Which place is cheaper, Lyon or Essaouira?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Essaouira or Lyon?
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 Lyon can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Essaouira or Lyon?
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.
Lyon
Lyon, located within the region of Southeastern France, is France's third largest city in terms of population, with just over 500,000 inhabitants. This makes the city large, yet still small and personable enough to be explored properly in a short visit. Known as the gastronomic capital of Europe, your culinary needs are exceptionally well catered to here, and for those with historical and cultural interests, you will never be at a loss for new things to do and see.
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 10-Day Tours from Paris, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Paris.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayEssaouira $46Lyon $134
The average daily cost (per person) in Essaouira is $46, while the average daily cost in Lyon is $134. 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 Lyon in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personEssaouira $26Lyon $57
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomEssaouira $52Lyon $114
Compare Hotels in Essaouira and Lyon
Looking for a hotel in Essaouira or Lyon? 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 Lyon Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Essaouira $1.99Lyon $18
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Essaouira
Also for Essaouira, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Marrakech : Private Transfer from or to Marrakech Airoport: $22
- Airport Transfer From Essaouira Airport To Medina: $22
- Private Transfer from or to Essaouira Airport (ESU): $22
- Private Transfer from or to Essaouira Airport: $27
- Hinterland Quad Bike Tour with Transfer: $36
- Essaouira Airport To city Transfer: $38
- From Scenic Diabat Horseback Ride with Transfer: $48
- From Beachside Quad Bike Tour with Transfer: $70
- Scenic Hinterland Quad Ride with Transfer: $80
- Private transfer Marrakech airpot - Essaouira : $87
- Transfert Marrakech to Agafay-Private Agafay to Marrakech : $87
- Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakech city or Marrakech airport: $93
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Lyon
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Lyon:
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Funiculaire$5.57
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Hop-on Hop-off Tourist Bus$20
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lyon
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Lyon:
- Superior Private Transfer From Lyon City to Geneva City: $295
- Private Direct Transfer from Lyon to Geneva: $274
- Private Transfer Grenoble Airport GNB - Grenoble Ski Resort: $229
- Lyon Saint Exupery Airport to Morzine Avoriaz Round Trip Transfer: $185
- Lyon Saint Exupery Airport to Meribel - Arrival Private Transfer: $180
- Lyon St Exupery Airport to Courchevel/Les Arcs - Arrival Transfer: $180
- Private arrival OR departure transfer in Lyon (hotel OR airport pick-up): $177
- Lyon Saint Exupery Airport(LYS) to Alpe d'Huez - Arrival Transfer: $164
- Lyon Exupery Airport to Les Deux La Clusaz Round Trip Transfer: $142
- Lyon Private Transfer from Lyon Airport (LYS) to City centre: $131
- Lyon Private Transfer from Lyon city centre to Lyon (LYS) Airport: $131
- Private Transfer: (LYS) Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport to Lyon: $124
Is it cheaper to fly into Essaouira or Lyon?
Prices for flights to both Lyon 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 $14Lyon $44
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: $55
- Traditional Family Style Moroccan Cooking Class: $67
- 3 hours Camel Ride in Essaouira with Dinner and Overnight in Berber Camp: $170
Typical Food Prices in Lyon
Some typical examples of dining costs in Lyon are as follows:
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Pastry$1.82
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Lyon
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Lyon.
- Street Food Tour: $64
- Croix-Rousse District Vegan Food Tour with Tastings: $64
- Guided Food Tour with Tastings: $66
- Afternoon Old Town Food tour: $76
- Lyon 2.5-Hour Dinner Cruise: $80
- Cultural Walking Food Tour in the Vieux Lyon District: $86
- Lyon Old Town Half-Day Walking Food Tour with Local Specialties Tasting & Lunch: $93
- Old Town Food Tour: $96
- Guided Food Tour with Tastings and Wine: $102
- Guided Evening Food Tour: $102
- Lyon Evening Food Tour - Do Eat Better Experience: $104
- Food Tour in Lyon - Do Eat Better Experience: $104
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Essaouira $12Lyon $22
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
Typical Entertainment Prices in Lyon
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Lyon are as follows:
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Lunch for 2$48
Tours and Activities in Lyon
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Lyon are as follows:
- 1 or 2-Hour Pedicab tour of Lyon: $27
- 1-hour tourist walk with guide: $38
- Access to a Self-Guided Tour of the archaeological site of Lyon: $8.72
- Access to a Self-Guided Tour to Traboules de Croix-Rousse: $8.72
- Alternative Tour: Murals and Hidden Frescoes of Lyon: $46
- An unusual city tour with sketches: $64
- Audio-Guided Tour of the United States Quarter and Painted Walls: $11
- Audio-guided tour of Old Lyon: $11
- Audio-guided tour of the Fourvière and the Sacred Hill: $11
- Beaujolais & Perouges Medieval Town (9:00 am to 5:15 pm - Small Group Tour Lyon: $136
- Beaujolais Wines & Castles - Private Tour - Half Day: $268
- Best Intro Tour of Lyon with a Local: $141
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayEssaouira $9.16Lyon $25
Typical Alcohol Prices in Lyon
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Lyon from other travelers:
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Drinks for 2$7.29
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Bottle of Wine$16
Sample the Local Flavors in Lyon
Also in Lyon, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Lyon : Music & Wine tasting tour: $96
- Lyon Old Town Food & Wine Tasting Tour including a Bouchon Lyonnais : $98
- Guided tour of Beaujolais by electric bike and wine tasting: $98
- Lyon Music & Wine tasting: $104
- Golden Stones Beaujolais Wine Tasting Trip from Lyon: $106
- Beaujolais: Half-Day Wine Tour: $106
- From Wine tasting and visits of the Beaujolais: $106
- Half-Day Côte-Rotie Wine Tasting Tour: $106
- From Beaujolais Region Wine Tour with Tastings: $106
- Beaujolais Half Day Wine Tasting Tour: $108
- Beaujolais 100% wine tour Small-Group Tour with Tasting from Lyon: $108
- Guided tour and wine tasting Northern Rhône Valley: $108
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Essaouira and Lyon, we can see that Lyon 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 Lyon 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 Lyon would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Lyon 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 Lyon Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Essaouira or Lyon?
Lyon has a larger population, and is about 7 times larger than the population of Essaouira. When comparing the sizes of Essaouira and Lyon, 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.