Which place is cheaper, Essaouira or Cairo?
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 Cairo or Essaouira?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Cairo and Essaouira can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Cairo or Essaouira?
Cairo
Cairo is the chaotic capital city of Egypt. With a population of more than 16 million, it is one of the largest cities in both Africa and the Middle East. As a traveler, you're likely to arrive and leave from here and you'll get your first orientation to the area during the chaotic and congestion filled taxi ride from the airport.
Essaouira
Essaouira is a beautiful beach town on the Atlantic coast of Morocco. The city has a pleasant medina that has been named a UNESCO World Heritage site and is interesting to explore. It's an 18th century fortified town with a lot of character and charm. The city is rich and culture and you'll find a handful of art galleries throughout the town. The city is also a gathering place for artists and musicians, particularly during the Gnaoua Festival of World Music, which takes place the last week of June. This event attracts about 450,000 visitors yearly.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Egypt, The Best Historical Tours in Egypt, The Best 10-Day Tours in Morocco, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Morocco.
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Cairo Prices
Egypt PricesEssaouira Prices
Morocco Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCairo $33Essaouira $62
The average daily cost (per person) in Cairo is $33, while the average daily cost in Essaouira is $62. 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 Cairo and Essaouira in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCairo $11Essaouira $29
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCairo $22Essaouira $58
Compare Hotels in Cairo and Essaouira
Looking for a hotel in Cairo or Essaouira? 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: Cairo Hotel Prices and Essaouira Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cairo $3.80Essaouira $2.21
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Cairo
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Cairo are as follows:
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Metro Ride$0.08
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Taxi Ride$0.32
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cairo
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cairo:
- From Guided 4 Day Cairo & Red Sea Tour with Transfer: $1,440
- Private Day Trip to Luxor with Transfers and Flights: $791
- Cairo To Marsa Alam Private Transfer: $511
- From One-Way Private Transfer To Luxor: $489
- 3 Private Full-Day Tours to Cairo Top Attractions+One Airport Transfer: $300
- 1 Day Aswan Abu Simple Tour with Transfer Included: $300
- Private One-Way Transfer to/from Sharm El-Sheikh: $292
- Private One-Way Transfer to/from Hurghada: $292
- Private Transfer from Cairo to Sharm El Sheikh : $290
- Private Transfer from Cairo City Hotels to Suez Canal Cruise Port: $287
- PrivateTransfer from Cairo Airport(CAI) to Suez Canal Cruise Port: $287
- Private Transfer from Cairo Airport (CAI) to Ain Sokhna Port : $287
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Essaouira
Also for Essaouira, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- "Essaouira to Agafay Desert Marrakech: Exclusive Private Transfer: $90
- Airport transfer from Essaouira to Agadir: $256
- Airport transfer from Essaouira to Marrakesh : $82
- Airport transfer, Departure : Essaouira, Arrival : Agadir: $128
- Essaouira Desert Quad and Sandboarding with Photos and Transfer: $71
- Essaouira P13: 2h quad + 2h camel free transfer: $94
- Essaouira P4: excursions EN Quad (free transfer): $38
- Essaouira P5: Quad EN route DE la mer (free transfer): $38
- Essaouira to Marrakech:Private Transfer for a Hassle-Free Journey: $80
- Private Transfer from or to Essaouira Aéroport : $36
- Private Transfer from or to Essaouira Airport : $41
- Private Transfer Essaouira-Essaouira Airport: $23
Is it cheaper to fly into Cairo or Essaouira?
Prices for flights to both Essaouira and Cairo 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 dayCairo $18Essaouira $26
Typical Food Prices in Cairo
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Cairo:
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Juice$0.04
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cairo
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cairo.
- Great tour toThe Grand Museum of Giza and Nile River DinnerCruise: $5.00
- Dinner Nile cruise with belly dancer show on Nile river: $5.00
- 2 Hour Cairo Dinner Cruise on Nile river with live band: $7.00
- Cairo dinner Nile cruise with belly dancer show on Nile river: $7.00
- Cairo Food Tour with Nile Felucca Ride : $7.00
- Private Nile Cruise with Dinner and Folk Show from Cairo: $7.50
- night-tour Nile dinner cruise with open buffet and belly dancer: $8.00
- Private Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Quad Bike, Camel Ride, Nile Dinner Cruise: $9.00
- food tour private tour from cairo or giza hotel: $9.00
- Cairo Food Tour in local places & Egyptian Mint Tea: $9.00
- 2-hours night dinner cruise show : Eat , Dance and Sing : $9.00
- Cairo Dinner Cruise show with belly dancer show on Nile river: $9.00
Typical Food Prices in Essaouira
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Essaouira:
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Baklava$1.55
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Breakfast Crepes$0.55
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Fish for Lunch$17
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Essaouira
For Essaouira, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Traditional Moroccan Cooking Class: $39
- Essaouira Moroccan Cooking Class Experience: $42
- Essaouira Sunset Experience, Waterfall Walk & Romantic Dinner: $43
- Al Aaila Farm Moroccan Natural And Healthy Cooking Experience: $54
- l'Atelier - Moroccan Cooking Workshop in Essaouira: $72
- Essaouira Food Tour: $88
- Berber Cooking Class at a Farm in the Countryside & shopping at a rural Souk.: $106
- 3 hours Camel Ride in Essaouira with Dinner and Overnight in Berber Camp: $219
- 3 Hours Horse Riding with Dinner and Overnight Berber Camp: $220
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cairo $9.09Essaouira $13
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cairo
Here are a few typical costs in Cairo for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Entry to Camel Market for Two$0.84
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Egyptian Museum Entry for Two$6.47
Tours and Activities in Cairo
Here are a few actual costs in Cairo for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 2 Days 1 Nights Tour package to Saint-Catherine from Cairo : $300
- 2-Day Ancient Egypt Tour with Pyramids and Museums: $253
- 2-Day Private Tour of Cairo with Accommodation and Entrance Fees: $165
- 2-Days Tour at Cairo & Giza: $86
- 3 Days Private Tour in Giza, Cairo, and Alexandria: $70
- 3-Day Private Tour in Cairo : $196
- 8-Hour Private Tour Giza Pyramids, Egyptian Museum and local Bazaars: $14
- Alexandria day tour : $75
- All Inclusive day tour to Giza pyramids, Egyptian museum and Felucca : $95
- Ancient Wonders Unveiled: Memphis, Saqqara & Dahshur Adventure: $50
- Antiquities in the Grande Egyptian Museum with Private Tour : $35
- Best Day Tour Visit Giza Pyramids, and Sakkara&Memphis Pyramids : $70
Tours and Activities in Essaouira
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Essaouira.
- Essaouira to Marrakech Supratours bus tickets: $18
- Full-Day Essaouira Tour from Marrakech: $30
- Essaouira Donkey Tours : $30
- guided Oriental city tour marrakech from agadir 1 day: $39
- Quad Adventure in 1 Hour: $39
- 1 Hour Quad Bike Adventure in Essaouira Forest Beach: $42
- 2 Hours Dromedary Ride Tour in Essaouira Morocco: $54
- Essaouira Dar Sultan Palace Horseback Tour Experience: $54
- Full Day Tour To Essaouira from Marrakech Mogador: $55
- Essaouira P12: 1h Quad bike tour and 1h dromedary Ride: $58
- 2 Hour Quad & ATV Experience: $59
- Essaouira Tour - Half day visit to berber market : $61
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCairo $1.48Essaouira $10
Sample the Local Flavors in Cairo
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Cairo:
- Pub Crawl and Speakeasy Bar Tour with 2 Free Drinks: $70
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cairo and Essaouira, we can see that Essaouira is more expensive. And not only is Cairo much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Cairo would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Cairo 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 Essaouira would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Essaouira than you might in Cairo.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Cairo Expensive? and Is Essaouira Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Cairo or Essaouira?
Cairo has a larger population, and is about 110 times larger than the population of Essaouira. When comparing the sizes of Cairo and Essaouira, 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.