Which place is cheaper, Essaouira or Fez?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Fez or Essaouira?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Fez and Essaouira can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Fez or Essaouira?
Fez
Fez is the historical capital of Morocco and has one of the country's most impressive and elaborate medinas. It's authentic and traditional atmosphere attracts travelers from all over the world. It's fun to wander the city's elaborate alleyways, sample the food, and soak up the sights and smells. In Fez's medina you'll find donkeys, carts, spices, and pottery. You'll find traditional foods, locals bartering for goods, and religious buildings that date back hundreds of years. The medina is also the world's largest car free urban zone.
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 Hiking & Trekking Tours in Morocco, The Best 10-Day Tours in Morocco, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Morocco, and The Best 2-Week Tours in Morocco.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayFez $54Essaouira $46
The average daily cost (per person) in Fez is $54, 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 Fez and Essaouira in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personFez $29Essaouira $26
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomFez $58Essaouira $52
Compare Hotels in Fez and Essaouira
Looking for a hotel in Fez 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.
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: Fez Hotel Prices and Essaouira Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Fez $5.05Essaouira $2.03
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Fez
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Fez:
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Taxi Ride$2.03
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Fez
Also for Fez, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer from Fes (FES) Airport to Chefchaouen: $296
- Private Transfer Casablanca - Fes / Fes - Casablanca: $295
- One-Way Transfer from Fez to Marrakech: $278
- Transfer Fes Airport to Marrakech: $260
- Transfer Fes to Agadir: $245
- Tangier transfer from Fes via Volubilis and Chefchaouen: $233
- One-Way Transfer from Fez to Tanger via chefchaouen : $223
- From Fez : Private Casablanca Transfer Volubilis and Rabat: $223
- Private transfer fes to Marrakech: $223
- private one-way transfer from Fes to Marrrakech: $222
- Private Transfer : Fez-Marrakech, Marrakech -Fez : $222
- Transfer From Fez To Tangier (Private): $221
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Essaouira
Also for Essaouira, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfert Marrakech to Essaouira Or Essaouira to Marrakech : $106
- Transfert Essaouira to Agadir - Private Agadir to Essaouira : $166
- Transfer from Essaouira to your Riad or Hotel in Marrakech: $166
- Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakech city or Marrakech airport: $111
- Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakech city or Marrakech airport: $119
- Quad day with meal: Sidi M'Barek 6 hours (free transfer): $153
- Quad day with meal: Sidi Kaouki 6 hours (free transfer): $131
- Private transfer Marrakech to Essaouira or Essaouira toMarrakech : $106
- Private Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakesh Menara (RAK) Airport: $130
- Private Transfer Essaouira-Taroudant: $222
- Private Transfer Essaouira-Casablanca: $220
- Private Transfer Essaouira - Rabat: $266
Is it cheaper to fly into Fez or Essaouira?
Prices for flights to both Essaouira and Fez 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 dayFez $19Essaouira $14
Typical Food Prices in Fez
For Fez, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Yogurt$0.61
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Dinner for 2$12
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Fez
For Fez, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Lunch/Dinner with Moroccan family : $28
- Moroccan Romantic Dinner in Fez: $33
- Moroccan Cuisine Fez Cooking Class : $39
- cooking classe in fes with ouliya: $44
- Cooking Class with Bread Workshop and Pastry in Fes: $44
- Unforgettable Cooking Class in Fez : $46
- Cooking Class - Moroccan cuisine: $50
- Moroccan Cooking Class at a Riad in Fez: $55
- Cooking Local Tajine Class in Fez: $55
- Full Day Fes Cooking Class Experience: $60
- Hosted Dinner With Family in Fes, Enjoy Tea and Unique Stories: $60
- Social lunch or dinner with Moroccan familly: $61
Typical Food Prices in Essaouira
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Essaouira:
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Baklava$1.42
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Breakfast Crepes$0.51
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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
- Traditional Moroccan Cooking Class: $44
- l'Atelier - Moroccan Cooking Workshop in Essaouira: $67
- Essaouira Walking Food Tour: $70
- Essaouirra cooking class: $71
- Traditional Family Style Moroccan Cooking Class: $72
- Essaouira Cooking Class: $77
- Essaouira Food Tour: $82
- Essaouira Food Tour: $92
- Berber Cooking Class at a Farm in the Countryside & shopping at a rural Souk.: $98
- 3 hours Camel Ride in Essaouira with Dinner and Overnight in Berber Camp: $173
- 3 Hours Horse Riding with Dinner and Overnight Berber Camp: $175
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Fez $6.33Essaouira $12
Typical Entertainment Prices in Fez
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Fez's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Granary Fee$2.03
Tours and Activities in Fez
For Fez, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Fes to Marrakech via Desert Tour 2 Days 1 Night : $105
- Fez day Tour with Local Guide & driver : $73
- Private Guided Tour of Fes with Pick Up: $44
- walking Tour in the oldest part of Fez (3-4 hours): $33
- 1 night 2 days Desert tour From Fes back to Fes: $100
- 2 Day Private Fez Desert Tour to Merzouga: $216
- 2 Days Desert Tour From Fez To Merzouga Dunes & Camel Trek and back to Fez: $296
- 2 Days Luxury Tour to Merzouga Desert from Fez with Small Group: $255
- 2 Days Luxury camp camel Trekking Experience from Fes to Merzouga: $166
- 2 Days Sahara Group Tour Fez to Marrakech via Merzouga: $133
- 2 Days luxury desert tour from Fes: $288
- 2 days tours from Fez to Fez: $286
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.: $71
- 1-Day Quad Adventure in Essaouira near Marrakech: $185
- 2 Hour Quad & ATV Experience: $59
- 3 Days Tour from Fes to Marrakech via Merzouga with Luxury Camp: $211
- 3-Day Horseback Riding Tour: Beaches and Argan in Essaouira: $475
- Big dunes and atlantic coast tour 2 HOURS: $58
- Discovery Tour around Essaouira by Electric Motorcycle: $108
- Essaouira 2-Hour Camel Adventure Ride: $39
- Essaouira : 1 Hour Quad Bike Tour and 1 Hour Dromedary Ride: $61
- Essaouira : Half-day E-Experience from Mountains to Sea: $158
- Essaouira Guided Tour: 3 on 1 - Nightlife tour, Live like a local & Street food: $66
- Essaouira Sand Dunes: Half Day Quad Bike Tour: $66
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayFez -Essaouira $9.33
Sample the Local Flavors in Fez
Also in Fez, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Full-Day Boutique Winery and Wine Tasting Tour from Fez: $255
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Fez and Essaouira, we can see that Fez is more expensive. And not only is Essaouira much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. 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 Fez would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Fez 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 Fez Expensive? and Is Essaouira Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Fez or Essaouira?
Fez has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Essaouira. When comparing the sizes of Fez 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.
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.