Taza sits in northern Morocco at 550 m above sea level, in the Africa/Casablanca timezone, with a Mediterranean-influenced climate: warm, dry summers from June through September and cool, wet winters from December through February, plus mild spring and autumn transitions that are ideal for outdoor activities. The city holds about 151 thousand residents, and expats who settle here tend to choose Ville Nouvelle, the newer quarter where daily errands, cafes, and apartments are easiest to manage without a car. The nearest airport is FEZ, just 7 km away, which keeps arrivals and departures simple for a city of this size.
Rents are the headline. A one-bedroom apartment in the city center runs $101/mo, while the same outside the center drops to $60/mo. Three-bedroom units go for $201/mo in the center and $157/mo outside it. Utilities average $32/mo, internet $33/mo, and a mobile phone plan $10/mo. A monthly public transport pass costs $13/mo and a gym membership $15/mo. Eating out is cheap: an inexpensive restaurant meal is $4 per person, a mid-range three-course meal for two is $18, and a cappuccino is $2. Numbeo puts monthly costs excluding rent at $420/mo for a single person and $1,200/mo for a family of four. Budget, mid-range, and comfortable tiers for a single adult, rent included, come to $230/mo, $306/mo, and $391/mo. Against that, the average local net salary is $497/mo, and the cost of living index is 32/100 with New York City at 100.
Safety is a strong point: the safety index is 68/100 and the crime index is 32/100, where lower is safer. Air quality is decent at an index of 42, lower being better. Healthcare quality is rated fair, so routine care is available while more complex treatment may mean traveling to a larger city. Average internet speed is 20 Mbps, workable for browsing and calls though not for heavy data work.
For stays, Morocco offers the Morocco Retirement Visa, which requires a minimum monthly income of $1,500/mo, and the Morocco Digital Nomad Visa, which requires $587/mo. Arrival is via FEZ, 7 km from the city. English proficiency is limited and the expat community is small, so some French or Arabic helps. The overall expat score is 79/100 and the FIRE score is 81/100, while the retiree score is 54/100 and the digital nomad score is 51/100. Taza suits budget-focused savers, early retirees chasing a low cost of living, and self-directed remote workers who value quiet over a built-out expat scene.