Rabat is 2.1 Million (2018 est.), while the inflation rate (CPI) is 1.9% for Morocco as at December 2018. Xpatulator Hypothetical Tax for Morocco is based on the current personal income tax rates which are progressive up to 38%.
Cost Of Living
The cost of living for expatriates / professional migrants in Rabat as at 1 January 2019 is very low in comparison to other places in the world. In Rabat, the cost of each basket, based on local prices, compared to the international average, is categorized follows (Exact cost of living percentages only available in personalised reports): 1) Alcohol (where available) & Tobacco: Low 2) Clothing: Very High 3) Communication: Low 4) Education: Very Low 5) Furniture & Appliances: High 6) Groceries: Very Low 7) Healthcare: Very Low 8) Household Accommodation: Average 9) Miscellaneous: High 10) Personal Care: Very Low 11) Recreation & Culture: Low 12) Restaurants Meals Out and Hotels: Low 13) Transport: Low Rabat is for example -10.6% cheaper than Houston TX for groceries, 16.2% more expensive for household costs than Kuala Lumpur, and 13.2% more expensive for transport costs than Dubai.Rabat is ranked as a high degree of hardship location. The hardship premium for Rabat for an expat from Perth, is for example 20%, i.e. host location (Rabat) premium of 30% minus home (Perth) location premium of 10%.Want to know more about cost of living, hardship (quality of living) or expat salary in Rabat? Register subscribe to your home location and Rabat and run your personalised reports.