Dahab vs Marrakech
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Dahab edges it, 47 to 47, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Dahab is stronger on cost of living, climate; Marrakech on air quality, safety, visa ease. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Red Sea diving town that doubles as a nomad base
Full Dahab profile →Where to stay in Dahab →Medina life with desert and mountains close
Full Marrakech profile →Where to stay in Marrakech →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Dahab | Marrakech |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 74 ✓ | 49 |
| Safety | 47 | 61 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 60 | 61 ✓ |
| Internet | 41 ✓ | 39 |
| Visa ease | 34 | 46 ✓ |
| Getting there & around | 51 | 57 ✓ |
| Climate | 58 ✓ | 42 |
| Air quality | 11 | 27 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 49 ✓ | 43 |
Cost
| Metric | Dahab | Marrakech |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $700 ✓ | $1,332 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | $483 |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Dahab | Marrakech |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 4.2 | 1.67 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 50 | 56.1 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 71 ✓ | 65 |
| Life expectancy | 69.1 yrs | 72.6 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Dahab | Marrakech |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 9.6 Mbps | 10.1 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 1.5 Mbps ✓ | 0.8 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Dahab | Marrakech |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | visa on arrival | 90 days ✓ |
| Entry, EU passport | visa on arrival | 90 days ✓ |
| Entry, UK passport | visa on arrival | 90 days ✓ |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Dahab | Marrakech |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 65 | 118 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Dahab | Marrakech |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 7 ✓ | 5 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 45.2 µg/m³ | 38 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Dahab or Marrakech?
- Dahab is cheaper: about $700 per month versus $1,332 for one person.
- Is Dahab or Marrakech safer?
- Marrakech scores higher on safety (61 vs 47), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Dahab or Marrakech?
- Marrakech: a measured median of 10.1 Mbps versus 9.6 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.