Marrakech vs Sharm El Sheikh
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Sharm El Sheikh edges it, 48 to 47, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Marrakech is stronger on safety, visa ease; Sharm El Sheikh on cost of living. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Medina life with desert and mountains close
Full Marrakech profile →Where to stay in Marrakech →Red Sea resort city with Ras Mohammed diving and a busy charter airport
Full Sharm El Sheikh profile →Where to stay in Sharm El Sheikh →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Marrakech | Sharm El Sheikh |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 49 | 73 ✓ |
| Safety | 61 ✓ | 47 |
| Healthcare | 61 ✓ | 60 |
| Internet | 39 | 41 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 46 ✓ | 34 |
| Getting there & around | 57 ✓ | 51 |
| Climate | 42 | 50 ✓ |
| Air quality | 27 | 29 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 43 | 49 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Marrakech | Sharm El Sheikh |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,332 | $717 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $483 | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Marrakech | Sharm El Sheikh |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 1.67 ✓ | 4.2 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 56.1 ✓ | 50 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 65 | 71 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 72.6 yrs ✓ | 69.1 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Marrakech | Sharm El Sheikh |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 10.1 Mbps ✓ | 9.6 Mbps |
| Upload | 0.8 Mbps | 1.5 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Marrakech | Sharm El Sheikh |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days ✓ | visa on arrival |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days ✓ | visa on arrival |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days ✓ | visa on arrival |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Marrakech | Sharm El Sheikh |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 118 ✓ | 65 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 ✓ | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 2 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | Marrakech | Sharm El Sheikh |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 6 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 38 µg/m³ | 37.1 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Marrakech or Sharm El Sheikh?
- Sharm El Sheikh is cheaper: about $717 per month versus $1,332 for one person.
- Is Marrakech or Sharm El Sheikh 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, Marrakech or Sharm El Sheikh?
- Marrakech: a measured median of 10.1 Mbps versus 9.6 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Marrakech vs Jakarta
- Marrakech vs Tashkent
- Sharm El Sheikh vs Luxor
- Sharm El Sheikh vs Cairo
- All 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.