Which place is cheaper, Marrakech or Aqaba?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Aqaba or Marrakech?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Aqaba or Marrakech, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Aqaba or Marrakech?
Aqaba
Aqaba is a port city in Jordan, in fact, it is the only port city in the country. This city is located on the Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea, which is in the southern part of Jordan. The city is still being developed; many of its facilities and infrastructures are being improved. The population of Aqaba is about 190,000 and the city has been key in developing Jordan's economy via trade and tourism.
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 Luxury Tours to Jordan, The Best Budget Tours to Jordan, 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 dayAqaba $127Marrakech $70
The average daily cost (per person) in Aqaba is $127, while the average daily cost in Marrakech is $70. 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 Aqaba and Marrakech in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAqaba $59Marrakech $47
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAqaba $118Marrakech $94
Compare Hotels in Aqaba and Marrakech
Looking for a hotel in Aqaba 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.
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: Aqaba Hotel Prices and Marrakech Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Aqaba $24Marrakech $6.42
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Aqaba
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Aqaba:
- Wadi Rum to Aqaba Border Terminal Private Transfer: $78
- Wadi Araba Border (Eilat) Private Transfer To Petra: $135
- Transfer from Aqaba City Or TalaBay to Amman Airport: $101
- Transfer from Aqaba Airport to Petra: $60
- Transfer From Aqaba Airport to Petra: $60
- Transfer From Aqaba Airport to Aqaba City Or TalaBay: $25
- Sheikh Hussein Crossing Private Transfer to or from Aqaba: $237
- Private Transfers from Wadi Rum: Dead Sea, Petra, Amman, Aqaba & vice versa: $107
- Private Transfers Aqaba to Dead Sea, Petra, Wadi Rum, Amman & vice versa: $47
- Private Transfer: Aqaba Hotels to Aqaba Airport: $27
- Private Transfer: Aqaba Airport to Sheikh Hussein Border or vice versa: $193
- Private Transfer: Aqaba Airport to Ma'in Hotel: $120
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Marrakech
Also for Marrakech, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Marrakech Transfer one way: $22
- ESSAOUIRA Day Trip from Marrakech with Transfers: $30
- Hammam and Massage Experience with Transfers: $78
- Private Transfer From Marrakech To Fez: $211
- Transfer Marrakech airport pick-up & drop-off: $7.13
- Transfer Marrakech to Agadir & Marrakech to Agadir One way: $166
- transfer Marrakech from/to Essaouira one way trip .: $50
- "Marrakech to Chefchaouen: Your Exclusive Private Transfer": $250
- "Marrakech to Essaouira: Private Transfer for Your Comfort": $78
- "Marrakech to Fes: Your Private Transfer for a Smooth Journey": $225
- 2h Buggy Adventure in the Marrakech Desert with Transfer and Tea Break: $44
- Agadir : Private Transfer to Marrakech Comfort Convenience: $126
Is it cheaper to fly into Aqaba or Marrakech?
Prices for flights to both Marrakech and Aqaba 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 dayAqaba $42Marrakech $13
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Aqaba
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Aqaba.
- Overnight in Bedouin Camp. Dinner and breakfast included.: $56
- Explore Wadi Rum: Jeep Tour, Bed and Breakfast, and Dinner: $72
- 4 hour desert jeep tour with overnight in beduin camp including dinner&breakfast: $85
- Wadi Rum Full Day Jeep Tour + Overnight + Dinner in Bedouin Camp: $87
- Wadi Rum Full Day Jeep Tour + Overnight & Dinner in Bedouin Camp: $89
- Wadi Rum Full Day Jeep Tour + Overnight + Dinner Under the Stars: $135
Typical Food Prices in Marrakech
For Marrakech, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Orange Juice on the Square$0.30
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Breakfast$1.22
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Dates$0.61
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Olives$0.91
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Sandwich$1.32
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Souvenir Spices$6.30
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Marrakech
For Marrakech, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Evenings Experiencing a Sunset Dinner in the Agafay Desert: $14
- Agafay Desert Sunset, Camel Ride and Dinner from Marrakech: $15
- Agafay Desert Package, Quad Bike, Camel Ride and Dinner Show: $16
- Online Moroccan Cooking Class: $17
- Cooking Lesson at the Ouirgane Ecolodge with Lunch: $19
- Dinner in Agafay desert from Marrakech & camel riding: $19
- Agafay Desert Sunset Dinner & Camel Ride & Show: $21
- From Agafay Desert Sunset Camel Ride and Dinner: $21
- Marrakech desert: Agafay Desert Sunset Dinner Show: $21
- Marrakech Agafay Desert show with Dinner Sunset Camel Ride: $21
- Restaurant Dinner Experience with Hotel Pickup: $21
- Quad bike dinner & magic show agafay desert: $22
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Aqaba $54Marrakech $7.14
Tours and Activities in Aqaba
Here are a few actual costs in Aqaba for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Day Tour in Jeep Tour with Bedouin Guide: $81
- Discover the Depths: Aqaba's Ultimate private Dive Experience: $55
- Full-Day Jeep Tour in Wadi Rum without Overnight Stay: $85
- Wadi Rum Day Tour & Starlight Cave & Traditions Food: $166
- horse riding 2 hours tour in Wadi Rum: $100
- 05 Hrs Jeep tour in Wadi Rum: $68
- 1 Day & 1 Night | Stay & Jeep + Camel Tour in Wadi Rum | Magic Bedouin Star: $136
- 2 Days & 1 Night | Jeep & Hike Tour in Wadi Rum Desert | Magic Bedouin Star: $258
- 2 Days 1 Night in Wadi Rum Jeep Tour: $204
- 2 Hour Jeep Tour (Morning or Sunset) Wadi Rum Desert Highlights: $35
- 2 Hour Jeep Tour - Wadi Rum Desert & Canyon: $35
- 2 Hours Morning or Sunset Jeep Tour in Wadi Rum Desert Highlights: $35
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$2.03
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Golf at Atlas Golf$57
Tours and Activities in Marrakech
For Marrakech, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Marrakech Medina Walking Tour With Local Guide: $5.00
- Skip the Line: Woven History Museum Ticket - musée Histoire Tissée: $6.83
- Marrakesh: Cactus Thiemann Entry Ticket: $8.45
- Marrakesh: Laser Games Megazone Ticket: $8.97
- Atlas Mountains Tour with Camel Ride: $9.00
- From Day Tour to Ourika Valley & Atlas Mountains: $10
- High Atlas Adventure: Discover Ourika Valley and Berber Culture: $11
- Marrakesh:Private Quad Bike Tour in palm grove: $13
- Walking city tour of marrakech-medina, souks, sights and stories: $14
- From Marrakesh: Ourika Valley & Atlas Mountains Day Tour: $15
- Atlas Mountains & Ourika Valley Day Tour with Lunch: $15
- Marrakech Pickup: Ourika Valley and Atlas Mountains Day Tour: $15
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAqaba $9.07Marrakech $15
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Aqaba and Marrakech, we can see that Aqaba is more expensive. And not only is Marrakech much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Aqaba is in Middle East 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 Aqaba would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Aqaba 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 Aqaba Expensive? and Is Marrakech Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Aqaba or Marrakech?
Marrakech has a larger population, and is about 9 times larger than the population of Aqaba. When comparing the sizes of Aqaba 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.
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.