A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Ankara vs. Marrakech for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Ankara or Marrakech?

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

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Ankara and Marrakech. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Where Should I go: Ankara or Marrakech?

Ankara

Located at the heart of Turkey near Central Anatolia, Ankara is the capital city and second largest city in the country after Istanbul. Formerly known for its long-haired goats and textiles, the city has since developed into a metropolitan mix of modern cultures with historic landmarks.

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.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Turkey, The Best Luxury Tours to Turkey, The Best 10-Day Tours in Morocco, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Morocco.


Which place is cheaper, Marrakech or Ankara?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Ankara is $116, while the average daily cost in Marrakech is $69. 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 Ankara and Marrakech in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Ankara $57
    Marrakech $46
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Ankara $114
    Marrakech $92
Compare Hotels in Ankara and Marrakech

Looking for a hotel in Ankara or Marrakech? 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 Ankara


Hotels in Marrakech


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: Ankara Hotel Prices and Marrakech Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Ankara $37
    Marrakech $6.30
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Ankara

Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Ankara:


  • Metro Ride
    $0.04
  • Short Taxi Ride
    $0.15

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ankara

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Ankara:

  • Private transfer: Ankara to Ankara Airport (ESB): $39
  • Private transfer: Ankara Airport (ESB) to Ankara: $39
  • Private Transfers Between Ankara Esenboga Airport - Ankara City Centre: $75
  • Private Transfers Ankara City or Esenboga Airport to/from Kizilcahamam Town: $185
  • Private Transfers Ankara City or Esenboga Airport to/from Gordion Ancient City: $185
  • Private Transfers Ankara City or Esenboga Airport to/from Beypazari Town: $185
  • Private Transfer from Ankara Esenboga Airport (ESB) to Central Ankara: $109
  • Ankara Private Transfer from central Ankara hotels to Ankara Airport (ESB): $109
  • Ankara Private Departure Transfer from City hotels to Airport: $60
  • Ankara Esenboğa Airport From/To City Center Private Transfer: $64
  • Ankara Esenboga Airport transfers to Ankara City Center (Cankaya,Kizilay) Hotels: $71
  • Ankara City Center (Cankaya,Kizilay) Hotels to Ankara Esenboga Airport transfers: $76

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Marrakech

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

  • Airport Marrakech Transfer one way: $22
  • Hammam and Massage Experience with Transfers: $67
  • Marrakech Airport Private Transfer: $13
  • Private Transfer Agadir airport - Marrakech: $163
  • Private Transfer From Marrakech To Fez: $206
  • private transfer to or from Marrakech and Taroudant one trip: $98
  • transfer from Marrakech city to Agadir city (AGA) one-way: $81
  • "Marrakech to Chefchaouen: Your Exclusive Private Transfer": $250
  • 2h Buggy Adventure in the Marrakech Desert with Transfer and Tea Break: $49
  • Agadir private transfer from Imouzzer Ida Ou Tanane to Agadir airport (AGA): $104
  • Airport Transfer Ride : $20
  • Airport Transfert: $22

Is it cheaper to fly into Ankara or Marrakech?

Prices for flights to both Marrakech and Ankara 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
    Ankara $32
    Marrakech $13
Typical Food Prices in Ankara

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Ankara:


  • A Quick Lunch
    $0.36

Typical Food Prices in Marrakech

For Marrakech, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Orange Juice on the Square
    $0.30
  • Breakfast
    $1.20
  • Dates
    $0.60
  • Olives
    $0.90
  • Sandwich
    $1.29
  • Souvenir Spices
    $6.18

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Marrakech

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

  • Online Moroccan Cooking Class: $17
  • Cooking Lesson at the Ouirgane Ecolodge with Lunch: $18
  • Magical dinner in agafay desert with camel ride: $19
  • Marrakech desert: Agafay Desert Sunset Dinner Show: $20
  • Restaurant Dinner Experience with Hotel Pickup: $21
  • Sunset in Agafay: Dinner, Camel, Quad-Book Adventure with Viator: $22
  • Desert Dinner, Camel Ride, Sunset & Show: $23
  • Dinner in Desert Marrakech and Camel ride at Sunset: $23
  • Moroccan Cooking Class with a Local Chef: $24
  • From Agafay Desert Sunset Dinner with Live Show: $25
  • Dinner Magic in Agafay desert with transport from Marrakech: $26
  • Desert Agafay Dinner at Nomad Camp and Camel Ride: $26

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Ankara $34
    Marrakech $7.01
Typical Entertainment Prices in Ankara

Here are a few typical costs in Ankara for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:


  • Underground City
    $0.25

Tours and Activities in Ankara

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

  • Ankara : Highlights Walking Tour: $48
  • Ankara : Private Walking Tour With A Guide ( Private Tour ) : $33
  • Ankara Private Walking Tour: $266
  • Ankara Private Walking Tour with a Professional Guide: $218
  • Family-Friendly Smartphone Walking Tour: $6.00
  • Inns and Baths City Sightseeing Mobile Audio Guide: $6.00
  • Private Tour with a Local: $37
  • Private Walking tour With A Guide (Private Tour): $32
  • Quick Tour, Essentials of Ankara: $6.00
  • From Konya and Cappdocia Tour (3 Days-2 Nights): $438
  • Half Day Private Tour in Ankara: $215
  • Istanbul: Golden Horn & Bosphorus Day Cruise: $165

Typical Entertainment Prices in Marrakech

Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Marrakech's activities, tours, and tickets:


  • Palace Tickets
    $1.99
  • Golf at Atlas Golf
    $56

Tours and Activities in Marrakech

For Marrakech, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • 3-Hour Colorful Souks Tour: $5.00
  • 3-Hour Colorful Souks Tour experience: $5.00
  • 3-Hour Colorful Souks Tour with Tour guide: $5.00
  • Marrakesh: Cactus Thiemann Entry Ticket: $8.20
  • Ourika Valley, Atlas Mountain and Waterfalls Tour from Marrakech: $10
  • Camel ride experience at the palm grove of Marrakech: $12
  • 1/2 day Guided Medina Walking Tour & Souks : $13
  • Marrakech:Quad Tour in Palmeraie: $14
  • Historical Marrakech Walking Tour: $15
  • Full Day Hiking Tour to Atlas Mountains from Marrakech: $15
  • Marrakech activities: Camel ride tour Marrakech: $15
  • Marrakech Sightseeing Tour: $15

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Ankara $15
    Marrakech $15

Sample the Local Flavors in Marrakech

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Marrakech:

  • Bar Crawl with Local Guide: $28
  • Moroccan wine tasting workshop in Marrakech: $70


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ankara and Marrakech, we can see that Ankara is more expensive. And not only is Marrakech much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Ankara 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 Ankara would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Ankara than you might in Marrakech.

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


Which is Bigger, Ankara or Marrakech?

Ankara has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Marrakech. When comparing the sizes of Ankara and Marrakech, 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.