Budget Moroccan
Cheap Eats in Oujda — Budget Food in the Far East
Oujda is one of Morocco's least touristy cities, and it eats cheaply and authentically. Karan for a few dirhams, the evening grills of Bab Sidi Abdelwahab, soups and sandwiches all feed you well for very little in this eastern border city.
- City
- Oujda
- Cuisine
- Budget Moroccan
- Typical price
- 5-45 MAD
The cheapest and most characteristic bite in Oujda is karan — the baked chickpea flan — sold for just a few dirhams a slice from stalls around Bab Sidi Abdelwahab and the medina. Plain with cumin or in bread with harissa, it is a filling, comforting snack or light meal at almost no cost. Alongside it, the standard cheap Moroccan meals apply: bissara and harira soups with bread for around 10-15 MAD, freshest in the morning and midday.
The evening food market around Bab Sidi Abdelwahab is the budget-eating highlight, with grills serving spicy skewers and kefta, sandwich counters, and snail and soup carts, all at local prices in a lively local atmosphere. Small canteens in the medina and working districts serve a plate of the day — tagine, lentils, or grilled meat — with bread and salad for 30-45 MAD. Because Oujda sees few tourists, prices across the board are pitched at locals.
The markets are good for a cheap picnic — bread, olives, dates, nuts and the produce of the eastern region — and the city's strong grill culture means cheap, satisfying charcoal-grilled meats are easy to find. Sfenj doughnuts and griddle breads make cheap snacks, and the fresh-juice stands are inexpensive and refreshing in the hot eastern summers.
To eat cheaply, make karan and the Bab Sidi Abdelwahab evening market your base, fill in with soups, sandwiches and canteen plates, and enjoy the honest local prices. Oujda, far off the tourist trail, rewards budget travellers with authentic eastern-Moroccan food for the price of a coffee.
How to eat well
- 1
Karan is the cheapest, most local bite — a slice costs just a few dirhams.
- 2
The evening food market around Bab Sidi Abdelwahab has cheap grills, sandwiches and soups.
- 3
Oujda sees few tourists, so prices everywhere are pitched at locals.
- 4
Bissara and harira soups with bread cost around 10-15 MAD.
- 5
The east's strong grill culture means cheap, satisfying charcoal-grilled meats are easy to find.
Frequently asked questions
Is Oujda cheap to eat in?
Very — as one of Morocco's least touristy cities, its karan stalls, evening grills, soup stalls and canteens are all priced for locals, so you can eat well for a handful of dirhams.
What is the cheapest food in Oujda?
Karan (chickpea flan) at a few dirhams a slice is the cheapest and most characteristic, followed by bissara and harira soups with bread at around 10-15 MAD.
Where do locals eat cheaply in Oujda?
Around Bab Sidi Abdelwahab's evening food market, and at the karan stalls, soup carts, sandwich counters and canteens of the medina and working districts.