Which place is cheaper, Merzouga or Dubai?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Dubai or Merzouga?
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 Dubai and Merzouga can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Dubai or Merzouga?
Dubai
Ever wonder what it would be like to see the lifestyles of the rich and famous up close. There's no more upscale destination than Dubai. It's by far and away the spot for shopping, partying, sunbathing, fine dining and the most luxurious of luxury. As the most modern and progressive of the seven emirates in the United Arab Emirates, this area has experienced an unbelievable economic boom and tourism spike. It's a desert city with an amazing infrastructure.
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 3-Day Tours from Dubai, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in United Arab Emirates, The Best Budget Tours to Morocco, and The Best Luxury Tours to Morocco.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayDubai $248Merzouga $17
The average daily cost (per person) in Dubai is $248, 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 Dubai and Merzouga in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personDubai $170Merzouga $10
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomDubai $340Merzouga $20
Compare Hotels in Dubai and Merzouga
Looking for a hotel in Dubai 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: Dubai Hotel Prices and Merzouga Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Dubai $13Merzouga -
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Dubai
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Dubai:
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Taxi Ride$12
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Airport Taxi$12
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Sea Taxi$0.54
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Dubai
Also for Dubai, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Global Village Dubai Skip the Line Tickets with Transfer Option: $9.15
- Global Village Dubai Ticket with Optional transfer: $10
- Global Village Dubai Tickets with Transfers Option: $11
- Private Dubai Airport Transfer DXB to Anywhere in Dubai: $13
- Shared Transfers from Dubai Hotels to Aquaventure/Lost Chamber: $18
- Sharing Transfers from Dubai Hotels to Dubai Mall (Burj Khalifa, VR Parks, DAUZ): $18
- Dubai Frame Ticket with Optional Transfer: $19
- Airport Transfers to/from all Terminals: $19
- Dubai Frame Entry Ticket With Optional Transfer: $20
- Dubai Global Village All Days Ticket With Shared Transfer: $20
- Dubai Frame Admission Ticket with Transfer Option: $20
- Private 1-Way Transfer to/from Dubai Airport (DXB): $20
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Merzouga
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Merzouga:
- 1 way transfer: $62
Is it cheaper to fly into Dubai or Merzouga?
Prices for flights to both Merzouga and Dubai 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 dayDubai $56Merzouga $5.92
Typical Food Prices in Dubai
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Dubai:
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French bread$0.95
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Sumo salad in Dubai Mall + Juice$10
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Lemon Mint Tea$4.36
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Coffee & Cake$6.54
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Smoothie$5.45
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Shawarma$1.91
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Dubai
For Dubai, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Premium Dinner Cruise Al-Seef: $12
- Dhow Cruise Dinner Dubai Creek with Buffet Dinner: $14
- Dhow Dinner Cruise with International Buffet in Dubai: $14
- Dubai:Desert Safari BBQ dinner, Dune bashing,Camel&Sandboarding: $14
- Scenic Dhow Cruise with Buffet Dinner and Live Shows: $14
- 2-Hour Evening Dhow Cruise and Dinner: $15
- Romantic Sightseeing Dhow Cruise Dinner: $15
- Romantic Dhow Cruise Dinner in Dubai Creek: $17
- Dubai Creek Dhow Cruise Dinner: $18
- Dhow Dinner Cruise with International Buffet: $18
- Desert Safari with Dinner and Live Show: $18
- Romantic Dhow Cruise Dinner: $19
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.Dubai $19Merzouga -
Typical Entertainment Prices in Dubai
For Dubai, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Visit to the Dubai Museum$0.82
Tours and Activities in Dubai
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Dubai.
- Tourist eSIM/SIM Card with Data and Minutes: $2.50
- Dubai Guided Old Town Tour, Abra Boat, Gold & Spice Souk: $4.63
- Ticket to Muséum of the futuré: $5.30
- Global Village Entry Ticket: $6.13
- Burj Khalifa, Dubai Hidden Gems - Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour: $6.34
- 4G Data Roaming eSIM Card for Tourists: $6.46
- Old Town Walking Tour with Souks, Abra Ride & Snacks: $8.00
- Old Walking Tour with Boat Ride, Souks and Museums: $8.17
- Old Dubai, Walking Tour, Souk Shopping, and Abra Ride: $8.85
- Pearl Merchants and Palm Trees: A Self-Guided Tour of Sharjah: $8.99
- Dubai Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.00
- Guided Old Town Tour with Souks, Tastings & Boat Tour: $9.53
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 dayDubai $23Merzouga -
Typical Alcohol Prices in Dubai
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Dubai:
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A Couple Drinks$25
Sample the Local Flavors in Dubai
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Dubai:
- Pub Crawl Nightlife Tours: $66
- Pub Crawl Nightlife Tour: $67
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Dubai and Merzouga, we can see that Dubai is more expensive. And not only is Merzouga much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Dubai is in Middle East 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 Dubai would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Dubai 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 Dubai 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.