Should you visit Albufeira or Marrakech?
Should I visit Albufeira or Marrakech? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
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.
Marrakech
Marrakech is on of the most popular travel destinations in Morocco. It is the third largest city in Morocco after Casablanca and Rabat and is located near the foothills of the Atlas Mountains only a few hours from the Sahara Desert. It's a beautiful city that is often referred to as the "Pink City" because of the pale pink color of many of the city's buildings. These striking colors make the city particularly beautiful during the evening hours when the low sun creates a very dramatic lighting.
Which city is cheaper, Marrakech or Albufeira?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Albufeira is €118, while the average daily cost in Marrakech is €52. 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 city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Albufeira and Marrakech in more detail.
Accommodation
If you're traveling alone, you may be able to find a budget hotel or hostel for around €59. But for two people in a standard two-person hotel room in Albufeira the cost is €118 on average.
An average hotel room with basic furnishings costs about €70 in Marrakech For the most convenient locations and nicer amenities you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
The average traveler spends about €38 per day in Albufeira for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
In Marrakech travelers spend around €9.52 a day on food. You can save money by choosing casual restaurants or food stalls, or you can spend plenty more by dining in nicer restaurants at every meal.
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Food
Meals for one day
Albufeira €38
Marrakech €9.52
Typical Food prices in Marrakech
For Marrakech, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Marrakech
For Marrakech, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Virtual Cooking Class with Moroccan Family:
$16
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Moroccan Cooking experience In Atlas Mountains Cook with a Berber family:
$29
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Cooking Class In Atlas Mountains From Marrakech Cook With A Berber Family:
$30
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Berber Life Cooking and Culture Experience:
$32
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Marrakech Food Tasting Experience Including Dinner:
$34
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Berber Life Cooking Class and Culture Experience:
$35
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Moroccan Cooking Workshops:
$35
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Cooking class with Berber family in Atlas Mountains Day trip from Marrakech:
$36
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From High Atlas Berber Cooking Class:
$36
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Cooking Class with A Berber Family From Marrakech:
$37
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Day Trip Atlas Morocco Berber Experience & Cooking Class From Marrakech:
$37
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Moroccan Cooking Class With Chef Najlae !:
$40
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Albufeira is €27 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
Marrakech's transportation costs can vary by the type of transport chosen by visitors. Naturally, taxis and private drivers cost much more than public transportation options. On average, visitors spend €4.78 per person, per day on transportation in Marrakech.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Albufeira
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Albufeira:
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Transfer Galé - Boavista Golf (Lagos):
$77
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Transfer Galé - Benamor Golf (Conceição):
$100
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Transfer Galé - Balaia Golf (Albufeira):
$36
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Transfer Galé - Alto Golf Pestana (Alvor):
$62
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Transfer Galé - Alamos Golf (Portimão):
$62
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Transfer From Albufeira Algarve To Lisboa:
$235
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Transfer Algarve - Up to 7 People:
$871
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Transfer Algarve - Up to 3 People:
$746
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Transfer Albufeira to Faro Airport:
$36
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Transfer Albufeira - Boavista Golf (Lagos):
$77
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Transfer Albufeira - Benamor Golf (Conceição):
$100
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Transfer Albufeira - Balaia Golf (Albufeira):
$19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Marrakech
Also for Marrakech, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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1- Way Private Transfer From Marrakech to Essaouira:
$299
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1- Way Private Transfer from Marrakesh to Essaouira:
$62
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2 Hours Marrakech Relaxing Massage and Hamamm with Transfer:
$119
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3 Day Sahara Tour from Marrakech to Desert and Chefchaouen (Private transfers):
$883
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4-Days Holiday package Marrakech and Zagora desert including airport transfers:
$322
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A private transfer from Marrakech to Agadir or vice versa:
$168
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A private transfer from Marrakech to Casablanca airport or vice versa:
$143
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A private transfer from Marrakech to Casablanca city center or vice versa:
$168
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A private transfer from Marrakech to Essaouira airport or vice versa:
$118
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A private transfer from Marrakech to Essaouira city or vice versa:
$118
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A private transfer from Marrakech to Fez or vice versa:
$409
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Adventure Toubkal Trek for 3 days (with Marrakech hotel transfers):
$292
Is it cheaper to fly into Albufeira or Marrakech?
Prices for flights to both Marrakech 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.
Entertainment
Albufeira's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around €31 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Sightseeing, admission tickets, things to do, and other entertainment expenses in Marrakech can vary widely by price. On average, visitors spend around €5.31 per person, per day on entertainment and sightseeing here.
Tours and Activities in Albufeira
Here are a few actual costs in Albufeira for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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'Leaozinho' Pirate Ship Cruise from Albufeira:
$30
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1.5 Hour Quad Off-Road Tour from Albufeira:
$31
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Albufeira 1.5 hour Off-Road Tour Buggy Adventure Tour:
$40
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Albufeira 1.5-Hour Off-road Quad Tour:
$75
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Albufeira 3-Hour Off-Road Quad Tour:
$137
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Albufeira Beach Tour:
$25
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Albufeira Coast and Countryside Mountain Bike Tour:
$73
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Albufeira Jeep Safari Tour (Full Day):
$65
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Albufeira to Algibre Trails Bike Tour:
$73
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Algarve 4x4 Combi Tours:
$199
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Algarve Coast Full-Day Private Tour:
$93
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Algarve Coastline and Beaches Land Tour:
$622
Typical Entertainment prices in Marrakech
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Marrakech's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Palace Tickets
€1.89
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Golf at Atlas Golf
€53
Tours and Activities in Marrakech
For Marrakech, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Skip the Line: Museum Mohammed VI for the Water Civilization Admission Ticket:
$4.98
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Marrakech City Tour and Majorelle Garden by car - Half Day - shared (8 pers):
$12
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Marrakech Hidden Sights And Souks - Half Day Tour:
$13
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Anima Garden Skip-the-Line Admission Ticket:
$15
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Marrakech Shopping Tour - Private Tours (Half day):
$15
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Group shared day tour to Ourika valley & Atlas Mountains:
$15
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Marrakech Delicious Food Tasting Experience:
$16
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Historical Guided Tour:
$18
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Private Half-Day Walking Tour:
$18
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Walking tour of the old city:
$19
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Full-Day Guided Tour to Ouzoud Waterfalls with Boat Ride:
$19
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Marrakech city tour With official Local Guide:
$19
Alcohol
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Albufeira may vary from person to person, on average a person spends €21 per day on alcoholic beverages.
Typically, people visiting Marrakech spend on average €11 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Sample the Local Flavors in Albufeira
Also in Albufeira, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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Small group Wine Tasting Tour from Albufeira:
$61
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sunset wine tasting from Albufeira:
$87
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Half Day Small Group Premium Wine Tour from Albufeira:
$93
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Wine Tour & Walking 7 Hanging Valleys - Coast Algarve:
$156
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From Algarve: Medieval Évora with Lunch and Wine Tasting:
$319
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Algarve Art and Wine Tour from Albufeira:
$653
Sample the Local Flavors in Marrakech
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Marrakech:
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Full-Day trip to Essaouira - Includes Food&Wine tasting:
$150
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Albufeira and Marrakech, we can see that Albufeira is more expensive. And not only is Marrakech much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Albufeira is in Europe and Marrakech 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 Marrakech would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Marrakech 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 Marrakech.
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