Which place is cheaper, Merzouga or Aswan?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Aswan or Merzouga?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Aswan or Merzouga? 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: Aswan or Merzouga?
Aswan
Lounging along the Nile like Egyptian royalty is a fantasy for most world travelers. If you want to do it without the hustle and bustle of Cairo, there's always Aswan. This city in the south of Egypt is the smallest of the three major cities on the Nile. Located just below the Aswan Dam and Lake Nasser, Aswan's 275,00 people include a large portion of Nubians – mostly resettled from their flooded homeland.
Merzouga
Let's say you want to truly get away. I don't mean putting your ear buds in on some beach with a stronger on the next chair over. I mean really get away, and find yourself deserted. Merzouga, Morocco lets you do just that. This land of sand dune after sand dune is ideal for anyone yearning to ride a camel to the ends of civilization. And you'll find plenty of options to get here with a tour, or even on your own.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Egypt, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Egypt, The Best Budget Tours to Morocco, and The Best Luxury Tours to Morocco.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAswan $16Merzouga $17
The average daily cost (per person) in Aswan is $16, while the average daily cost in Merzouga is $17. 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 Aswan and Merzouga in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAswan $6.75Merzouga $10
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAswan $14Merzouga $20
Compare Hotels in Aswan and Merzouga
Looking for a hotel in Aswan or Merzouga? 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: Aswan Hotel Prices and Merzouga Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Aswan $4.34Merzouga -
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Aswan
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Aswan:
- Private Transfer from Aswan Airport to Aswan: $5.00
- Aswan Airport Private Transfer: $6.00
- Private transfer from Aswan to Aswan Airport: $6.40
- Transfer from Aswan Airport to Hotels or Nile Cruise in Aswan: $8.00
- Station Aswan Transfer To hotel: $8.00
- Private Aswan Airport Arrival/Departure One Way Transfer: $10
- Private transfer from Aswan to Aswan Airport: $10
- Private Aswan Airport Transfer To Hotel : $10
- Private transfer from Aswan to Aswan Airport: $10
- Private Transfer from Aswan Airport to Anywhere in Aswan: $10
- Airport Arrival/Departure One Way Private Transfer: $10
- Private Airport Arrival/Departure One Way Transfer: $10
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Merzouga
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Merzouga:
- 1 way transfer: $62
Is it cheaper to fly into Aswan or Merzouga?
Prices for flights to both Merzouga and Aswan 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 dayAswan $5.73Merzouga $5.92
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Aswan
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Aswan.
- Dinner at Soleih restaurant by vehicle: $33
- Nubian Dinner in Nubian Village Of Aswan: $40
- Nubian lunch Or Dinner at Nubian village : $75
- Private 3-Hour Nubian Party with Dinner and Pickup in Aswan: $77
- Your Grandmothers Cooking Class In Aswan : $90
- Dinner In Nile Cruise in Aswan: $150
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Merzouga
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Merzouga.
- One Night in Private Camp in the Sahara Desert in Merzouga with Dinner: $65
- Sunset With Dinner And Berber Music in Merzouga Desert With 4WD : $65
- Day Trip By Camels In Erg Chebbi Dunes, Lunch With Berber Pizza: $76
- Merzouga Orange Dunes ATV Sandsurf Camels with 5 Stars Dinner: $85
- Camel trek with 1 Night in Luxury camp with Dinner+ Sundbording: $87
- 5 Hour Sunset Tour with Camel Ride and Dinner In Desert: $87
- Visit The Nomads, Gnawa Music, Rally In Dunes, Berber Pizza : $104
- Magical Dinner and Camel Trek with 1 Night In Merzouga Luxury Desert Camp: $105
- Overnight in Luxury Camp With camel Trek & Dinner: $107
- From Fes: 2-Day Merzouga Desert Trip(Luxury Tent & Dinner): $124
- From Fes: 2-Day Merzouga Desert Trip w/Luxury Tent & Dinner: $127
- 2 Nights Private Camp in Merzouga with Dinner and Camel Ride: $200
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Aswan $6.11Merzouga -
Typical Entertainment Prices in Aswan
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Aswan are as follows:
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Temple Kom Ombo for Two$1.26
Tours and Activities in Aswan
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Aswan are as follows:
- The High Dam In Aswan Entry Ticket: $2.53
- Unfinished Obelisk Entry Ticket: $5.60
- Philae Temple Entry Ticket: $11
- Aswan High Dam Entry Tickets Included Pickup And Drop Off: $13
- Philae Temple Complex Skip the Line Entry Ticket: $13
- Temple Of Kalabsha Entry Tickets Included Pickup And Drop Off: $14
- Day Trip to Nubian Village with Camel Tour: $15
- Philae temple entry ticket: $16
- City Tour in Aswan by Bicycle : $16
- Private Day Tour to Phalie Temple, High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk: $17
- Unfinished Obelisk Entry Tickets Included Pickup And Drop Off: $17
- Kom Ombo Entry Tickets Included Pickup And Drop Off From Aswan: $19
Tours and Activities in Merzouga
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Merzouga are as follows:
- Camel Ride Experience: $27
- Merzouga Desert Quad bike Adventure with Sand boarding: $38
- Merzouga 4x4 Desert Excursion - Sahara 4WD Adventure: $43
- Merzouga 4x4 Desert Tours & Excursions: $46
- Extreme Adventure with Harness Zorbing in Merzouga dunes: $48
- Merzouga one hour Adventure Tour: $54
- Merzouga 4x4 tour - Excursion around dunes: $54
- Merzouga Experience -1.5h Quad buggy : $55
- Merzouga 4X4 Half-Day Tour with Lunch: $55
- 1 Night Camel Trekking Tour in Merzouga Desert Camp : $60
- From Quad bike tour to the peak of Erg Chebbi dune: $62
- One Hour Sahara Desert Quad Biking tour: $62
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAswan $1.24Merzouga -
When comparing the travel costs between Aswan and Merzouga, we can see that Merzouga is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Africa, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Aswan Expensive? and Is Merzouga Expensive?.
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.