Which place is cheaper, Essaouira or Cappadocia?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Cappadocia or Essaouira?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Cappadocia or Essaouira? 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: Cappadocia or Essaouira?
Cappadocia
Cappadocia is in Central Anatolia, between the mountains Erciyes, Melendiz and Hasan. It is famous for its underground cities, fairy chimneys, and caves. The landscape of the area is some of the most unique you'll ever see. The fairy chimneys are bizarrely shaped rock outcroppings that have evolved from the unique geography in the area. There are hiking trails through the series of valleys that make up the area. It's a great place to explore for outdoor enthusiasts and adventure seekers.
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 10-Day Tours from Istanbul, The Best 2-Week Tours from Istanbul, 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 dayCappadocia $151Essaouira $46
The average daily cost (per person) in Cappadocia is $151, while the average daily cost in Essaouira is $46. 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 Cappadocia and Essaouira in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCappadocia $53Essaouira $26
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCappadocia $106Essaouira $52
Compare Hotels in Cappadocia and Essaouira
Looking for a hotel in Cappadocia 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: Cappadocia Hotel Prices and Essaouira Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cappadocia $51Essaouira $1.99
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cappadocia
Also for Cappadocia, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Ride over Cat Valley with Transfers: $262
- Cappadocia Balloon Ride with Breakfast, Champagne and Transfers: $250
- 2 Days 1 Night Cappadocia Tour (Airport Transfer, Hotel, Daily Tour And Atv): $235
- Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Ride with Transfers: $196
- Kayseri Airport ASR Transfers to Hacibektas Hotels: $169
- Kayseri Airport ASR Transfers to Nigde City Centre Hotels: $163
- Transfer from Kayseri and Nevsehir Airport Cappadocia mercedes for 16 people: $163
- Nevsehir Airport to Cappadocia Hotel Private Transfer: $149
- Private Cappadocia Transfer: $140
- Private Transfers Nevşehir Apt to/from Kaymaklı or Özkonak Underground Cities: $131
- Private Transfers Kayseri Apt to/from Kaymaklı or Özkonak Underground Cities: $131
- Private Transfers Kayseri Erkılet Airport to/from Cappadocia Region: $131
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Essaouira
Also for Essaouira, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- From Private Transfer to Casablanca: $321
- Private Transfer Essaouira - Rabat: $262
- Essaouira : Private Transfer from or to Agafay Desert: $160
- From Private Transfer to Taghazout or Agadir: $150
- Essaouira private transfer from Essaouira city to Agadir airport (AGA): $138
- From Private Transfer to Marrakech: $123
- Private transfer Marrakech to Essaouira or Essaouira toMarrakech : $102
- Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakech city or Marrakech airport: $93
- Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakech city or Marrakech airport: $93
- Transfert Marrakech to Agafay-Private Agafay to Marrakech : $87
- Private transfer Marrakech airpot - Essaouira : $87
- Scenic Hinterland Quad Ride with Transfer: $80
Is it cheaper to fly into Cappadocia or Essaouira?
Prices for flights to both Essaouira and Cappadocia 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 dayCappadocia $50Essaouira $14
Typical Food Prices in Cappadocia
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Cappadocia:
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Cookies$0.03
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cappadocia
For Cappadocia, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Turkish Night Show in Cave Restaurant with Dinner and Transfer: $44
- Cappadocia Turkish Night in Avanos Dinner Included: $48
- Cappadocia Traditional Turkish Night with Dinner (in Authentic Cave Restaurant): $53
- Cappadocia Night: Turkish Dance & Dinner : $60
- Cappadocia Turkish Night Show with Dinner and Entertainments: $62
- Cappadocian cooking - hands-on class with pickup: $64
- Romantic Cappadocia Sunset Dinner and Wine : $65
- Turkish Night Show With Dinner in a Cave Restaurant: $65
- Turkish night show with dinner and unlimited free alcohol: $69
- Cappadocia Cave Restaurant for Dinner and Turkish Entertainments: $71
- Half-Day Private Food Tour in Kayseri: $75
- Romantic Cappadocia Private Sunset Dinner With Wild Food : $78
Typical Food Prices in Essaouira
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Essaouira:
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Baklava$1.40
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Breakfast Crepes$0.50
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Fish for Lunch$15
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
- L'Atelier Madada Moroccan Cooking Workshop in Essaouira: $55
- Traditional Family Style Moroccan Cooking Class: $67
- 3 hours Camel Ride in Essaouira with Dinner and Overnight in Berber Camp: $170
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cappadocia $95Essaouira $12
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cappadocia
For Cappadocia, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Underground City Entrance for Two$0.93
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Hot Air Balloon Ride for Two$18
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Horseback Riding for Two$3.55
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Cappadocia Driving Tour$3.78
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Goreme Museum Entrance Fee$0.46
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Whirling Dervishes Show$3.09
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Turkish Bath$2.16
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Hot air ballooning$13
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Goreme open air museum$0.62
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Bellydancing Show$4.02
Tours and Activities in Cappadocia
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Cappadocia.
- 2 Days Cappadocia Red & Erciyes Ski Tour: $220
- 2 days Cappadocia Full Turkish night Show, Atv & Red Tour: $175
- ATV (Quad) Tour in Cappadocia-2 Hours: $49
- Cappadocia Red Tour Small Group: $98
- Cappadocia relax tour car and driver: $131
- Private Day Tour Natural Beauties of Cappadocia and Underground Caves: $283
- 1 Hour ATV Tour: $27
- 1-Hour Hot Air Balloon Tour in Cappadocia Goreme Valley: $250
- 2 Days Private Guided Cappadocia Tour with Pick Up: $225
- 2 Days Red and Green tour: $163
- 2 Hour Cappadocia Atv Experience : $40
- 2 Hour Cappadocia Jeep Safari Tour: $101
Tours and Activities in Essaouira
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Essaouira.
- Big Cap Sim dunes and forest 3 hours tour.: $70
- 2 Hour Quad & ATV Experience: $58
- Big dunes and atlantic coast tour 2 HOURS: $57
- Essaouira : 1H quad bike tour and 1H camel ride: $57
- Essaouira : Half-day E-Experience from Mountains to Sea: $129
- Essaouira Guided Tour: 3 on 1 - Nightlife tour, Live like a local & Street food: $65
- Essaouira Sand Dunes: Half Day Quad Bike Tour: $65
- 3-Hour Camel Tour: $40
- 3-Hour Quad Bike Tour: $87
- Area Highlights 3 hours E-Bike Tour: $61
- Atlantic Dune Buggy Adventure: $206
- Cultural & Historical Sightseeing Tour - half day: $41
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCappadocia $18Essaouira $9.16
Sample the Local Flavors in Cappadocia
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Cappadocia:
- Cappadocia Nightlife Experience: Bar and Pub Crawl Tour: $32
- Wine tasting in Cappadocia: $64
- Cappadocia Wine Cellar and Wine Yard with Wine Tasting: $79
- Full-day Cappadocia Tour with wine tasting and clay shaping : $90
- Wine Tasting and Sunset in Cappadocia: $196
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cappadocia and Essaouira, we can see that Cappadocia is more expensive. And not only is Essaouira much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Cappadocia is in Europe and Essaouira 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 Essaouira would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Essaouira 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 Cappadocia would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cappadocia than you might in Essaouira.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Cappadocia Expensive? and Is Essaouira Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Cappadocia or Essaouira?
Essaouira has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Cappadocia. When comparing the sizes of Cappadocia 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.