A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Athens vs. Ouarzazate for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Athens or Ouarzazate?

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 Athens and Ouarzazate. 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: Athens or Ouarzazate?

Athens

Athens is the capital city of Greece and is home to a population of over 3.7 million people. It's most famous as the birthplace of Classical Greece and the history in the city is incomparable to that found anywhere. It became the national capital of the modern Greek State in the 1830s, before which it was just a small village with a very impressive history. The city was redesigned by architects and city planners and incorporated large public squares, lots of green space, and wide avenues. The city has had its ups and downs both economically and politically, but it remains a beautiful and impressive place to explore.

Ouarzazate

Morocco can be quite an energetic country, but if you're looking for more of a quiet getaway, consider Ouarzazate. Small by Moroccan standards, this town is built up mostly around a main street – the Avenue Mohammad V. Ouarzazate. The name "Ouarzazate" comes from the Berber language meaning "without noise" or "without confusion." It was once a crossroad for a African traders traveling to northern cities in Morocco and Europe. Today, Ouarzazate is the largest town in the Moroccan Sahara, and its central location serves as a good home base touring the rest of Morocco.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Greece, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Greece, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Morocco, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Morocco.


Which place is cheaper, Ouarzazate or Athens?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Athens is €127, while the average daily cost in Ouarzazate is €40. 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 Athens and Ouarzazate in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Athens 63
    Ouarzazate 20
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Athens 126
    Ouarzazate 40
Compare Hotels in Athens and Ouarzazate

Looking for a hotel in Athens or Ouarzazate? 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 Athens


Hotels in Ouarzazate


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: Athens Hotel Prices and Ouarzazate Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Athens 27
    Ouarzazate 3.17
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Athens

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


  • Airport Bus for Two
    6.40
  • Metro
    1.50
  • Metro
    2.00
  • Metro from Airport to City Center
    8.00
  • Taxi from Airport
    35

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Athens

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

  • Athens to Piraeus (Athens) Cruise Port - Departure Private Transfer: $33
  • Private Athens International Airport to Piraeus Port Transfer: $80
  • "Luxurious Transfer": $47
  • AIRPORT TRANSFER in Athens : $28
  • Airport Private Transfers: $79
  • Airport Transfer: $109
  • Airport Transfer/ Athens Greece: $28
  • Airport Transfer: Athens Airport ATH to Athens by Business Car: $80
  • Airport Transfer: Athens Airport ATH to Athens by Luxury Car: $126
  • Airport Transfer: Athens to Athens Airport ATH by Luxury Van: $113
  • Airport transfer: $131
  • Arrival Private Transfer from Athens Airport ATH to Athens City by Minibus: $109

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Ouarzazate

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Ouarzazate are as follows:


  • Taxi Ride
    1.87

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ouarzazate

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Ouarzazate:

  • Private Transfer between Ouarzazate & Marrakech: $309
  • Private Transfer from Marrakech to Dades Gorges: $187
  • "Ouarzazate to Marrakech: Your Comfortable Private Transfer": $107
  • Ouarzazate Airport: Private Transfer: $41

Is it cheaper to fly into Athens or Ouarzazate?

Prices for flights to both Ouarzazate and Athens 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
    Athens 37
    Ouarzazate 15
Typical Food Prices in Athens

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Athens:


  • Ice cream
    3.00
  • Souvlaki
    2.20

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Athens

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

  • Hard Rock Cafe Athens with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner: $24
  • Street Food Tour Market & City Centre: $42
  • Foodies’ Favorite Food tour: $46
  • Greek Street Food Tour: $51
  • Athens Street Food Tour: Explore City's Iconic Eateries: $52
  • Middle-eastern Cuisine Cooking Class with Meal: $52
  • Street Food Tour with Local Guide and 7 Tastings: $57
  • Traditional Greek Cooking Class and Organic Lunch on Poros: $60
  • Alternative, truly authentic food tour in secret Athens: $63
  • Greek Traditional Vegan Cooking Class with Meal: $63
  • Greek Traditional Vegan Cooking Classes in Athina: $64
  • Light Lunch Tasting & Cooking Demo: $67

Typical Food Prices in Ouarzazate

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


  • Dinner for Two
    10

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ouarzazate

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Ouarzazate.

  • Oases Fint Tour With Dinner: $65

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Athens 36
    Ouarzazate 9.88

Tours and Activities in Athens

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Athens.

  • Meouzo Online City Tour: $3.20
  • Self-guided First Discovery Walk and Reading Tour: $3.21
  • Exclusive Self-Guided Audio Tour into Byzantine Gems: $4.60
  • A Neoclassical Capital: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.50
  • 360 Virtual tour of Ancient Athens: $6.00
  • Herakleidon Museum of Ancient Greek Technology: Entry Ticket: $6.42
  • Private Audio Guided Walking Tour in Athens: $6.53
  • Ancient Highlights Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt & Tour: $6.95
  • Ancient Agora of Athens Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.99
  • The Best of Piraeus: A Self-Guided Walking Tour: $6.99
  • Greece: Tourist eSIM Data Plan: $7.18
  • Ancient Agora: Audiovisual self-guided tour with 3D models: $7.48

Tours and Activities in Ouarzazate

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

  • 1 Hour Horse Riding Adventure in Ait Ben Haddou: $26
  • 3 days group tour from Marrakech to Merzouga desert: $125
  • 3-Day Desert Adventure: Ouarzazate to Merzouga: $100
  • 4 day Fantastic Desert Tour From Fes To Marrakech via desert: $464
  • 7 night 8 day Casablanca morocco tour via merzouga: $1,508
  • Ait-Ben-Haddou - City Tour: $22
  • Casablanca: 6 Days Tour Blue City, Fes, Desert & Marrakech: $1,082
  • Desert by Quad: 5 Days of Pure Adventure from Ouarzazate: $2,884
  • Experience of kasbah ait Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate city: $131
  • Fez to Merzouga & Marrakech Combined 3 Day Desert Tour: $213
  • From Agadir : 4-Day Private Desert Tour To Zagora & Merzouga: $571
  • From Agadir or Taghazout: 2-Day Sahara Desert Tour to Zagora: $382

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Athens 23
    Ouarzazate -

Sample the Local Flavors in Athens

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

  • Liquer tasting in Polykala's Distillery Show Room in Athens: $17
  • Greek Wine Tasting: $23
  • Premium Wine Tastings: $35
  • Greek Wine Tasting Experience with a Sommelier: $43
  • Athens Wine Tasting: $44
  • Old Town Athens Wine Tasting: $52
  • Wine Tasting Odyssey in Athens: $52
  • 2 Hours Wine Tasting Odyssey in Athens: $53
  • Best rated Acropolis Wine Tasting : $53
  • Greek food and wine tasting: $53
  • Rare Greek Wine Tasting w/Sommelier by the Acropolis: $59
  • Wine Tasting and Storytelling in a Historical Square in Athina: $60


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

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


Which is Bigger, Athens or Ouarzazate?

Athens has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Ouarzazate. When comparing the sizes of Athens and Ouarzazate, 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.