Which place is cheaper, Chefchaouen or Essaouira?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Essaouira or Chefchaouen?
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 Chefchaouen can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Essaouira or Chefchaouen?
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.
Chefchaouen
To feel like you've really stepped back in time to the glory days of Morocco, you're going to want to spend time in Chefchaouen. This town's beautiful medina is filled with white washed buildings with blue highlights. The wandering alleyways provide a fairy tale setting where you can relax for a few days. This mountainous region is a humble example of the classic picture of this area. Set against the backdrop of the Rif Mountains, the white and powder blue accented buildings and call to calls to prayer throughout the day let every visitor know they've arrived in a relaxing spot of peace and serenity.
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 2-Week Tours in Morocco, and Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Morocco.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayEssaouira $46Chefchaouen $57
The average daily cost (per person) in Essaouira is $46, while the average daily cost in Chefchaouen is $57. 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 Chefchaouen in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personEssaouira $26Chefchaouen $24
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomEssaouira $52Chefchaouen $48
Compare Hotels in Essaouira and Chefchaouen
Looking for a hotel in Essaouira or Chefchaouen? 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 Chefchaouen Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Essaouira $1.99Chefchaouen $15
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Essaouira
Also for Essaouira, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- From Private Transfer to Casablanca: $319
- Private Transfer Essaouira - Rabat: $260
- Private Transfer Essaouira-Taroudant: $217
- Private Transfer Essaouira-Casablanca: $216
- Transfer from Essaouira to your Riad or Hotel in Marrakech: $163
- Transfert Essaouira to Agadir - Private Agadir to Essaouira : $163
- From Agadir or Taghazout Area: Private Transfer to Essaouira: $160
- Essaouira : Private Transfer from or to Agafay Desert: $154
- From Private Transfer to Taghazout or Agadir: $149
- Essaouira private transfer from Essaouira city to Agadir airport (AGA): $138
- Private Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakesh Menara (RAK) Airport: $127
- From Private Transfer to Marrakech: $122
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Chefchaouen
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Chefchaouen:
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Taxi Ride$1.00
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Chefchaouen
Also for Chefchaouen, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer Private From Chefchaouen To Merrakash: $296
- One-Way Transfer from Tangier to Fez via chefchaouen : $294
- Private Transfer from Chefchaouen to Fes (FES) Airport: $290
- Private Transfer From Chefchaouen to Rabat : $282
- Chefchaouen to Fes: Private Transfer (English Speaking Driver): $244
- Private Transfer from Chefchaouen to Tanger-Ibn Batouta (TNG) Airport: $215
- Transfer from Fez to Chefchaouen go and back (Both ways): $197
- Transfer to/from Tangier and Chefchaouen: $190
- Transfer Private From Chefchaouen To Casablanca: $190
- Fes: Transfer to Tangier via Chefchaouen: $187
- Vip Private Transfer from Chefchaouen to Fes Vice Versa: $174
- Chefchaouen to the city of Casablanca Private Transfer: $173
Is it cheaper to fly into Essaouira or Chefchaouen?
Prices for flights to both Chefchaouen 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
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Food Meals for one dayEssaouira $14Chefchaouen $18
Typical Food Prices in Essaouira
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Essaouira:
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Baklava$1.40
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Breakfast Crepes$0.50
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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: $54
- Traditional Family Style Moroccan Cooking Class: $67
- Berber Cooking Class at a Farm in the Countryside & shopping at a rural Souk.: $97
Typical Food Prices in Chefchaouen
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Chefchaouen:
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Lunch for Two$8.97
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Dinner for Two$9.97
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Cupcake$0.30
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Nutella and Yogurt$1.99
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Chefchaouen
For Chefchaouen, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Funny Family Cooking Class in Blue City: $28
- Cooking Class in Mountain From Chefchaouen: $43
- 3-Hour Cooking Class overlooking the Blue City: $55
- 4 hours Private Cooking Class With Family in Chefchaouen: $60
- Chefchaouen Food Tour: $65
- Chefchaouen Food Tour: $67
- Guided Food Tour with over 6 Tasting Stops: $70
- Discovery more Chefchaouen evening food tour with locals: $70
- Make Your Own Tajine and Pastilla Cooking Class: $77
- 4 Hours Gourmet Cooking Class in Chefchaouen: $87
- Discovery more Chefchaouen evening food tour with locals: $90
- Private Tagine Cooking Class in Chefchaouen with Lunch: $100
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Essaouira $12Chefchaouen $17
Tours and Activities in Essaouira
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Essaouira.
- Big Cap Sim dunes and forest 3 hours tour.: $69
- Big dunes and atlantic coast tour 2 HOURS: $56
- Discover Essaouira Full-Day Tour: $43
- Essaouira : 1H quad bike tour and 1H camel ride: $57
- Essaouira : Half-day E-Experience from Mountains to Sea: $130
- Essaouira Adventure Full-Day Excursion from Marakech: $47
- Essaouira Exclusive Dune Buggy Adventure: $163
- Essaouira Sand Dunes: Half Day Quad Bike Tour: $65
- Essaouira Tour - Half day visit to berber market : $56
- 3-Hour Camel Tour: $40
- 3-Hour Quad Bike Tour: $86
- Area Highlights 3 hours E-Bike Tour: $61
Tours and Activities in Chefchaouen
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Chefchaouen.
- 2 Hours Private Chefchaouen Walking Tour: $40
- 2 days Guided tour Rabat and Chechouen from Casablanca: $394
- 3-Hour Private Legacy Tour in Chefchaouen: $35
- 9-day/8 nights Tour from Casablanca, Chefchaouen, Marrakech: $1,401
- Akchour waterfalls tours : $87
- Best Experience Fes to Chefchaouen Day Tour multi languages: $34
- Bleu city walking Tasting Tour : $60
- Chefchaouen : Traditional Hammam Experience As A Local: $76
- Chefchaouen Day Tour: $51
- Chefchaouen Photography tour: $47
- Chefchaouen with Local Eyes Guided Walking Tour: $15
- Culture and History Sightseeing Tour - half day: $41
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayEssaouira $9.16Chefchaouen $14
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Essaouira and Chefchaouen, we can see that Chefchaouen is more expensive. And not only is Essaouira much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. 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 Chefchaouen would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Chefchaouen 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 Chefchaouen Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Essaouira or Chefchaouen?
Essaouira has a larger population, and is about 95% larger than the population of Chefchaouen. When comparing the sizes of Essaouira and Chefchaouen, 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.