Which place is cheaper, Essaouira or Catania?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Catania or Essaouira?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Catania and Essaouira can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Catania or Essaouira?
Catania
Located on the east coast of Sicily, Catania is at the base of Mount Etna, which is the largest volcano in Europe. It's also the island's second largest city and a major transportation center for the area. With almost one million residents in the metropolitan area, the city serves as an important economic base and university town for Sicily. It's a vibrant city with a young population, a lively downtown, and an excellent nightlife. The city has an abundance of Sicilian Baroque architecture and the downtown area, where much of it is this architecture is concentrated, has been declared a World Heritage Site.
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 Romantic Tours for Couples in Italy, The Best Walking Tours in Italy, 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 dayCatania €120Essaouira €43
The average daily cost (per person) in Catania is €120, while the average daily cost in Essaouira is €43. 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 Catania and Essaouira in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCatania €65Essaouira €24
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCatania €130Essaouira €48
Compare Hotels in Catania and Essaouira
Looking for a hotel in Catania 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: Catania Hotel Prices and Essaouira Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Catania €20Essaouira €1.87
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Catania
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Catania:
- From 1-Way Private Airport Transfer to Palermo: $775
- Catania Airport: 1-Way Private Transfer to Palermo by Car: $722
- TAXI Transfer from CATANIA to Capo d'Orlando (or vice versa): $421
- From Catania Airport: 1-Way Private Transfer to Agrigento: $373
- Private TAXI transfer from Catania to Agrigento or viceversa: $332
- Catania Airport to/from Verdura Resort Transfer: $321
- From Private transfer to Agrigento Temples: $320
- Private Transfer from Catania to PORTOROSA marina yachting: $310
- Private Transfer From Catania to Palermo or vice versa: $256
- PRIVATE TRANSFER from CATANIA to PALERMO (or VICEVERSA): $233
- Private TAXI transfer from CATANIA to MESSINA or viceversa: $230
- Private TAXI Transfer from Catania to Comiso (or viceversa): $214
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Essaouira
Also for Essaouira, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Marrakech : Private Transfer from or to Marrakech Airoport: $22
- Airport Transfer From Essaouira Airport To Medina: $22
- Private Transfer from or to Essaouira Airport (ESU): $22
- Private Transfer from or to Essaouira Airport: $27
- Hinterland Quad Bike Tour with Transfer: $36
- Essaouira Airport To city Transfer: $38
- From Scenic Diabat Horseback Ride with Transfer: $48
- From Beachside Quad Bike Tour with Transfer: $70
- Scenic Hinterland Quad Ride with Transfer: $80
- Private transfer Marrakech airpot - Essaouira : $87
- Transfert Marrakech to Agafay-Private Agafay to Marrakech : $87
- Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakech city or Marrakech airport: $93
Is it cheaper to fly into Catania or Essaouira?
Prices for flights to both Essaouira and Catania 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 dayCatania €41Essaouira €13
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Catania
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Catania.
- Catania Street Food Tour: Fish Market & City Centre: $38
- Catania Street Food Tour: $52
- Cooking class & visit to the Catania Historical market: $59
- Patisserie Food tour: $60
- Guided Street Food Tour with Tastings: $63
- Food tour of Catania by night: $64
- Catania Street Food Tour: $67
- Guided Street Food Tour with Tastings: $73
- Aci Trezza boat tour with dinner on board: $85
- Cooking Class Tiramisù: $95
- Cooking Class Arancini in Catania: $96
- Cooking class Pizza: $96
Typical Food Prices in Essaouira
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Essaouira:
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Baklava€1.31
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Breakfast Crepes€0.47
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Fish for Lunch€14
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.Catania €19Essaouira €11
Tours and Activities in Catania
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Catania are as follows:
- From Catania, Syracuse and Taormina: fly fishing experience: $240
- Taormina and Castelmola private tour with traditional lunch: $272
- 2 hours guided tour of Catania: $40
- 3-Hour Catania Segway PT Authorized Tour: $118
- Agrigento and Piazza Armerina day tour: $131
- BOAT TOUR WITH APERITIF ON BOARD IN THE CYCLOPS ISLANDS: $64
- Baroque shades of Sicily (Noto, Modica and Ragusa day tour): $120
- Benedictine Monastery of Guided tour in English: $11
- Boat tour to the Ulysses caves with swimming guide: $84
- Boat trip and tour Savoca and Taormina: $142
- Catania : Private Custom Walking Tour with a Local Guide: $49
- Catania Bike Tour with Tasting food: $182
Tours and Activities in Essaouira
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Essaouira.
- Highlights Tour with Tasting the Ocean City: $19
- Full Day Tour From Marrakech To Essaouira Mogador: $21
- Private City Tour: $26
- From Marrakech: Guided tour of Essaouira the coastal city: $26
- Friend-Guide Essaouira city tour: $31
- 3-Hour Camel Tour: $40
- Cultural & Historical Sightseeing Tour - half day: $41
- Guided Dromedary Riding Tour: $48
- Half-Day Old Town Guided Tour: $48
- Essaouira : 1H quad bike tour and 1H camel ride: $57
- Big dunes and atlantic coast tour 2 HOURS: $57
- 2 Hour Quad & ATV Experience: $58
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCatania €18Essaouira €8.58
Sample the Local Flavors in Catania
Also in Catania, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Volcanic Wine Tasting in a Metropolitan Market: $48
- Wine Tasting in the South Slope of Etna: $50
- Etna: Urban Winery, Vineyards Walk & Wine Tasting at Sunset: $62
- Wine tour in Catania: $102
- Mt Etna and Wine tasting tour from Catania: $116
- Full-Day Etna and Wine Tour from Catania: $126
- From Mt.Etna picnic and wine tasting: $128
- Guided Tour of Etna with Wine Tasting & Appetizers: $139
- Etna trekking and wine tasting: $147
- Tour Etna & Wine Tasting: $158
- Etna Tour and Lunch in a Winery with Wine Tasting: $265
- From Catania/Taormina: Mount Etna Private Wine Tasting Tour: $433
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Catania and Essaouira, we can see that Catania is more expensive. And not only is Essaouira much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Catania 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 Catania would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Catania 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 Catania Expensive? and Is Essaouira Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Catania or Essaouira?
Catania has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Essaouira. When comparing the sizes of Catania 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.