Which place is cheaper, Montpellier or Essaouira?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Essaouira or Montpellier?
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 Montpellier can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Essaouira or Montpellier?
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.
Montpellier
Montpellier is the 8th largest city of France, and also has been the fastest growing city in the country over the past 25 years. Graceful and easy-going, Montpellier is a stylish metropolis with elegant buildings, grand hotels, private mansions, stately boulevards and shady backstreets, and gorgeous white-sand beaches on its doorstep. Unlike many southern towns, Montpellier has no Roman heritage. Instead it was founded in the 10th century by the counts of Toulouse and later became a prosperous trading port as well as a scholarly center - Europe's first medical school was established here in the 12th century. The population swelled in the 1960s when many French settlers left independent Algeria and relocated here, and it's now France's fastest-growing city and one of its most multicultural areas. Students make up over a third of the population, giving it a spirited vibe.
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 One Week (7-Day) Tours in France, and The Best 2-Week Tours in France.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayEssaouira $46Montpellier $126
The average daily cost (per person) in Essaouira is $46, while the average daily cost in Montpellier is $126. 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 Montpellier in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personEssaouira $26Montpellier $74
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomEssaouira $52Montpellier $148
Compare Hotels in Essaouira and Montpellier
Looking for a hotel in Essaouira or Montpellier? 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 Montpellier Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Essaouira $1.99Montpellier $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 Montpellier
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Montpellier:
- Private Transfer from Sète Cruise Port to Marseille city hotels: $131
- Transfer from Sète Port to Marseille Provence Airport MRS: $131
- Montpellier Private Transfer from Montpellier city centre to Montpellier Airport: $74
- Montpellier–Méditerranée Airport Transfer: $64
- Transfer Montpellier Airport and Beziers Airport: $49
Is it cheaper to fly into Essaouira or Montpellier?
Prices for flights to both Montpellier 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 $14Montpellier $33
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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Montpellier
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Montpellier.
- Guided Food Tour With Local Snacks and Wine: $91
- Montpellier Food Tour: $93
- From Pic Saint-Loup Wine and Food Tour: $102
- Cooking workshop: $106
- Private cooking class with specialized chefs Montpellier: $108
- Fusion Food Cooking Class: $428
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Essaouira $12Montpellier $13
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 Montpellier
Here are a few actual costs in Montpellier for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- CityTour and Photo Portraits Souvenirs in Montpellier: $38
- From Half-Day Vineyard & Pic Saint-Loup Tour: $80
- From Wine and Olive Tour: $75
- Highlights of Sète : history, food and wine experience: $174
- Legendary Montpellier, flexible legends and storytelling tour: $16
- Montpellier - Private Historic Walking tour: $428
- Montpellier Private Guided Walking Tour: $307
- Montpellier Private Walking Tour With A Professional Guide: $270
- Montpellier Wine and Oyster Tour: $86
- Half-Day Hiking Tour of Pic Saint Loup & Picnic: $64
- Personalized Day-Tour of the South of France: $1,059
- Photoshoot Experience: $159
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayEssaouira $9.16Montpellier $16
Sample the Local Flavors in Montpellier
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Montpellier:
- The Châteaux of Grès de Montpellier & Wine Tasting: $80
- Small-Group Half-Day Châteaux of Montpellier Wine Tour: $84
- Small-Group Half-Day Languedoc Pic Saint-Loup Wine Tour from Montpellier: $84
- Wine tour in Pic Saint-Loup area: $142
- Half-Day Wine Tour with Lunch: $155
- Montpellier : half day wine tour in Camargue: $159
- Private Half-Day Languedoc Wine Tour from Sète: $240
- Sète: Private Half–Day Wine Tour: $353
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Essaouira and Montpellier, we can see that Montpellier 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 Montpellier 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 Montpellier would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Montpellier 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 Montpellier Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Essaouira or Montpellier?
Montpellier has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Essaouira. When comparing the sizes of Essaouira and Montpellier, 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.