Which place is cheaper, Marseille or Essaouira?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Essaouira or Marseille?
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 Marseille can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Essaouira or Marseille?
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.
Marseille
Marseille is the second largest city in France and is the largest Mediterranean port in the region. For visitors, Marseille offers an authentic glimpse at France. It has many colorful markets, natural beauty such as the Calanques with its large, beautiful cliffs, and the old harbor area, which offers a glimpse at the areas working class history.
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 Contiki Tours to France, and The Best G Adventures Tours to France.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayEssaouira $46Marseille $158
The average daily cost (per person) in Essaouira is $46, while the average daily cost in Marseille is $158. 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 Marseille in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personEssaouira $26Marseille $76
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomEssaouira $52Marseille $152
Compare Hotels in Essaouira and Marseille
Looking for a hotel in Essaouira or Marseille? 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 Marseille Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Essaouira $1.99Marseille $30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Essaouira
Also for Essaouira, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakech city or Marrakech airport: $93
- Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakech city or Marrakech airport: $93
- Private transfer Marrakech to Essaouira or Essaouira toMarrakech : $102
- Private transfer Marrakech airpot - Essaouira : $87
- Private Transfer Essaouira - Rabat: $262
- Marrakech : Private Transfer from or to Marrakech Airoport: $22
- From Scenic Diabat Horseback Ride with Transfer: $48
- From Private Transfer to Taghazout or Agadir: $150
- From Private Transfer to Marrakech: $123
- From Private Transfer to Casablanca: $321
- From Beachside Quad Bike Tour with Transfer: $70
- Scenic Hinterland Quad Ride with Transfer: $80
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Marseille
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Marseille:
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Metro Pass$3.21
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Marseille
Also for Marseille, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer Between Marseille Airport and Nice Airport: $1,176
- Private Transfer from Nice to Marseille: $738
- Cannes Private Transfer to Marseille Airport: $642
- Marseille or Aix ⟷Transfer to Nice 7 pax: $534
- Marseille Airport private Transfer to Cannes: $448
- Marseille Airport Transfer From/to Avignon: $356
- Private transfer from Marseille Airport to Cavaillon: $279
- Private Transfer from Marseille Airport to Avignon: $273
- Marseille Provence Airport transfer ↔ Avignon: $267
- Marseille Airport: VIP transfer to Baumaniere: $251
- Marseille Provence One Way Airport transfer to Gordes: $251
- Private Transfer Marseille to Saint Tropez With 2h Stop in Toulon: $241
Is it cheaper to fly into Essaouira or Marseille?
Prices for flights to both Marseille 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 $14Marseille $45
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 Marseille
For Marseille, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Orangina$2.68
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Marseille
For Marseille, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Web-cooking workshop / French cuisine or French pastry: $35
- No Diet Club - Unique food tour in Marseille! (Cours Julien): $63
- Sunset Cruise with Dinner: $74
- Sunset Sailing Cruise with Dinner and Drinks: $86
- Sunset Boat Cruise with Dinner and Drinks: $86
- Bakeries, Chocolate & Patisseries Food Tour: $93
- Sunset Apéro Food tour: $95
- Walking Food Tour with Tastings: $97
- Marseille Sunset Apéro Food tour: $97
- Evening Food Tour with Tastings: $102
- Sunset Sailing Dinner in the Frioul Archipelago: $102
- Marseille Miam Miam Food tour: $104
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Essaouira $12Marseille $41
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.: $70
- 2 Hour Quad & ATV Experience: $58
- Big dunes and atlantic coast tour 2 HOURS: $57
- Essaouira : 1H quad bike tour and 1H camel ride: $57
- Essaouira : Half-day E-Experience from Mountains to Sea: $129
- Essaouira Guided Tour: 3 on 1 - Nightlife tour, Live like a local & Street food: $65
- Essaouira Sand Dunes: Half Day Quad Bike Tour: $65
- 3-Hour Camel Tour: $40
- 3-Hour Quad Bike Tour: $87
- Area Highlights 3 hours E-Bike Tour: $61
- Atlantic Dune Buggy Adventure: $206
- Cultural & Historical Sightseeing Tour - half day: $41
Tours and Activities in Marseille
For Marseille, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- "Old Marseille" district tour and treasure hunt: $29
- 2H: City-Tour Marseille: $274
- 3h Kayak Tour at Calanques National Park: $67
- A Day in Provence Small Group Tour from Marseille: $180
- Aix-en-Provence: Half-Day Shore Excursion Tour: $642
- All Inclusive Food & History Tour of Marseille with Local Guide: $144
- Beer tasting experience in Marseille: $43
- Bookbinding experience in the Vieux Port: $93
- Calanques National Park Guided Hiking Tour: $50
- Calanques National Park Kayak Day Tour: $112
- Calanques Trilogy Electric Bike Tour from Marseille: $65
- Canyoning Half Day Tour from La Ciotat : $67
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayEssaouira $9.16Marseille $29
Sample the Local Flavors in Marseille
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Marseille:
- Marseille Bar Crawl Party with Free Shots and VIP Entry: $21
- Marseille Riviera Bar Crawl Party with Free Shots and VIP Entry: $22
- Marseille Pub Crawl : Meet, Drink & Party: $43
- New Year's Eve Bar Crawl Marseille France: $96
- Delicious Food and Wine Tour: $117
- Bandol and Cassis: Full Day Wine Tour from Marseille: $143
- Luberon: Full-Day Wine Tour from Marseille: $143
- Full-day Wine Tour around Bandol & Cassis from Marseille: $146
- Full-Day Wine Tour around Luberon from Marseille: $146
- Côtes du Rhône Wine tour: Avignon, Palace of the Popes: $164
- Small Group Marseille Shore Excursion : Avignon & Chateauneuf du Pape Wine Tour: $164
- Marseille Shore Excursion - Full Day Wine Tour in Provence: $164
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Essaouira and Marseille, we can see that Marseille 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 Marseille 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 Marseille would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Marseille 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 Marseille Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Essaouira or Marseille?
Marseille has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Essaouira. When comparing the sizes of Essaouira and Marseille, 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.