Spaniards are heading to car repair shops in Morocco for maintenance due to the significant cost differences.
The city of Tangier has witnessed a noticeable increase in Spanish drivers seeking car repair services during holiday periods, driven by the vast disparity in maintenance costs between Morocco and Spain. Many Spaniards find Morocco, particularly its northern regions, a suitable haven for making costly repairs in their home country, benefiting from lower wages and service costs.
Spanish media reports indicate that labor costs at some Moroccan workshops do not exceed two euros, compared to between 100 and 150 euros in Spanish workshops. Additionally, Morocco’s less stringent environmental regulations help lessen expenses associated with handling mechanical waste, impacting the final price borne by the customer.
The low cost of travel between the two countries plays a crucial role in establishing this phenomenon, with a round-trip ferry ticket from Tarifa to Tangier costing around 200 euros, making car maintenance in Morocco an even more appealing option, especially for owners of older vehicles over ten years old.
This growing trend reflects a remarkable economic interplay across the straits and opens the door to promising opportunities for Moroccan repair shops, accompanied by organizational and professional challenges related to the influx of foreign customers seeking quality at lower costs.
