Morocco vacation prices rising: expats seek alternatives
As summer approaches and Moroccan expats abroad prepare for their return home, the question of prices resurfaces in Morocco. A café receipt from Tangier showing a bill of 398 dirhams for a few drinks illustrates the increasingly widespread feeling among some vacationers: vacations in the home country are becoming expensive, sometimes too expensive.
On this receipt dated Saturday, June 13, 2026, the bill reached 398 dirhams for a table of five people. It includes notably a ginger lemon at 70 dirhams, an avocado juice at 70 dirhams, two mille-feuilles at 40 dirhams, three cream coffees at 150 dirhams, a carrot cake at 18 dirhams and a black coffee at 50 dirhams. Prices that can surprise, especially when they concern very common products in Moroccan cafés.
On Bladi.net : Morocco’s Coffee Crisis: Tourist Cities Face Backlash Over Soaring Prices and Poor Service
This type of bill, even if it cannot alone summarize all prices practiced in Morocco, fuels a recurring debate each summer season. For many expats, a stay in Morocco already represents a significant budget: plane tickets or ferry crossing, fuel, car rental, accommodation, gifts for family, outings, restaurants and travel. When prices for cafés, beaches, restaurants or services increase sharply in tourist cities, the feeling of being treated as a captive customer quickly sets in.
The subject is all the more sensitive because expats are now comparing Morocco more with other destinations. Spain, Portugal, Turkey or Egypt sometimes appear as more predictable alternatives in terms of budget. Some vacationers certainly continue to favor Morocco for family and emotional reasons, but others reduce the length of their stay, limit outings or choose to spend part of their vacation elsewhere.
In several tourist cities, the rise in prices during summer has become a regular complaint. Cafés and restaurants located in neighborhoods most frequented by vacationers sometimes practice rates close to those of major European capitals, without always offering the expected level of service. For families from Europe, the gap between the actual cost of certain products and the price charged can give the impression of seasonal inflation difficult to justify.
This perception represents a risk for Morocco’s tourism image. Expats remain one of the pillars of the summer season, not only through their presence, but also through their spending in shops, restaurants, real estate, transport and services. If some of them believe that vacations in Morocco are becoming too expensive, the impact could gradually be felt on vacation habits.
On Bladi.net : Morocco Tourism Faces Backlash as Summer Prices Soar
The problem is not just about a receipt. It refers to a broader question: how to preserve Morocco’s attractiveness to its diaspora while preventing the summer season from being perceived as a period of excessive price increases? For many expats, Morocco remains a destination of the heart. But with hefty bills piling up, some have already started looking elsewhere.
