A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Albufeira vs. Essaouira for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Albufeira or Essaouira?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Albufeira or Essaouira? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Where Should I go: Albufeira or Essaouira?

Albufeira

Located in the Algarve region in the south of Portugal, Albufeira was once a small fishing village which has since evolved into a popular destination for tourists attracted by the area's beaches, pleasant climate, and fresh seafood.

Essaouira

Essaouira is a beautiful beach town on the Atlantic coast of Morocco. The city has a pleasant medina that has been named a UNESCO World Heritage site and is interesting to explore. It's an 18th century fortified town with a lot of character and charm. The city is rich and culture and you'll find a handful of art galleries throughout the town. The city is also a gathering place for artists and musicians, particularly during the Gnaoua Festival of World Music, which takes place the last week of June. This event attracts about 450,000 visitors yearly.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Portugal, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Portugal, The Best 10-Day Tours in Morocco, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Morocco.


Which place is cheaper, Essaouira or Albufeira?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Albufeira is €148, while the average daily cost in Essaouira is €42. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Albufeira and Essaouira in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Albufeira 74
    Essaouira 24
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Albufeira 148
    Essaouira 48
Compare Hotels in Albufeira and Essaouira

Looking for a hotel in Albufeira or Essaouira? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Albufeira


Hotels in Essaouira


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Albufeira Hotel Prices and Essaouira Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Albufeira 34
    Essaouira 1.83

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Albufeira

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Albufeira:

  • Private transfer from Albufeira to Lisbon with 2 hours sightseeing: $286
  • Transfer Vila Real de Santo Antonio - Alto Golf Pestana (Alvor): $166
  • Transfer Vila Nova de Cacela - Balaia Golf (Albufeira): $141
  • Transfer Silves - Benamor Golf (Conceição): $100
  • Private Airport Transfer To Albufeira Area: $94
  • Transfer Galé - Benamor Golf (Conceição): $89
  • Transfer Albufeira - Benamor Golf (Conceição): $89
  • Faro Airport (Algarve) Departure Transfer (Vilamoura Hotels to Faro Airport): $89
  • Private Transfer from Hotel to Faro Airport: $88
  • Private Transfer from Pera to Faro (FAO) Airport: $83
  • Private Transfer from Alte to Faro (FAO) Airport: $83
  • Private Transfer from Sao Bartolomeu de Messines to Faro (FAO) Airport: $82

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Essaouira

Also for Essaouira, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Airport Transfer Essaouira - Marrakech : $297
  • Airport Transfer From Essaouira Airport To Medina: $22
  • Essaouira Airport To city Transfer: $39
  • Essaouira transfert Aéroport -Private Essaouira 4 to 8 pax : $40
  • Essaouira transfert aéroport -Private Essaouira 1 to 4 pax: $22
  • Private Transfer from or to Essaouira Airport (ESU): $22
  • Marrakech transfert aéroport - Private marrakech ( 1 to 4 pax ): $22
  • Private Transfer Essaouira - Rabat: $264
  • Private Transfer Essaouira-Casablanca: $219
  • Private Transfer Essaouira-Essaouira Airport: $21
  • Private transfer Marrakech to Essaouira or Essaouira toMarrakech : $103
  • Transfer Essaouira Airport to Essaouira: $22

Is it cheaper to fly into Albufeira or Essaouira?

Prices for flights to both Essaouira and Albufeira change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Albufeira 48
    Essaouira 12

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Albufeira

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Albufeira.

  • A Portuguese Dinner and Cocktail Experience: $50
  • Algarve Bike and Food Tour with Sea Food and Wine Tasting: $62
  • Sunset Safari with Traditional Dinner : $66
  • 6-Hour Sunset Dinner Catamaran Cruise from Albufeira: $75
  • Sunset Tour - Champagne and Traditional Dinner: $76

Typical Food Prices in Essaouira

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Essaouira:


  • Baklava
    1.28
  • Breakfast Crepes
    0.46
  • Fish for Lunch
    14

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Essaouira

For Essaouira, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Traditional Moroccan Cooking Class: $39
  • L'Atelier Madada Moroccan Cooking Workshop in Essaouira: $55
  • 3 hours Camel Ride in Essaouira with Dinner and Overnight in Berber Camp: $172

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Albufeira 39
    Essaouira 11

Tours and Activities in Albufeira

Here are a few actual costs in Albufeira for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Full Day Private Tour in Silves and Coast Gems: $193
  • Safari Experience with Traditional Tapas: $77
  • 2 Hour Guided Catamaran Sailing Tour: $33
  • 3 Hour Benagil Sunset and Coastline Boat Tour in Albufeira: $36
  • 4 Hour Cruise along the Algarve Coastline: $94
  • 70 Minutes Guided Old Ruins Walking Tour in Albufeira: $22
  • 70 Minutes Guided Secrets of Albufeira Walking Tour: $22
  • Adventure between friends - Private safari, from 1 to 6 PAX: $164
  • Albufeira (FULL DAY) Jeep Safari Tour : $75
  • Albufeira 1.5-Hour Off-road Quad Tour: $44
  • Albufeira 2 hour Off-Road Tour Buggy Adventure Tour: $50
  • Albufeira 2 hour Off-Road Tour Quad Adventure Tour: $36

Tours and Activities in Essaouira

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Essaouira.

  • Full Day Tour From Marrakech To Essaouira Mogador: $21
  • 3-Hour Camel Tour: $41
  • Essaouira Tour - Half day visit to berber market : $57
  • Big dunes and atlantic coast tour 2 HOURS: $57
  • 2 Hour Quad & ATV Experience: $58
  • Essaouira Guided Tour: 3 on 1 - Nightlife tour, Live like a local & Street food: $66
  • Big Cap Sim dunes and forest 3 hours tour.: $71
  • Discovery Tour around Essaouira by Electric Motorcycle: $86
  • Your Own Morocco Essaouira Walking Tour: $143
  • Essaouira Exclusive Dune Buggy Adventure: $165
  • full Private Day Trip to Marrakech Sightseeing: $220

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Albufeira 26
    Essaouira 8.41

Sample the Local Flavors in Albufeira

Also in Albufeira, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Sunset Wine Tasting With BBQ in Porches: $50
  • Exclusive Wine Tasting Experience in Porches (Algarve): $50
  • Winery Tour with Wine Tasting and Tapas: $64
  • Small-Group Wine Tour & Silves Exploration (from Albufeira): $68
  • Wine Tour and Tasting - Semi-Private from Albufeira: $72
  • Albufeira Coast Tour w/ Wine tasting & Chicken lunch: $75
  • Lagos and Ponta Da Piedade Private Tour & Algarvian Wine Tasting: $108
  • From Private Lagos Tour Whith Wine Tasting: $413


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Albufeira and Essaouira, we can see that Albufeira is more expensive. And not only is Essaouira much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Albufeira is in Europe and Essaouira is in Africa, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Essaouira would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Essaouira and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Albufeira would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Albufeira than you might in Essaouira.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Albufeira Expensive? and Is Essaouira Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Albufeira or Essaouira?

Essaouira has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Albufeira. When comparing the sizes of Albufeira and Essaouira, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.