Which place is cheaper, Essaouira or Darjiling?
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 Darjiling or Essaouira?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Darjiling 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: Darjiling or Essaouira?
Darjiling
What began as a cluster of villages grew to prominence in the 19th Century when the British first established a hill station here and eventually realized that the climate was well-suited for tea plantations. Darjeeling (or Darjiling) has since become known for its teas in addition to cultural diversity, stunning views, and trekking opportunities.
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 Adventure Tours to India, The Best Sightseeing Tours in India, The Best 10-Day Tours in Morocco, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Morocco.
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Darjiling Prices
India PricesEssaouira Prices
Morocco Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayDarjiling $39Essaouira $60
The average daily cost (per person) in Darjiling is $39, while the average daily cost in Essaouira is $60. 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 Darjiling and Essaouira in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personDarjiling $11Essaouira $28
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomDarjiling $22Essaouira $56
Compare Hotels in Darjiling and Essaouira
Looking for a hotel in Darjiling 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: Darjiling Hotel Prices and Essaouira Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Darjiling $6.54Essaouira $2.16
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Darjiling
Also for Darjiling, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Rafting Journey at the Down on Teesta River's White Water with Private Transfer: $182
- Private Transfer Darjeeling Hotels To Bagdogra Airport IXB Drop: $65
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Essaouira
Also for Essaouira, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- private transfer essaouira to casablanca or casablanca-essaouira: $290
- Private Transfer Essaouira-Taroudant: $237
- Private transfer Essaouira Taroudant.: $201
- Essaouira private transfer from Essaouira city to Agadir airport (AGA): $150
- Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakech city or Marrakech airport: $142
- Private Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakesh Menara (RAK) Airport: $139
- Private Transfer Essaouira-Agadir: $130
- Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakech city or Marrakech airport: $127
- Private transfer Marrakech to Essaouira or Essaouira toMarrakech: $118
- Private Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakech: $115
- Transfert Marrakech to Essaouira Or Essaouira to Marrakech: $114
- Private Transfer from Marrakech to Essaouira 1 to 4 people: $109
Is it cheaper to fly into Darjiling or Essaouira?
Prices for flights to both Essaouira and Darjiling 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 dayDarjiling $21Essaouira $25
Typical Food Prices in Essaouira
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Essaouira:
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Baklava$1.51
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Breakfast Crepes$0.54
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Fish for Lunch$16
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Essaouira
For Essaouira, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Agadir Cooking Class Experience with Local Market Visit: $31
- Cooking class: How To Be a Real Moroccan Chef: $41
- Essaouira Sunset Tour: Sidi M’barek Waterfall,Coastal Walk&Dinner: $48
- Essaouira Moroccan Cooking Class Experience: $53
- Kids Moroccan Cooking Class: $53
- Sidi Kaouki Sunset Walk and Berber Tent Dinner by Atlantic: $53
- Essaouira Cooking Class At Home: $53
- Souk Stories Essaouira Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $59
- Essaouira Berber Cooking Class & Organic Farm Tour Al Aaila Farm: $65
- Essaouira Family Dinner Experience: $66
- Essaouira Street Food Tour: $70
- Essaouira Walking Food Tour: $70
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Darjiling $11Essaouira $13
Tours and Activities in Darjiling
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Darjiling.
- A Full Day Tour Of Darjeeling: $208
- Best of Darjeeling (Guided Halfday Sightseeing Tour by Car): $73
- Best of Gangtok (Guided Halfday Sightseeing Tour by Car): $74
- Colonial Heritage Walking Tour in Darjeeling: $27
- Darjeeling & Gangtok tour: $253
- Darjeeling City Tour with Uber: $58
- Darjeeling Exquisite Estate Tour: $156
- Darjeeling Full-Day Sightseeing Tour with Guide & Transports: $163
- Day Trip to Buddha Park (Guided Private Sightseeing Tour from Gangtok): $130
- Day Trip to Darjeeling (Guided Private Sightseeing Experience from Gangtok): $130
- Day Trip to Gangtok (Guided Private Sightseeing Experience from Darjeeling): $130
- Day Trip to Kalimpong (Guided Private Sightseeing Experience from Darjeeling): $130
Tours and Activities in Essaouira
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Essaouira.
- 1 Day Horseback Riding Tour with Overnight Stay in Berber Tent: $296
- 1-Day Quad Adventure in Essaouira near Marrakech: $210
- 1-hour buggy tour in Essaouira desert (2 places/buggy): $78
- 2 – Hours Quad Bike Adventure in Essaouira Desert with Moroccan Tea: $58
- 2 Hours Dromedary Ride Tour in Essaouira Morocco: $53
- 2 Seater Dune and Ocean Buggy Tour: $59
- 2-hour quad adventure between beach and dunes: $59
- 3-Days Desert Tour From Fes to Marrakech: $201
- 3H Buggy Adventure – Dunes, Ocean & Sunset Ride: $236
- Beginners surf experience in Essaouira: $34
- Big Cap Sim dunes and forest 3 hours tour.: $76
- Big dunes and atlantic coast tour 2 HOURS: $62
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayDarjiling $7.66Essaouira $9.94
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Darjiling and Essaouira, we can see that Essaouira is more expensive. And not only is Darjiling much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Darjiling is in Asia 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 Darjiling would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Darjiling 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 Darjiling.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Darjiling Expensive? and Is Essaouira Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Darjiling or Essaouira?
Darjiling has a larger population, and is about 75% larger than the population of Essaouira. When comparing the sizes of Darjiling 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.