Living in Fes, Morocco
Fes is a large city in Morocco (1 to 5 million people in the city proper). It has a mild climate, averaging 19°C over the year with about 484 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €2,201 a month to live centrally, and Morocco sits in our low to medium tax tier. For foreigners, long-term residency in Morocco is comparatively open, with a self-funded route from about $544 a month in income.
12 questions, about 4 minutes, no account needed. Taking the quiz is free, and so is seeing your #1 city. Full results for both of you are a one-time US$12 (€12 in Europe).
- Est. cost
- €2,201
- a month for a couple
- Tax tier
- Low to medium
- personal income tax
- Climate
- 19°C
- 484 mm rain a year
- Size
- Large
- 1 to 5 million people
- Safety
- 62/100
- country-level
- Internet
- ~30 Mbps
- median fixed broadband
- Residency
- Comparatively open
- for most foreigners
What stands out about Fes
- Self-funded residency from about $544 a month in income
- More affordable than 83% of the cities we compare
Residency and visas
Comparatively open. Realistic long-term residency is the renewable carte de séjour (certificat d'immatriculation) under a sufficient-means or retiree category; there is no formal passive-income visa, golden visa, or investor program, and thresholds are set discretionarily by the local prefecture.
The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Morocco:
- Income: about $544 a month (Carte de séjour sufficient-means/retiree route, ~MAD 5,000/mo (no statutory minimum; typical prefecture-observed threshold in smaller towns, higher in Casablanca/Rabat); converted at 1 USD = 9.19 MAD; as of June 2026)
For short visits, 73 of 198 passports can enter visa-free, 8 can get an e-visa or visa on arrival and 117 need a visa in advance.
Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).
Healthcare
Morocco scores 52 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 8% of the cities we compare.
Source: Our own country-level healthcare estimate (0 to 100), shared by every city in Morocco.
Internet and remote work
Median fixed broadband in Morocco runs at about 30 Mbps, faster than 8% of the cities we compare.
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median fixed broadband download speed, country-level.
Cost of living
We estimate a couple needs about €2,201 a month to live centrally in Fes, 19% below the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 83% of them.
Source: OurNextCity model: a country-level cost index (New York = 100) scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget.
Climate
Fes averages 19°C across the year with about 484 mm of rain, which makes it mild and dry. It is warmer than 51% of the 1225 cities we track, and it sits near the coast.
Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.
Language and culture
Main languages: Arabic, French. English proficiency: limited. Social openness scores 40 out of 100.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index (country-level); social openness is our secularism and tolerance composite.
Taxes
Morocco sits in our low to medium tax tier: moderate personal income tax. We use three tiers (zero or very low, low to medium, high) and apply them to every city in the country.
Taxes are a dealbreaker filter in OurNextCity: a couple who caps tax at zero or very low will not see Fes in their results.
Source: OurNextCity tax tiers, assigned by hand from each country's top marginal personal income tax rate and overall tax reputation, with no fixed rate cut-offs. Country-level and coarse by design; not tax advice.
Safety and stability
Morocco scores 62 out of 100 on safety, safer than 55% of the cities we compare. Its EIU Democracy Index score is 5.0 out of 10.
Source: Our own country-level safety estimate (0 to 100, higher is safer), shared by every city in Morocco. Stability: EIU Democracy Index.
Questions couples ask about Fes
Is Fes a good place to live for couples?
It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Fes scores well on affordability. It is weaker on healthcare, internet speed, English and social openness. Expect a mild, dry climate (19°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Fes and 914 other cities for both of you at once.
How much does it cost a couple to live in Fes?
We estimate about €2,201 a month for a couple living centrally, 19% below the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from a country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.
What are taxes like in Fes?
Morocco is in our low to medium tax tier (moderate personal income tax). Tiers are country-level and deliberately coarse: zero or very low, low to medium, and high. Couples who make zero or very low tax a must-have will not see Fes in their results.
Can foreigners live in Morocco long term?
Our assessment: comparatively open. Realistic long-term residency is the renewable carte de séjour (certificat d'immatriculation) under a sufficient-means or retiree category; there is no formal passive-income visa, golden visa, or investor program, and thresholds are set discretionarily by the local prefecture. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: income, about $544 a month (as of 2026-06).
What is the weather like in Fes?
Fes averages 19°C across the year with about 484 mm of rain, which makes it mild and dry. It is warmer than 51% of the cities we track.
Cities like Fes
Closest matches in other countries across climate, size, coast, cost, safety, healthcare, internet, language and politics.
Near Fes
Moving to Morocco as a couple
Entry, residency, taxes and costs for a couple who both hold one of these passports.