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

Should you visit Fethiye or Essaouira?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Fethiye or Essaouira? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Where Should I go: Fethiye or Essaouira?

Fethiye

Fethiye is a tourist town in Lycia on the Mediterranean coast. It has a beautiful marina and plenty of activities during the day or night. Fethiye's size, location, and easy access to transportation make it a great central starting point to explore the area. It's also a popular place to pick up the "Blue Cruise," a popular boat tour along the Mediterranean coast.

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.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours in Turkey, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Turkey, The Best 10-Day Tours in Morocco, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Morocco.


Which place is cheaper, Essaouira or Fethiye?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Fethiye is $109, while the average daily cost in Essaouira is $46. 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 Fethiye and Essaouira in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Fethiye $48
    Essaouira $26
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Fethiye $96
    Essaouira $52
Compare Hotels in Fethiye and Essaouira

Looking for a hotel in Fethiye or Essaouira? 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 Fethiye


Hotels in Essaouira


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: Fethiye Hotel Prices and Essaouira Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Fethiye $34
    Essaouira $1.99
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Fethiye

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Fethiye are as follows:


  • Local Bus
    $0.26

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Fethiye

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

  • Tandem Paragliding Over The Blue Lagoon in Fethiye From Kas Inc.Transfer: $300
  • Antalya Airport AYT Transfers to Calis Beach Hotels: $289
  • Fethiye Hotels to Bodrum Airport BJV Transfers: $267
  • Antalya Calis Beach Hotels to Antalya Airport AYT Transfers: $240
  • Dalaman Int Airport (DLM): Private Transfer to Fethiye: $119
  • Antalya Airport AYT Transfers to Olympos Hotels: $115
  • Antalya Olympos Hotels to Antalya Airport AYT Transfers: $114
  • Fethiye Rhodes Ferry Ticket With Free Hotel Transfer: $99
  • Private Airport Transfers: From Orhaniye to Dalaman Airport: $99
  • Private Airport Transfers: From Fethiye/Oludeniz to Dalaman Airport: $98
  • Hisaronu (Fethiye) Hotels to Dalaman Airport DLM Transfers: $87
  • Fethiye City Center Hotels to Dalaman Airport DLM Transfers: $82

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Essaouira

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

  • From Private Transfer to Casablanca: $321
  • Private Transfer Essaouira - Rabat: $262
  • Essaouira : Private Transfer from or to Agafay Desert: $160
  • From Private Transfer to Taghazout or Agadir: $150
  • Essaouira private transfer from Essaouira city to Agadir airport (AGA): $138
  • From Private Transfer to Marrakech: $123
  • Private transfer Marrakech to Essaouira or Essaouira toMarrakech : $102
  • Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakech city or Marrakech airport: $93
  • Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakech city or Marrakech airport: $93
  • Transfert Marrakech to Agafay-Private Agafay to Marrakech : $87
  • Private transfer Marrakech airpot - Essaouira : $87
  • Scenic Hinterland Quad Ride with Transfer: $80

Is it cheaper to fly into Fethiye or Essaouira?

Prices for flights to both Essaouira and Fethiye 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
    Fethiye $35
    Essaouira $14
Typical Food Prices in Fethiye

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


  • Fruit
    $0.22
  • Soda
    $0.09

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

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Fethiye $38
    Essaouira $12
Typical Entertainment Prices in Fethiye

For Fethiye, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:


  • Paragliding
    $7.42
  • Gorge Walk entry and photo
    $0.17

Tours and Activities in Fethiye

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Fethiye.

  • Fethiye Dalyan Tour River Cruise and Mud Bath: $63
  • Ölüdeniz: Pirate Boat Cruise with Swim Stops and Lunch: $48
  • 12 Islands Boat Tour from Fethiye with Grilled Lunch: $41
  • 2-Day Ephesus and Pamukkale Cultural Tour from Fethiye: $221
  • 2-Day tour Ephesus and Pamukkale from Fethiye : $163
  • 7-HourJeep Safari Adventure in Fethiye Turkey: $31
  • Blue Lagoon Ölüdeniz Tandem Paragliding Experience from Fethiye: $218
  • Dalyan Mud Baths and Turtle Beach Day Tour From Fethiye: $60
  • Dalyan River Cruise by Boat with Lunch and Sea Turtles Watching: $54
  • Ephesus and Pamukkale 2 Day tour from Fethiye: $191
  • Fethiye Horse Riding Experience: $38
  • Fethiye Jeep Safari Tour: $28

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

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


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Fethiye and Essaouira, we can see that Fethiye is more expensive. And not only is Essaouira much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Fethiye is in Europe and Essaouira is in Africa, 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 Fethiye would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Fethiye 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 Fethiye Expensive? and Is Essaouira Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Fethiye or Essaouira?

Essaouira has a larger population, and is about 17% larger than the population of Fethiye. When comparing the sizes of Fethiye and Essaouira, 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.