Which place is cheaper, Essaouira or Albufeira?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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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.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAlbufeira €148Essaouira €43
The average daily cost (per person) in Albufeira is €148, while the average daily cost in Essaouira is €43. 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
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAlbufeira €74Essaouira €24
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAlbufeira €148Essaouira €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.
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
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Albufeira €34Essaouira €1.87
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Albufeira
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Albufeira:
- Private transfer from Albufeira to Lisbon with 2 hours sightseeing: $288
- Transfer From Albufeira Algarve To Lisboa: $222
- Transfer Vila Real de Santo António - Alamos Golf (Portimão): $167
- Transfer Vila Nova de Cacela - Alamos Golf (Portimão): $154
- Transfer Vila Nova de Cacela - Alto Golf Pestana (Alvor): $153
- Transfer Vila Nova de Cacela - Balaia Golf (Albufeira): $142
- Transfer Vila Real de Santo António - Balaia Golf (Albufeira): $142
- Private Transfer from Vila Real de Santo António to Faro (FAO) Airport: $134
- Private Airport Transfer To Albufeira Area: $111
- Transfer Alcantarilha - Benamor Golf (Conceição): $100
- Private Airport Transfer To Albufeira Area: $100
- Private Transfer from Monte Gordo to Faro Airport (1-4 pax): $100
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Essaouira
Also for Essaouira, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Excursion: 1H/Quad+1H/Camels (free transfer): $67
- Airport Transfer Essaouira - Marrakech : $299
- Airport Transfer From Essaouira Airport To Medina: $22
- Airport transfer, Departure : Essaouira, Arrival : Agadir: $122
- Essaouira Airport To city Transfer: $39
- Essaouira to Marrakech:Private Transfer for a Hassle-Free Journey: $79
- Essaouira transfer to Marrakech : $133
- 1 Hour Quad Bike Tour with Transfer: $36
- 2-Hour Quad Ride (free transfer): $64
- 2H/ Quad + 2H/ Dromedary free transfer: $97
- 2H/Quad+1H/Dromedary ride free transfer: $77
- 3 Hours Quad Ride with Transfer: $82
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
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Food Meals for one dayAlbufeira €48Essaouira €13
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Albufeira
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Albufeira.
- Algarve Bike and Food Tour with Sea Food and Wine Tasting: $62
- Sunset Safari with Traditional Dinner : $66
- Sunset Tour - Champagne and Traditional Dinner: $72
- 6-Hour Sunset Dinner Catamaran Cruise with Open Bar: $75
Typical Food Prices in Essaouira
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Essaouira:
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Baklava€1.31
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Breakfast Crepes€0.47
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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
- Traditional Moroccan Cooking Class: $44
- l'Atelier - Moroccan Cooking Workshop in Essaouira: $67
- Essaouira Walking Food Tour: $70
- Essaouirra cooking class: $71
- Traditional Family Style Moroccan Cooking Class: $72
- Essaouira Cooking Class: $77
- Essaouira Food Tour: $82
- Essaouira Food Tour: $92
- Berber Cooking Class at a Farm in the Countryside & shopping at a rural Souk.: $98
- 3 hours Camel Ride in Essaouira with Dinner and Overnight in Berber Camp: $173
- 3 Hours Horse Riding with Dinner and Overnight Berber Camp: $175
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Albufeira €39Essaouira €11
Tours and Activities in Albufeira
Here are a few actual costs in Albufeira for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 3h30 Hours Vilamoura Algarve Tour and Tasting Experience: $107
- Algarve Coast & Chapel of Bones ( Private Van Tour ): $53
- Full Day Private Tour in Silves and Coast Gems: $194
- Paderne Adventure Quad Ride: $75
- 1 Hour Historical Guided Boat Tour in Vila Real de Santo Antonio: $21
- 3 Hour Cruise Experience from Vilamoura: $33
- 3H Guided Bike Tour in Vilamoura: $42
- 70 Minutes Guided Old Ruins Walking Tour in Albufeira: $22
- 70 Minutes Guided Secrets of Albufeira Walking Tour: $22
- Albufeira (FULL DAY) Jeep Safari Tour : $75
- Albufeira 1 hour Off-Road Tour Buggy Adventure Tour: $33
- Albufeira 1 hour Off-Road Tour Quad Adventure Tour: $25
Tours and Activities in Essaouira
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Essaouira.
- Highlights Tour with Tasting the Ocean City: $16
- From Marrakesh : Essaouira Full-Day Trip Tour: $18
- Guided Tour On Essaouira City: $19
- From Marrakech: Guided tour of Essaouira the coastal city: $21
- Private City Tour: $26
- Friend-Guide Essaouira city tour: $26
- KiteSurfing or Surfing Experience in Essaouira: $28
- Full Day Tour To Essaouira from Marrakech: $33
- Essaouira 2-Hour Camel Adventure Ride: $39
- 3-Hour Camel Tour: $41
- Cultural & Historical Sightseeing Tour - half day: $42
- 2 hours sunset Horseback Riding Tour: $42
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAlbufeira €26Essaouira €8.60
Sample the Local Flavors in Albufeira
Also in Albufeira, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- 3 Hours Pub Crawl in Albufeira with Professional Party Makers: $33
- Wine Tasting Tour in Algarve Winery : $59
- Half Day Safari Tour with Wine Tasting: $59
- Winery Tour with Wine Tasting and Tapas: $64
- Small-Group Wine Tour & Silves Exploration (from Albufeira): $69
- Albufeira Coast Tour w/ Wine tasting & Chicken lunch: $75
- Porches Algarve Vineyard Tour and Wine Tasting Experience: $79
- Full-Day Private Algarves Wine Tour Experience from Albufeira: $156
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.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.