A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Essaouira vs. Valletta for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Essaouira or Valletta?

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 Valletta can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Essaouira or Valletta?

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.

Valletta

A harbor city and the capital city of the island of Malta, Valletta dates back to the 16th-century with a preserved architectural heritage that earned the city a place on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is best known for its museums, palaces, and churches.

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 Historical Tours in Malta, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Malta.


Which place is cheaper, Valletta or Essaouira?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Essaouira is $46, while the average daily cost in Valletta is $124. 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 Valletta in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Essaouira $26
    Valletta $70
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Essaouira $52
    Valletta $140
Compare Hotels in Essaouira and Valletta

Looking for a hotel in Essaouira or Valletta? 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.

Hotels in Essaouira


Hotels in Valletta


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 Valletta Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Essaouira $1.99
    Valletta $25

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

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Valletta

Also for Valletta, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • From Private Malta Highlights Tour with Transfer: $150
  • Private Airport Transfer from Malta to Gozo: $109
  • Airport Transfers (Private Group up to 15 people): $103
  • From Malta: Gozo Jeep Tour with Lunch and Hotel Transfers: $87
  • Private Airport Transfer in Malta: $87
  • Turkish Gullet Cruise to Gozo and Comino with Lunch and Transfers: $81
  • Airport transfers to all locations in Malta (Private Groups or Families): $81
  • Mdina and Highlights of Malta Full Day Guided Tour Incl. Lunch and Transfers: $66
  • Malta Airport Private Transfers: $66
  • Malta Private Transfer from Malta Airport to any resort in Malta island: $51
  • Arrival Transfer: Malta Airport MLA to Malta Island by Van: $49
  • Malta Airport (MLA) Departure Transfer (Saint Julian's Hotels to Malta Airport): $49

Is it cheaper to fly into Essaouira or Valletta?

Prices for flights to both Valletta 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Essaouira $14
    Valletta $35
Typical Food Prices in Essaouira

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Essaouira:


  • Baklava
    $1.40
  • Breakfast Crepes
    $0.50
  • 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 Valletta

For Valletta, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Valletta Food Tour - Eat like a local: $46
  • Valletta Food Tour: $49
  • Folklore Evening Dinner Show at a Traditional Maltese Restaurant Incl. Transfers: $67
  • Maltese Traditional Dinner and Folklore Show with Transfers: $71
  • Fireworks Festival Cruise Including Dinner, Drinks and Transport: $76
  • The Ultimate Valletta Evening Food Tour: $80
  • Fernandes Sunset Cruise including Dinner with Open Bar: $80
  • Christmas Tour in Gozo (afternoon) inc. Dinner: $86
  • Blue Lagoon & Sunset Quad Tour in Gozo/Dinner: $91
  • From Blue Lagoon and Gozo Tour w/Quads and Dinner: $118
  • The Valletta Food Tour Experience, a private tour: $150
  • Private Valletta Food Tour: $175

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Essaouira $12
    Valletta $29

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 Valletta

For Valletta, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • 3 Cities Tour: $16
  • 3 Hours Private Picnic Experience in Malta: $273
  • 3 cities: Private Insider Walking Tour with Licensed Guide: $160
  • 30-Minute Mdina Experience Audio-Visual Show Ticket (Open Ticket): $6.55
  • 4-hr day tour around Malta: $207
  • 48-Hour Hop-On Hop-Off Pass Bus + Harbour Cruise: $55
  • 90 minutes Harbour Cruise in Valletta - ticket only: $22
  • A Monumental Maltese Experience: $175
  • Adventures in Malta: Thrills, History, and Natural Beauty: $320
  • Best of Mdina and Rabat Walking Tour: $20
  • Best of Valletta Walking Tour: $20
  • Blue Grotto and Marsaxlokk Half-Day Tour from Valletta: $37

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Essaouira $9.16
    Valletta $17

Sample the Local Flavors in Valletta

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Valletta:

  • Valletta Pub Crawl: $22
  • Malta Pub Crawl: $22
  • The Brewery Experience & beer tasting including transport: $35
  • The Brewery Experience Self-Guided Tour with Tasting & Transport: $35
  • Malta: The Three Cities and Wine Tasting Tour: $44


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Essaouira and Valletta, we can see that Valletta 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 Valletta 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 Valletta would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Valletta 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 Valletta Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Essaouira or Valletta?

Essaouira has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Valletta. When comparing the sizes of Essaouira and Valletta, 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.