Which place is cheaper, Merzouga or Chania?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Chania or Merzouga?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Chania or Merzouga, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Chania or Merzouga?
Chania
Chania is a city on the northwest coast of the Greek island of Crete. Chania is Crete's most evocative city, with its pretty Venetian quarter, crisscrossed by narrow lanes, culminating at a magnificent harbor. At the harbor entrance is a 16th-century lighthouse with Venetian, Egyptian, and Ottoman influences. On the other side, the Nautical Museum has model ships, naval objects and photographs. The former monastery of St. Francis houses the Archaeological Museum of Chania. Remnants of Venetian and Turkish architecture abound, with old townhouses now transformed into atmospheric restaurants and boutique hotels. Although all this beauty means the old town is packed with tourists in summer, it's still a great place to unwind. The Venetian Harbor is super for a stroll and a coffee or cocktail. Plus it’s got a university and a modern area to the city, which means that it retains its charm in winter. Indie boutiques and an entire lane dedicated to leather products provide good shopping and, with a multitude of creative restaurants, you’ll likely have some of your best meals on Crete here.
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 Adventure Tours to Greece, The Best Cruise Tours and Packages in Greece, The Best Budget Tours to Morocco, and The Best Luxury Tours to Morocco.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayChania €93Merzouga €16
The average daily cost (per person) in Chania is €93, while the average daily cost in Merzouga is €16. 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 Chania and Merzouga in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personChania €46Merzouga €9.57
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomChania €92Merzouga €19
Compare Hotels in Chania and Merzouga
Looking for a hotel in Chania 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: Chania Hotel Prices and Merzouga Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Chania €15Merzouga -
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Chania
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Chania:
- Crete Private Transfer to from Chania Port Airport Town: $19
- Private Transfer from Chania Airport (CHQ) to Chania Souda Port: $23
- Private Transfer from Chania Hotels to Chania Souda Cruise Port: $23
- Arrival Transfer Chania Airport to Chania, Rethimno or Heraklion: $25
- Cretan Folklore Night with Buffet and transfer: $31
- Bali: Shared Transfer from Chania/Heraklion Airport to Bali: $33
- Elafonisi Beach Day Trip with Elos Stop and Transfer: $34
- Falassarna Beach Sunset Trip with Transfer: $36
- Private Airport Transfer (CHQ) from/to Chania city: $48
- Transfer from Chania airport to Chania City Center up to 3 : $54
- From Shared Transfer from Chania Airport to Plakias: $64
- Transfer from Chania airport to Agia Marina up to 3 customers: $71
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Merzouga
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Merzouga:
- 1 way transfer: $62
Is it cheaper to fly into Chania or Merzouga?
Prices for flights to both Merzouga and Chania 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 dayChania €32Merzouga €5.55
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Chania
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Chania.
- The Delicious Chania PRIVATE Street Food Tour : $87
- CHANIA WALKING FOOD TOURS – 3 HOUR WALKING TOUR: $107
- CHANIA CRETE COOKING CLASSES – 3 HOURS: $107
- Chania Cooking Class-The Authentic: $118
- Guided Walking Food Tour with Tasting: $123
- From The Ultimate Food Tour Of Chania Villages: $123
- Wine, Food, and Sunset Tour with 3-Course Dinner: $127
- From Agioi Theodoroi Catamaran Dinner Cruise: $127
- Sunset Craft Beer & Food Tour: $128
- Sunset Craft Beer & Food Tour - Chania: $131
- Horse riding,falasarna sunset,dinner in a tavern,drone video: $214
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Merzouga
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Merzouga.
- One Night in Private Camp in the Sahara Desert in Merzouga with Dinner: $65
- Sunset With Dinner And Berber Music in Merzouga Desert With 4WD : $65
- Merzouga Orange Dunes ATV Sandsurf Camels with 5 Stars Dinner: $85
- Camel trek with 1 Night in Luxury camp with Dinner+ Sundbording: $87
- Visit The Nomads, Gnawa Music, Rally In Dunes, Berber Pizza : $98
- Magical Dinner and Camel Trek with 1 Night In Merzouga Luxury Desert Camp: $105
- Overnight in Luxury Camp With camel Trek & Dinner: $107
- From Fes: 2-Day Merzouga Desert Trip(Luxury Tent & Dinner): $124
- From Fes: 2-Day Merzouga Desert Trip w/Luxury Tent & Dinner: $127
- 2 Nights Private Camp in Merzouga with Dinner and Camel Ride: $200
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Chania €21Merzouga -
Tours and Activities in Chania
Here are a few actual costs in Chania for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.21
- City Exploration Game and Tour: $6.95
- Chania's Turbulent History: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $8.99
- Discover Chania's Echoes: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $11
- Archaeological Museum Entry Ticket and Audio Guide: $11
- Full-Day Tour Gramvousa Balos Bay from Rethymno with French Guide: $19
- Gramvousa Island & Balos Bay Full-Day Tour from Rethymno English & German guide: $19
- Shared Falassarna Beach Tour Visit from Rethymno: $25
- Skip the Line: Limnoupolis Water Admission Ticket: $27
- Full Day Guided Botanic Garden Tour in Spili, Preveli and Plakias: $27
- From Rethymno Areas: Full-Day Knossos and Heraklion Guided Tour: $27
- Chania Town: Glass-Bottom Boat Cruise to Thodorou & Lazareta: $29
Tours and Activities in Merzouga
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Merzouga are as follows:
- Camel Ride Experience: $27
- Merzouga Desert Quad bike Adventure with Sand boarding: $38
- Merzouga 4x4 Desert Excursion - Sahara 4WD Adventure: $43
- Merzouga ATV Quad Desert Tours: $43
- Merzouga 4x4 Desert Tours & Excursions: $46
- Extreme Adventure with Harness Zorbing in Merzouga dunes: $48
- Merzouga one hour Adventure Tour: $55
- Merzouga 4x4 tour - Excursion around dunes: $55
- Merzouga Experience -1.5h Quad buggy : $55
- Merzouga 4X4 Half-Day Tour with Lunch: $55
- 1 Night Camel Trekking Tour in Merzouga Desert Camp : $60
- From Quad bike tour to the peak of Erg Chebbi dune: $62
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayChania €18Merzouga -
Sample the Local Flavors in Chania
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Chania:
- Cretan wine tasting, hosted in French: $91
- Milia Mountain Tour w/Lunch Olive Oil/Wine Tastings: $144
- Wines, Olives, and History: A Private Wine Tour from Chania: $791
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Chania and Merzouga, we can see that Chania is more expensive. And not only is Merzouga much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Chania is in Europe and Merzouga 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 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 Chania would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Chania 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 Chania 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.