Which place is cheaper, Merzouga or Chennai?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Chennai or Merzouga?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Chennai or Merzouga? 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: Chennai or Merzouga?
Chennai
Formerly known as Madras from its colonial history, Chennai today is one of India's largest cities and capital of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the Bay of Bengal in southeastern India with an extensive stretch of sandy beaches, plenty of dining and shopping, a number of historic temples, monuments, and churches, plus amusement parks and more.
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 India, The Best Sightseeing Tours in India, The Best Budget Tours to Morocco, and The Best Luxury Tours to Morocco.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayChennai $29Merzouga $17
The average daily cost (per person) in Chennai is $29, while the average daily cost in Merzouga is $17. 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 Chennai and Merzouga in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personChennai $15Merzouga $10
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomChennai $30Merzouga $20
Compare Hotels in Chennai and Merzouga
Looking for a hotel in Chennai 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: Chennai Hotel Prices and Merzouga Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Chennai $2.61Merzouga -
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Chennai
Also for Chennai, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Chennai Airport to Hotel Transfer: $13
- Chennai Airport Transfers : Budget Sedan and SUV Cabs: $15
- Departure transfer: Chennai hotels to Chennai International Airport: $19
- Chennai - Private Departure Transfer from Hotel to Airport : $19
- Departure Transfer from Chennai Hotels to Chennai airport: $20
- Chennai - Private Arrival Transfer - From Airport to Hotel: $20
- Affordable Chennai Airport Transfer: $24
- Chennai International Airport to Hotel-Private Arrival transfer: $25
- Bangalore - private departure transfer from Hotel to Airport : $35
- Private Transfer from Chennai (MAA) Airport to Chennai City: $37
- Private Transfer from Chennai City to Chennai (MAA) Airport: $37
- Private Arrival Transfer: Chennai International Airport to Hotel: $40
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Merzouga
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Merzouga:
- 1 way transfer: $62
Is it cheaper to fly into Chennai or Merzouga?
Prices for flights to both Merzouga and Chennai 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 dayChennai $6.40Merzouga $5.92
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Chennai
For Chennai, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- 2 Hour Street Food Tour in Sowcarpet Chennai : $37
- Private In-Home Vegetarian Cooking Class and Meal in Chennai: $46
- Private Vegetarian South Indian Cooking Class in Chennai : $48
- South Indian Cooking Class in Chennai with a Passionate Baker: $48
- South Indian Vegetarian Cooking Class in Chennai with Menna: $54
- South Indian Vegetarian Cooking Class Near the Chennai airport: $62
- Traditional Tamil Brahmin Vegetarian Cooking Lesson with a Local in Her Home: $74
- Private Authentic Indian Cooking Class in Chennai with a Local: $76
- Private 3-Hour Cooking Lesson and Meal in Chennai: $100
- Authentic South Indian Cooking Class and Vegetarian Meal with a Local in Chennai: $122
- Food Trail In Sowcarpet With Transport And Dinner - Chennai: $216
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
- 1-Night in the luxury camp: camel ride & Dinner: $74
- Day Trip By Camels In Erg Chebbi Dunes, Lunch With Berber Pizza: $77
- 5 Hour Sunset Tour with Camel Ride and Dinner In Desert: $82
- Merzouga Orange Dunes ATV Sandsurf Camels with 5 Stars Dinner: $86
- 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: $108
- From Fes: 2-Day Merzouga Desert Trip w/Luxury Tent & Dinner: $121
- From Fes: 2-Day Merzouga Desert Trip(Luxury Tent & Dinner): $124
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Chennai $2.77Merzouga -
Tours and Activities in Chennai
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Chennai.
- Chennai Heritage Trails (2 Hour Guided Walking Tour): $13
- Explore Chennai in Nightlights (2 Hour Guided Walking Tour): $13
- Spiritual Trails of Chennai (2 Hour Guided Walking Tour): $13
- Walking Tour Chennai: $14
- Chennai Night Walk Tour ( 2 hours guided walking tour): $16
- Chennai Walking Tour ( 2 hours guided tour): $16
- Magical Chennai Markets Tour (2 Hours Guided Walking Tour): $17
- Chennai Walk of Divinity (2 Hours Guided Walking Tour): $17
- 2 Hour Street Food Walking Tour: $22
- Chennai Cultural Walking Tour: $26
- Night Walking Tour of Chennai: $26
- Chennai Food Tasting Trails (2 Hour Guided Tour Experience): $26
Tours and Activities in Merzouga
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Merzouga are as follows:
- Overnight in Desert Camp Berber Experience in Merzouga Desert & Camel Ride: $82
- Private Adventure to Merzouga Risani from Erfoud : $141
- Private Desert Tour and Visit to Nomadic Families: $98
- 1 Hour Merzouga Desert Buggy Experience: $139
- 1 Hour Merzouga Desert Quad Biking Tour & Sandboarding: $64
- 1 Night Camel Trekking Tour in Merzouga Desert Camp : $60
- 1/2 day 4x4 tour of Erg Chebbi: $82
- 2 Hours Merzouga Desert Quad Bike Adventure: $114
- 2 hours Merzouga Dunes ATV Rental - Desert Quad Biking Tour: $112
- 2-Day Desert Tour with Return to Marrakech: $183
- 3 Days Tour From Marrakech To Sahara Desert Of Merzouga: $87
- 3 Days Tour from Fes to Marrakech via Merzouga with Luxury Camp: $218
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayChennai $3.08Merzouga -
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Chennai and Merzouga, we can see that Chennai is more expensive. And not only is Merzouga much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Chennai is in Asia 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 Chennai would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Chennai 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 Chennai 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.