Which place is cheaper, Bilbao or Essaouira?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Jump to 
Should you visit Essaouira or Bilbao?
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 Essaouira and Bilbao can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Essaouira or Bilbao?
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.
Bilbao
The industrial city of Bilbao is located on a port of the Nervión River in northern Spain, an important location of Basque country. While the downtown is filled with skyscrapers and innovative architecture, it sits between a river and mountains of natural allure. A city of hard-workers to the core, Bilbao displays remnants of its industrial past, though in more recent years it has transformed into a center for art. It is now a popular location for visitors looking to experience art galleries and museums.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Morocco, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Morocco, The Best G Adventures Tours to Spain, and The Best 3-Day Tours from Madrid.
-
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayEssaouira $46Bilbao $147
The average daily cost (per person) in Essaouira is $46, while the average daily cost in Bilbao is $147. 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 Essaouira and Bilbao in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personEssaouira $26Bilbao $78
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomEssaouira $52Bilbao $156
Compare Hotels in Essaouira and Bilbao
Looking for a hotel in Essaouira or Bilbao? 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: Essaouira Hotel Prices and Bilbao Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Essaouira $1.99Bilbao $28
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Essaouira
Also for Essaouira, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfert Marrakech to Agafay-Private Agafay to Marrakech : $87
- Airport Transfer From Essaouira Airport To Medina: $22
- Essaouira : Private Transfer from or to Agafay Desert: $160
- Essaouira Airport To city Transfer: $38
- Essaouira private transfer from Essaouira city to Agadir airport (AGA): $138
- Hinterland Quad Bike Tour with Transfer: $36
- Private Transfer from or to Essaouira Airport: $27
- Private Transfer from or to Essaouira Airport (ESU): $22
- Scenic Hinterland Quad Ride with Transfer: $80
- From Beachside Quad Bike Tour with Transfer: $70
- From Private Transfer to Casablanca: $321
- From Private Transfer to Marrakech: $123
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bilbao
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bilbao:
- Bilbao Airport Transfers to Pamplona: $417
- Bilbao Airport Transfers to Santander: $315
- Bilbao Airport Transfers to San Sebastian: $315
- Private Transfer from Vitoria Airport to San Sebastian city: $291
- Private Transfer from Vitoria city to San Sebastian Airport: $291
- Private Transfer from Vitoria to San Sebastian: $291
- Private Transfer from Bilbao city to San Sebastian Airport: $268
- Private Transfer from Bilbao to San Sebastian: $268
- Private Transfer from Bilbao Airport to Santander Port: $252
- Private Transfer from Bilbao city to Santander: $252
- Private Transfer from Vitoria to Logroño: $245
- Private Transfer from Vitoria Airport to Pamplona city: $229
Is it cheaper to fly into Essaouira or Bilbao?
Prices for flights to both Bilbao and Essaouira 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
-
Food Meals for one dayEssaouira $14Bilbao $48
Typical Food Prices in Essaouira
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Essaouira:
-
Baklava$1.40
-
Breakfast Crepes$0.50
-
Fish for Lunch$15
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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bilbao
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Bilbao.
- Basque Food Tour with Guide: $86
- The Original Bilbao Food Tour with Wine Pairings: $102
- Pintxos and Tapas Cooking Class in Bilbao : $109
- Basque Pintxos and Tapas Cooking Class with Open Bar: $112
- The Original Bilbao Food Tour with Wine Pairing: $115
- Basque Flavours: High End Food Tour of Bilbao with a Local: $120
- Paella Cooking Class with Sangria in Bilbao: $134
- Private Food Tour, Food Lovers with Tastings: $134
- Paella Cooking Class (with Basque Sangria) in Bilbao: $142
- Traditional Basque Cooking Class with Wine Tasting: $155
- Guggenheim Museum Visit & Private Walking Food Tour: $197
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Essaouira $12Bilbao $31
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
Tours and Activities in Bilbao
Here are a few actual costs in Bilbao for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- PRIVATE San Sebastian and Basque Coast Tour from Bilbao: $290
- Pintxos Tasting in Bilbao Small Group or Private Walking Tour: $81
- 2 Hours Private Family Guided Walking Tour in Bilbao: $197
- 3-day Bilbao Bike Tour and Guggenheim Museum Ticket: $257
- Awesome Bilbao – Private Family Walking Tour: $384
- BILBAO-City Highlights Bike Tour: $36
- Basque Country 7-Day Guided Tour from Bilbao: $1,144
- Bike tour with Pintxos & Drinks in Getxo (Scenic Bilbao Seaside): $60
- Bilbao & Guggenheim Museum Private Walking Tour with guide: $286
- Bilbao & Guggenheim Private Walking Tour from Hotel/Center: $279
- Bilbao - Private Historic walking tour: $374
- Bilbao 3-Day Package: Guggenheim, Hotel Stay and Bike Tour: $251
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayEssaouira $9.16Bilbao $23
Sample the Local Flavors in Bilbao
Also in Bilbao, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Pub Crawl Bilbao: $25
- Immersive Evening Spanish Wine Tasting w/ Sommelier: $53
- Spanish Wine Tasting with Sommelier (close to Guggenheim museum): $54
- Pintxos and Wine Tasting Tour with Local Guide: $79
- Txakoli, Gaztelugatxe, & Urdaibai with wine tasting: $80
- Guided tour of Txakoli wine tasting and tasting of wine and typical products: $148
- Bilbao Txakoli Wine Tour: $176
- Guided Txacoli Wine Tasting: $187
- Rioja Wine Tour: 2 Wineries From Vitoria: $240
- From Rioja Architecture and Wine Tour: $241
- Rioja Wine Tour: 2 Wineries From Bilbao: $246
- Architectural Rioja Small Group Wine Tour with Lunch from Bilbao : $246
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Essaouira and Bilbao, we can see that Bilbao is more expensive. And not only is Essaouira much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Essaouira is in Africa and Bilbao is in Europe, 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 Bilbao would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Bilbao 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 Essaouira Expensive? and Is Bilbao Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Essaouira or Bilbao?
Bilbao has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Essaouira. When comparing the sizes of Essaouira and Bilbao, 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.