Morocco: Bridging the Gap Between Minimum Wage and Living Costs

7 August 2026

A few days ago, news from all over the world reported that approximately 60,000 people crossed the Moroccan border into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.

Young and old men, women and children risked everything to find a better life on the other side of the border. Many drowned trying, with an estimated death toll of 88 according to The Guardian, and potentially more still in the sea.

The majority who managed to cross have been sent back to Morocco, but many others – including minors – are still sleeping on the streets, according to the Spanish national TV channel, RTVE.

The extraordinary influx had overwhelmed the city and created a crisis situation that quickly escalated into a political debate. It all started with a social media post alerting that the border was open, prompting tens of thousands to cross.

The migratory tensions in Ceuta, as well as Melilla, are not new. Both autonomous cities are the gates to Europe from the African continent, and have seen mass-scale crossings in the past, the last one in 2021.

Many Moroccans reported they want to leave the country because of dissatisfaction with its economy, institutions, politics and governance, according to Morocco World News. In 2024, the Arab Barometer reported that 35% of Moroccans wanted to emigrate from the country, with 45% citing economic reasons as the main factor, 18% citing education opportunities, and 15% citing corruption. In 2026, 1 in 3 (29%) young Moroccans aged between 15 and 24 neither work nor study (NEET youth), according to a recent EFE report.

The cost of living in Morocco

The cost of living in Morocco changes per region. For example, living in the Rabat-Sale-Kenitra region, this is what a typical family would need in a month to maintain a decent standard of living:

• Transport: 618 MAD per month (~57.45 EUR)
• Food: 2060 MAD per month (~191.50 EUR)
• Housing: 2400 MAD per month (~223.11 EUR)
• Clothing: 576 MAD per month (~53.55 EUR)
• Water: 106.01 MAD per month (~9.85 EUR)
• Phone: 194 MAD per month (~18.03 EUR)
• Education: 136 MAD per month (~12.64 EUR)
• Healthcare: 1175 MAD per month (~109.23 EUR)
• Other costs: 363 MAD per month (~33.74 EUR)

The total sums up to 8548.68 MAD, which is approximately 794.69 EUR per month.

Minimum wages in Morocco

The minimum wage in Morocco is determined by a decree issued by the Head of Government. This decree sets the legal minimum wage for industry, commerce, liberal professions, agriculture, and other sectors. Employers are prohibited from negotiating wages with employees or attempting to reduce them.

As of January 2026, the minimum monthly wage in the private sector is 3422.72 Moroccan Dirham (MAD) per month - an equivalent of 318.18 EUR. For workers in the agricultural sector, the minimum wage is 97.70 MAD per day (~ 9.12 EUR), or 2539 MAD (~ 236 EUR) per month. Domestic workers must earn at least 10.80 MAD ( ~ 1 EUR) per hour.

Important to note that the standard working hours for employees are set at 44 hours per week. In agricultural activities, the standard working hours are set at approximately 48 hours per week, according to WageIndicator’s Labour Law database.

Like in most parts of the world, there is a stark contrast between the average person's salary in Morocco compared to the country’s VIPs and celebrities. It is estimated that the Prime Minister of Morocco, Aziz Akhannouch, earns a monthly salary of 70000 MAD (~ 6531 EUR) and has a net worth of 1.6 billion USD (2026), according to Forbes.

Living Wage in Morocco

According to WageIndicator's Living Wage estimates (as of July 2026), to afford life in the Rabat-Sale-Kenitra region, a full-time employee needs to earn at least 5699.12 MAD (~529.79 EUR) per month.

While WageIndicator estimates vary per region, the data shows a large wage gap (30-40%) between the minimum wage and the living wage. The map is clear: the statutory minimum wage doesn’t really cover the cost of living, making living conditions very difficult for most Moroccan families.

Moreover, the country faces many other labour-related challenges beyond wages, according to a World Bank report, especially affecting young talent and women. For example, a large proportion of the population in the country (69.4% in 2024) are in informal employment contracts, which limits workers' protection, productivity gains, constrains tax revenue mobilisation, and slows the expansion of social protection.