Which place is cheaper, Merzouga or Aswan?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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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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Aswan Prices
Egypt PricesMerzouga Prices
Morocco Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAswan $29Merzouga $23
The average daily cost (per person) in Aswan is $29, while the average daily cost in Merzouga is $23. 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 $9.66Merzouga $11
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAswan $19Merzouga $22
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 $5.30Merzouga -
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Aswan
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Aswan:
- Shared Transfer: Aswan Airport to Hotels: $5.00
- Transfer from Aswan Airport to Hotels or Nile Cruise in Aswan: $8.00
- Private transfer from Aswan to Aswan Airport: $10
- Private Airport Arrival/Departure One Way Transfer: $11
- Private Transfer Service From Hotel To Aswan Airport: $14
- luxor Airport Private Transfer: $14
- Private Transfer from Aswan Airport to Anywhere in Aswan: $15
- Private Tour to Philae Temple Sound & Light Show with Transfers: $15
- Private Transfer Service From Aswan Airport to anywhere in Aswan: $16
- Private VIP Aswan Airport Transfer to Hotel or Nile Cruise: $17
- Aswan Airport Transfers inside city & to Luxor, Hurghada- One Way: $18
- Private Transfer from / to aswan airport: $19
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 $15Merzouga $11
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Aswan
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Aswan.
- Night Dinner Cruise in Cairo: $42
- Nubian Dinner at Nubian Village: $60
- Your Grandmothers Cooking Class In Aswan: $90
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Merzouga
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Merzouga.
- Merzouga Cooking Class Familye: $46
- Desert excursion with camel trek into the camp Dinner breakfast: $50
- Exclusive Merzouga Desert Safari: Camel Ride, Sandsurf & Dinner: $52
- Private trip 4x4 in Merzouga Lunch with Berber Pizza: $59
- Merzouga Luxury AC/ Heating Camp: Camel Ride, Dinner & breakfast: $65
- Magical Dinner and Camel Trek with 1 Night In Merzouga Luxury Desert Camp: $105
- Merzouga Desert Sunset Dinner and Stargazing Tour: $142
- 2 Nights Private Camp in Merzouga with Dinner and Camel Ride: $200
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Aswan $9.09Merzouga -
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$1.17
Tours and Activities in Aswan
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Aswan are as follows:
- 2 Hours Tour in Philae Temple: $19
- Private Tour Sail on the Nile Aswan Felucca Ride: $20
- Aswan Engineering Marvels Private High Dam & Obelisk Tour: $20
- Felucca Nile Cruise in Aswan: $20
- Philae Temple private tour or Sound and light show evining: $25
- Aswan Highlights Tour Philae Temple High Dam Unfinished Obelisk: $25
- Full Day Tour to Abu Simbel Temples from Aswan: $25
- Nubian Village Tour: $25
- Shared Half-Day Tour to the Nubian Village: $25
- Explore Philae Temple and High-Dam on Half-day Tour: $26
- Nubian Village Tour by Motorboat: $28
- Aswan City Private Tour By Horse Carriage: $29
Tours and Activities in Merzouga
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Merzouga are as follows:
- Merzouga Sunset Adventure: Camel, Quad, Buggy or 4WD: $23
- From Erg Chebbi "Buggy & Quad bike Tour ": $24
- Camel Ride Experience: $30
- Merzouga dunes quad biking & Sandboarding Experience: $33
- ATV Quad bikes in sahara dunes experience & sandboarding: $34
- Adventure in Merzouga with Quads, Jeep Tours, Camel Ride camping: $35
- Quad Biking Desert Tour in Erg Chebbi Dunes: $39
- Merzouga 4x4 Jeep Desert Experience: $40
- Merzouga 4x4 Tour Excursion Around Erg Chebbi Dunes: $40
- 2-Hour Quad Desert Tour, Dunes Oasis, Nomads Family & Sandboard: $45
- Merzouga Quad Biking Experience: $47
- Merzouga Private 3 Hours Jeep Tour: $47
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAswan $1.04Merzouga -
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Aswan and Merzouga, we can see that Aswan is more expensive. And not only is Merzouga much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Merzouga would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Merzouga 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 Aswan would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Aswan than you might in Merzouga.
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.