Living in Morocco Pros and Cons
Morocco,  Travel

Living in Morocco: Top 10 pros and cons of this beautiful, complicated country

Morocco is a very polarizing place. People either hate or love it, but very few feel neutral about this bustling, historic place. I think this is even more true of living here. In my experience, living here is nothing like visiting, and both have their benefits and challenges. We wanted to discuss our top 10 living in Morocco pros and cons and share our favorite and not-so-favorite things about the Maghreb.

Pros of living in Morocco

1. The family culture

One of my favorite things about living in Morocco is the strong family culture. Families are very close; they spend a lot of time together, eat meals, and often live together. Families frequently help each other out when they need it, work tirelessly for each other, and take care of one another, as I’ve never seen anywhere else.

2. The laid-back pace

Marrakesh and Casablanca can be pretty bustling cities, but Morocco is a pretty relaxed country at its heart. Nobody’s ever really in a rush. Things sort of happen when they happen. People will spend hours at the café enjoying time with friends or observing the city. Unlike in the United States, people don’t have a “live to work” mentality, and the workday tends to be much shorter than in other countries.

3. Scenic beaches and scenery

Many people associate Morocco with the desert, which is fair. We have a lot of deserts. But there’s also a shocking amount of beautiful greenery, mountains, beaches, and even some snow in the winter. Morocco has a lot of geographical and ecological diversity and plenty of beautiful places to see.

4. The cost of living is low

Morocco is a decently inexpensive place to live. Rent, food, and utilities are generally pretty affordable, and you need much less money to get by than in other countries. While the average pay is relatively low, your money will go pretty far. Particularly with food, which is cheaper and more fresh than anywhere I’ve ever lived.

5. Beautiful architecture

Morocco has a lot of magnificent, historic buildings. Mosques, palaces, stunning ancient walls, and fortresses. The craftsmanship that goes into the stunning mosaics never ceases to amaze me.

Living in Morocco



Cons of living in Morocco

1. The corruption is a massive problem

Most countries have some high-level corruption, but Morocco is on another level. So much of the funding that should be used for public services, sanitation, and health and safety is diverted into the pockets of the Moroccan elite. Police and government workers take bribes, nepotism is rampant, and getting anything done depends on who you know and how much money you’re willing to spend.

The effects of this corruption aren’t just seen in the trash-strewn everywhere and the unfinished or poorly constructed buildings. Factories are allowed to pollute the air and land with abandon, leading to devastating problems for the surrounding communities. Good-paying jobs are reserved for the elite and their friends and children. It’s a massive problem, and its effects are felt all throughout society.

2. Education and healthcare have a long way to go

Ask any Moroccan what they hate most about Morocco, and they will likely say healthcare. The healthcare here is terrible, and that cannot be overstated for the people who can’t afford private healthcare. I have only experienced the healthcare system once, but I can confirm that it is not up to par, even remotely, with a quality standard of care.

3. Selection of goods is small and expensive things are really expensive

Morocco has everything you need to live in terms of food, home goods, clothing, and even electronics. However, for some reason, the range of products is extremely limited. You have the same basic spices, the same foods in every single store, a tiny selection of clothing stores (LC Waikiki, Defacto, Decathlon, Marjane, Carrefour), and that’s about it. There are many smaller stores, but they tend to be knock-off items and, again, have the same limited selection. You can buy certain things online, but few stores ship to Morocco at this time.

Quality electronics are also an issue as they are vastly more expensive than the same item in another country. For example:

The same macbook pro in the us vs morocco



Buying them second-hand is also not advised, as they’re often knock-off or poor quality. This makes purchasing and maintaining electronics in the Maghreb difficult, expensive, or both. I typically prioritize buying electronics and tech accessories when I leave the country and come back.

4. The language for expats living in Morocco

Moroccan Darija is… complicated. I’ve written about it previously, but it’s a complicated language to speak and a hard language to learn. English is also relatively uncommon, so navigating society and living in Morocco without a basic understanding of Darija or French will be very difficult.

5. Bureaucracy is insane and endless

Anyone trying to do anything at any government building will know that it is ridiculously difficult, incredibly slow, and super, super frustrating. Different people seem to give you different answers every time you ask a question. Bribes are basically just standard operating procedures, and there’s no consistency between agencies. One office will require one set of documents; another will require others. It seems like none of them communicate amongst themselves.

Things are still very “offline,” and a lot of time is spent manually transporting documents from one city or building to another to be processed. It’s honestly the worst system. Getting married took us almost 3 months because of all the insane paperwork and running around we had to do. Expats living in Morocco will struggle with the slow, frustrating, contradictory, endless paperwork issues.

This extends to private businesses, too. Getting the internet installed took about six weeks in our first apartment. Nobody ever follows up or does what they say they will, and there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it. Living in Morocco can honestly be so frustrating.




So, what are your favorite and least favorite things about living as an expat in Morocco? Check out more of our Moroccan travel tips!

12 Comments

  • Marian

    I have been itching to visit Morocco! This is a very relatable post. Living in a new country can have its challenges, as I am learning. Thanks for a great post!

  • Sanin

    Thank u so much for all this info.
    I have a question. Where do women stand there in terms of rights now? Are they employed or mostly staying home and taking care of families?

    • Kate

      It’s a mix. Many women work, but the older generations tend to stay home. There are some women who are highly educated, and some older generations who still can’t read and write. As with many places, rights vary by how much money you have, unfortunately. Women in the cities tend to have a lot more career and education opportunities than those in the rural areas, and to this day, young girls in rural areas are taken out of school to tend for siblings.

  • Conrad M

    Many thanks. I am thinking of moving to Morocco, from England. I have friends in Larache (approximately 80klm from Tangiers) who have invited me there to spend some time and feel out the vibe. I’m English and speak some French. I am given to understand that French is widely spoken by Morrocans. Is this so? Great article many thanks.

    • Kate

      French is pretty common and many people speak at least a passable amount of French. It’s often taught in schools, though it has started getting phased out in favor of English. Most people see me as a foreigner and speak French assuming I know French (I don’t). I’d definitely come try it out for a while before committing to moving. Living in Morocco really is nothing like visiting (in both good and bad ways).

  • Conrad M

    Thank you very much for such a wonderful insight into your experiences. It is very much appreciated, on many levels. I’m encouraged by your post to go and experience the vibe and get a feel of what it might be like to live permanently, somewhere, in Morrocco. I would be staying initially with friends in Larache, a holiday, which I very much hope will lead into a semi permanent residence and subsequently living full time, in a rather interesting country. Thank you again. Also, given, as you suggest, English is becoming more widely used that is a bonus in itself. Although my French is passable I am a, native, English speaker.

    • Kate

      It’s illegal, technically, and still fairly dangerous to be part of the LGBTQ+ community. Not to mention, trans-identified people are still quite uncommon. Things are changing extremely slowly unfortunately. I wish I could tell you it’s totally safe but I don’t believe that to be true at this time.

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