Morocco
Rabat on a shoestring: real budget breakdown
Plan €1163 for 7 nights in Rabat, return flight from London included, or €430 travelling cheap. On the ground that works out at €161 per person per day.
- From
- €57/day
- vs. London
- 78%
- Best month
- Jun
Your trip to Rabat
Set the length, the number of travellers and the comfort level: the figures recompute here.
€1,163
per person, flight included
- on the ground
- €1,127
- flight from London
- €36
- per person per day, on the ground
- €161
InstantTripCost estimate
Full 7-night budget breakdown
Per-person estimate including flights from London, split across the six expense categories.
per person · Comfort
| Category | Budget | Comfort | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flights | €31 | €36 | €54 |
| Hotel | €133 | €420 | €581 |
| Food | €168 | €399 | €945 |
| Transport | €56 | €126 | €315 |
| Activities | €21 | €98 | €378 |
| Misc | €21 | €84 | €266 |
| 7-night total | €430 | €1163 | €2539 |
Flight from London (annual median).
Unit prices
comfort
Enough to check the total yourself, line by line, at the comfort level you picked.
- €9
- Breakfast
- €16
- Lunch
- €32
- Dinner
- €6
- City ride
- €14
- Site admission
- €161
- A full day
Orders of magnitude derived from our measured ranges, not surveyed venue by venue. Prices vary by neighbourhood and season.
The three tiers
What a budget traveller, a comfort traveller and a premium traveller typically spend.
Budget
€51
per day, approx
- Hotel / night
- €19
- Meal
- €8
- Transit / day
- €8
Comfort
€135
per day, approx
- Hotel / night
- €60
- Meal
- €19
- Transit / day
- €18
Luxury
€263
per day, approx
- Hotel / night
- €83
- Meal
- €45
- Transit / day
- €45
Why visit Rabat
Rabat is Morocco's capital without the din. Set on the Atlantic at the mouth of the Bou Regreg, facing its twin town of Salé, it lines up a Roman and Merinid archaeological site (the Chellah), the blue-and-white Kasbah of the Oudayas, and the Hassan Tower, for a token admission or none at all. This is a city you walk and take in rather than haggle through.
The budget-changing detail: the currency. You pay in Moroccan dirham, outside the eurozone, which means exchanging money but works in a European traveler's favor. A night in a well-rated riad in the medina starts around €13 (roughly 130 dirham, the double-room rate recorded on the ground), a tram ride costs 6 dirham, barely over 50 euro cents. The exchange friction is real, but the prices it reveals run two to three times gentler than in Western Europe.
Lodging is the best surprise: the budget band sits around €19 a night, mid-range around €60, and a polished place in the Ville Nouvelle tops out near €83. Rabat runs a notch above Marrakech on the cheapest rooms, where the nightly rate starts lower still, but in return you get a calm, administrative capital without the tourist pressure of the big medinas.
For two people at mid-range comfort, plan roughly €55 to €85 a day excluding flights. The Atlantic climate softens everything: summers are warm and nearly rainless (barely 1.4 mm in July), winters mild and wet. You see the essentials on foot, between the ocean, the river and the medina.
Weather & best time to visit
Average temperatures and conditions by month in Rabat.
Best month to visitJune
Where to sleep in Rabat
Choosing a district
Rabat is compact and the tram links its two banks for 6 dirham, so picking a district is mostly about atmosphere: the bustle of the medina, the quiet art deco of the Ville Nouvelle, the modernity of Agdal, or the river views around the Oudayas. The riad, a traditional courtyard house, is the most characteristic lodging here, and often the cheapest too.
Médina
The old town and its riads, steps from Rue des Consuls and its craftsmen. Lively, authentic, this is where the lowest rates sit, around €13 in a well-rated guesthouse.
Ville Nouvelle - Hassan
The art deco center around Avenue Mohammed V and Rabat-Ville station, with the tram at the door. Practical, well connected, home to mid- and upper-range hotels, €49 to €60.
Agdal
A modern university district to the south, cafés and restaurants, boutique hotels. A well-rated boutique hotel runs around €69 here. Residential, less touristy.
Oudayas - Bords du Bouregreg
Along the river and the kasbah, ocean side, with the redone corniche and Salé one tram stop away. Charming riads up to €74 for the best-rated, unbeatable sunset views.
The hotels we measured
Accommodation picks by price range.
Dar Diyae
guesthouse, very well rated (8.5/10) from 112 reviews.
Riad Palais D'Or
guesthouse, decent (7.3/10) from 533 reviews.
Dar Al Fanouss
guesthouse, rated excellent (9/10) from 563 reviews.
Almanzil Alatiq
guesthouse, rated excellent (9/10) from 396 reviews.
Riad El Bir
Hotel, very well rated (8.5/10) from 712 reviews.
Junior Suite Balima I B43
Hotel, very well rated (8.8/10) from 257 reviews.
Suite Balima XI
Hotel, very well rated (8.7/10) from 427 reviews.
All observed hotels in Rabat
24 of 24 surveyed properties shown, the cheapest in each tier. Nightly rate for a 2-night stay arriving 15 October 2026.
| Hotel | Category | Rating | From / night |
|---|---|---|---|
| KAYEZER | Budget | ★ 8.3 | €11 |
| Booon | Budget | ★ 4 | €12 |
| Dar Diyae | Budget | ★ 8.5 | €13 |
| Riad Dar Al Manzah | Budget | ★ 9 | €13 |
| Dar Yassine | Budget | ★ 8 | €13 |
| Riad Al Anwar | Budget | ★ 8.3 | €13 |
| Dar Oussama | Budget | ★ 7.8 | €15 |
| Riad Le Palais | Budget | ★ 7.3 | €17 |
| Riad Palais D'Or | Mid-range | ★ 7.3 | €21 |
| Dar Al Fanouss | Mid-range | ★ 9 | €28 |
| Almanzil Alatiq | Mid-range | ★ 9 | €32 |
| Maison Eden | Mid-range | ★ 9.3 | €34 |
| Riad AYA | Mid-range | ★ 8.8 | €40 |
| Riad Majorelle | Mid-range | ★ 8.2 | €41 |
| Dar Yanis | Mid-range | ★ 8.9 | €45 |
| Casa Indigo | Mid-range | ★ 8.6 | €45 |
| Riad El Bir | Luxury | ★ 8.5 | €45 |
| Junior Suite Balima I B43 | Luxury | ★ 8.8 | €49 |
| Suite Balima XI | Luxury | ★ 8.7 | €49 |
| Appartements Rabat Balima Harcourt | Luxury | ★ 8.3 | €50 |
| Rent-inn Boutique Hotel | Luxury | ★ 8.2 | €56 |
| Balima Minaret Suites | Luxury | ★ 8.6 | €60 |
| StayHere Rabat - Agdal Boutique Hotel | Luxury | ★ 8.3 | €69 |
| Riad Dar Karima | Luxury | ★ 9.2 | €74 |
Eating in Rabat
Concrete benchmarks to set your meal budget, from the morning coffee to dinner.
The cheapest move is around the Marché Central, where stalls serve fresh fish-and-salad sandwiches pulled from the Atlantic, bowls of loubia (beans), lentils, rotisserie chicken and home-made tagines for a few dirham. A full street meal stays under 40 dirham, just over €3. Fish here isn't a splurge but the everyday fare of a coastal city. For a sit-down dinner in the medina, a tagine or a Friday couscous rarely tops 60 to 80 dirham. As everywhere in Morocco, mint tea comes with everything and costs next to nothing.
Moving around Rabat
Transit, distances and the smart moves so you don't pay the tourist tax.
The center is walkable, which trims the bill from the start. Beyond that, the tram is unbeatable: two lines link Rabat and Salé for 6 dirham a ride, from 6am to 11pm, with a stop right outside Rabat-Ville station. The blue petit taxis run on a meter, starting at 5 or 6 dirham and rarely over 25 to 30 dirham for a cross-town trip. From the airport, the real budget trap is the line of white taxis quoting 100 to 200 dirham: the AE bus links the airport to both stations for 25 dirham, and a metered petit taxi comes to around 30 dirham for the same route.
Things to do in Rabat
Recommended activities and tours.
Chellah
The Chellah or Shalla (Berber languages: Sla or Calla; Arabic: شالة) is a medieval fortified necropolis and ancient archeological site in Rabat, Morocco, located on the south (left) side of the Bou Regreg estuary. The earliest evidence of the site's occupation suggests that the Phoenicians established a trading emporium here in the first millennium BC.
Archaeological site
Museum of Moroccan Judaism
The Museum of Moroccan Judaism (Arabic: متحف اليهودية المغربية, Hebrew: מוזיאון יהדות מרוקו) is a museum of Jewish life in Morocco in Casablanca, Morocco. Established in 1997, it is the only museum devoted to Judaism in the Arab world.
Museum
Iulia Valentia Banasa
Iulia Valentia Banasa, corresponding to modern day Sidi Ali Boujnoun (Arabic: سيدي علي بوجنون), was a Roman-Berber city in northern Morocco. It was one of the three colonias in Mauretania Tingitana founded by emperor Augustus between 33 and 25 BC for veterans of the battle of Actium, on top of a Mauretanian village.
Archaeological site
Thamusida
Thamusida (Punic: 𐤕𐤌𐤃𐤏𐤕) was originally a Punic river port located in the present-day towns of Kénitra and Mehdya in Morocco. Under the Roman Empire, it formed a part of the province of Mauretania Tingitana, and starting in the seventh century it was occupied as part of the Arab conquests.
Archaeological site
Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes Church
Notre-Dame de Lourdes Church (French: Église Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes de Casablanca) is a Roman Catholic church in modernist style in Casablanca, Morocco. It was built in 1954 by architect Achille Dangleterre and engineer Gaston Zimmer.
Church
Museum of History and Civilizations in Rabat
The Museum of History and Civilizations (Arabic: متحف التاريخ والحضارات, romanized: Matḥaf al-Tārīkh wa-al-Haḍārāt, French: Musée de l'histoire et des civilisations) is a national archaeological museum in Rabat, capital of Morocco. Open since 1932, its known for holding the most extensive collection of archaeological artefacts found in the kingdom, most notably a bust of the famous Amazigh king Juba II.
Museum
Temple Beth-El
The Temple Beth-El (Hebrew: בית הכנסת בית־אל, romanized: Béit hak'néset Bēṯ-ʾEl, lit. 'Synagogue of the House of God'; Arabic: معبد بيت إيل, romanized: Maʿbad bayt ʾĪl, lit. 'Temple of the House of El') also called Beit-El or the Algerian Temple, is an Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue in the Sidi Belyout district of Casablanca, Morocco.
Notable place
Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art
The Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, abbreviated MMVI, (Arabic: متحف محمد السادس للفن الحديث والمعاصر, romanized: Matḥaf Muḥammad al-Sādis lil-Fann al-Hadīth wa-al-Muʻāṣir) is a contemporary and modern art museum in Rabat, Morocco which opened in 2014. It is one of fourteen museums of the National Foundation of Museums of Morocco.
Museum
United Nations Square
United Nations Square (Arabic: ساحة الأمم المتحدة, romanized: Sāḥat al-Umam al-Muttaḥidah, French: Place des Nations-Unies) is a public square in the center of Casablanca, Morocco. It has been central in the history of Casablanca.
Square
Church of San Buenaventura
The Church of San Buenaventura is a former Roman Catholic church, located in the Medina of Casablanca, Morocco. The church was founded by Franciscans in c. 1890.
Notable place
Places referenced on Wikidata. Admission prices vary by season - check each venue's official site.
Paying less in Rabat
What moves the needle
What each decision takes off the €1188 total, strongest lever first.
- − €728
Travel cheap rather than mid-range
Hostel or entry-level hotel, local canteens, public transport. Accommodation is where the gap opens up.
- − €322
Stay five nights instead of seven
Two fewer nights also removes two days of meals, transport and sightseeing.
- − €210
Travel as a pair
The room is shared, nothing else is. Travellers themselves name this as the strongest lever.
Differences computed from our own measurements, for a 7-night mid-range stay, excluding flights.
6 tips on the ground
- The Kasbah of the Oudayas, the medina and Rue des Consuls are free to wander and easily fill half a day at no cost.
- The tram links the two banks for 6 dirham a ride, cheaper than any taxi, from 6am to 11pm.
- From the airport, the AE bus (25 dirham) or a metered petit taxi (about 30 dirham) replace the white taxis that ask 100 to 200 dirham.
- A well-rated riad in the medina runs around €13 a night, one of the best charm-to-price ratios in the capital.
- Fish sandwiches and tagines from the Marché Central stalls keep a full meal under 40 dirham, just over €3.
- Visiting in summer enjoys a nearly rainless climate (1.4 mm in July), which avoids surprises and lets you do everything on foot.
FAQ
FAQ - Rabat
- How much does a week in Rabat cost?
- For seven nights, plan roughly €399 per person on a budget (medina riad around €19 a night, street food, walking tours), and around €1,127 at mid-range comfort with a Ville Nouvelle hotel around €60, excluding flights.
- What's the best month to visit Rabat?
- Spring (April-May) and autumn (September-October) are ideal, mild and low on rain. The Atlantic summer is warm without extremes, around 28 to 29°C highs in July-August and nearly rainless. Winter stays mild but wet: November and December top 60 mm of rainfall, with lower prices.
- Is Rabat an expensive destination?
- No, Rabat is far more affordable than European capitals like Madrid, with lodging, meals and transport two to three times cheaper. It does sit a notch above the cheapest cities in the region, such as Cairo, and slightly pricier than Marrakech at the budget end. It's one of the gentlest capitals on the wallet for this quality of trip.
- Do you need to exchange money, and can you pay in euros in Rabat?
- You pay in Moroccan dirham, not euros: you'll need to exchange cash or withdraw from an ATM. Many small costs (a 6-dirham tram, a 40-dirham sandwich, a petit taxi fare) are settled in cash, so keeping change is useful. Hotels and restaurants downtown often take cards, but cash still rules in the medina.
At a glance
Wikidata, Wikipedia and Open-Meteo data
- Population
- 510k
- Area
- 118 km²
- Elevation
- 87 m
- Language
- Standard Moroccan Tamazight, Arabic
- Currency
- د.م.
- Time zone
- UTC+01:00
- Founded
- 1146
- Avg. July temp.
- 24°
- Avg. Jan. temp.
- 13°
- Rainy days / year
- 58
inhabitants
Moroccan Dirham
20° - 29°
9° - 17°
About
Rabat in brief
Rabat is the capital city of Morocco, located on the northwestern coasts of the Atlantic Ocean. Rabat is the country's seventh-largest city with a population of 515,619 (2024) and the second largest metropolitan area after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 2.1 million (2025). It is also the capital city of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra administrative region. Rabat is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the river Bou Regreg, opposite Salé, the city's main commuter town.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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