Which place is cheaper, Siena or Essaouira?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Essaouira or Siena?
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 Siena can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Essaouira or Siena?
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.
Siena
Located in Tuscany, Siena is a medieval city that is about 70 kilometers south of Florence. One of its most famous events is the horse race, Il Palio, which occurs twice a year during the summer. The race puts a lot of emphasis on neighborhood pride and competition. It is a local tradition that is of great importance to the residence, so it is not an event that is held specifically for tourists. It dates back to the Medieval times and is associated with the area's religion, pageantry and rivalry. In addition to the city's strong neighborhood pride, rich history, and impressive architecture, Siena was also the home of many famous artists including Duccio, Simone Martini, and Ambrogio and Pietro Lorenzetti.
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 Family-Friendly Tours to Italy, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Italy.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayEssaouira $46Siena $142
The average daily cost (per person) in Essaouira is $46, while the average daily cost in Siena is $142. 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 Siena in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personEssaouira $26Siena $74
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomEssaouira $52Siena $148
Compare Hotels in Essaouira and Siena
Looking for a hotel in Essaouira or Siena? 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 Siena Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Essaouira $1.99Siena $21
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
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Siena
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Siena:
- Siena to Milan Malpensa airport private transfer: $1,433
- Siena to Milan Linate Airport 1-Way Private Transfer: $1,305
- Luxury Private Transfer Between Siena and Genoa: $1,118
- Siena - Rome Transfer Tour with Orvieto & Montepulciano: $1,059
- From Florence: Private Siena Day Trip with Transfers: $348
- Transfer Siena-Pisa with stop in San Gimignano & Lunch: $245
- Transfer Siena-Florence with visit to Chianti and wine tasting: $218
- Private transfer from Siena to Florence: $202
- Arrival transfer Siena Airport SAY to Siena City by van or car: $148
- Rome Fiumicino Airport: Shared Transfer to/from Siena by Bus: $11
Is it cheaper to fly into Essaouira or Siena?
Prices for flights to both Siena 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 $14Siena $54
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 Siena
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Siena.
- Siena food tour and Chianti wine: $60
- Walking Food Tour with Tastings: $95
- Tuscan Dinner in a Villa in an Ancient Siena Olive Grove: $98
- Siena Food Tour - Do Eat Better Experience : $99
- From Siena/Chianti: Dinner & Drinks in the Chianti Vineyards: $102
- Siena countryside: cooking class in a real Tuscan farmhouse: $123
- Cooking Class in a historical villa in Siena Provence: $130
- Tuscan Cooking Class in Central Siena: $131
- 4 Hour Private Cooking Class Unique Tuscan Experience in Siena: $131
- Family Cooking Class: Pizza and Tiramisù from Siena: $138
- Small Group Cooking Class in Chianti Farmhouse: $138
- Small group Cooking Class in Chianti Farmhouse: $141
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Essaouira $12Siena $4.02
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 Siena
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Siena are as follows:
- Siena tour: Piazza del Campo & Duomo exploration: $125
- Walking Tour of Siena with food & Chianti wine: $71
- “Secret of Siena” City E-bike tour: $134
- 2 hour Siena Private Guided Walking Tour : $273
- 4-Hour Guided Bike Tour for Small Groups in Chianti: $180
- 500 Vintage Tour and Chianti Roads from Siena: $160
- 500 Vintage Tour: Chianti Roads Experience with Lunch from Florence: $164
- Afternoon Semi Private Chianti tour from Siena: $88
- Badesse: Vespa & Chianti Tour in the Tuscan Hills: $138
- Brunello di Montalcino wine experience with a sommelier : $262
- Chianti Classico E-Bike Tour: $284
- Chianti: Wine and Olive Oil Tasting with Cellar Tour: $36
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayEssaouira $9.16Siena $2.34
Sample the Local Flavors in Siena
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Siena:
- Wine Tasting at the Winery in the Panoramic Terrance: $27
- Montalcino: Brunello Wine Tasting Experience: $35
- Total Immersion Wine Tour in Chianti: $43
- Lapi&Tour Guided tour of the cellars with wine tasting: $52
- From Florence: San Gimignano, Siena, and Chianti Wine Tour: $55
- Tuscany Hiking Tour from Siena Including Wine Tasting: $60
- Siena Underground Wine tasting in a Medieval Cave: $61
- Siena Underground Wine tasting in a Medieval Cave: $63
- Tuscan Classics Wine Tasting Class with Aperitivo: $64
- Montalcino: Brunello Wine Tasting & Lunch in a Tuscan Castle: $64
- Wine and Food Pairing Class with Tuscan Wine Tastings: $75
- Organic Winery Tour and Wine Tasting in Siena: $80
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Essaouira and Siena, we can see that Siena 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 Siena 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 Siena would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Siena 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 Siena Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Essaouira or Siena?
Essaouira has a larger population, and is about 34% larger than the population of Siena. When comparing the sizes of Essaouira and Siena, 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.