A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Ios vs. Ouarzazate for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Ios or Ouarzazate?

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

Should I visit Ios or Ouarzazate? 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: Ios or Ouarzazate?

Ios

Ios is an island in the south of Greece, located in the Cyclades group of islands in the Mediterranean Sea. It is a peaceful beach getaway by day, and a lively party scene by night. While its main town is the hub for nightlife, it is also a charming place during the day, typical of a traditional Greek village with shops and cafes against a backdrop of whitewashed buildings and turquoise waters.

Ouarzazate

Morocco can be quite an energetic country, but if you're looking for more of a quiet getaway, consider Ouarzazate. Small by Moroccan standards, this town is built up mostly around a main street – the Avenue Mohammad V. Ouarzazate. The name "Ouarzazate" comes from the Berber language meaning "without noise" or "without confusion." It was once a crossroad for a African traders traveling to northern cities in Morocco and Europe. Today, Ouarzazate is the largest town in the Moroccan Sahara, and its central location serves as a good home base touring the rest of Morocco.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Greece, The Best 3-Day Tours in Greece, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Morocco, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Morocco.


Which place is cheaper, Ouarzazate or Ios?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Ios is €91, while the average daily cost in Ouarzazate is €40. 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 Ios and Ouarzazate in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Ios 39
    Ouarzazate 20
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Ios 78
    Ouarzazate 40
Compare Hotels in Ios and Ouarzazate

Looking for a hotel in Ios or Ouarzazate? 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 Ios


Hotels in Ouarzazate


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: Ios Hotel Prices and Ouarzazate Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Ios 16
    Ouarzazate 3.17

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ios

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Ios:

  • 1-Way Private Helicopter Transfer to the Greek Islands: $2,417

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Ouarzazate

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


  • Taxi Ride
    1.87

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ouarzazate

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Ouarzazate:

  • Ouarzazate Airport: Private Transfer: $41
  • "Ouarzazate to Marrakech: Your Comfortable Private Transfer": $107
  • Private Transfer from Marrakech to Dades Gorges: $187
  • Private Transfer between Ouarzazate & Marrakech: $309

Is it cheaper to fly into Ios or Ouarzazate?

Prices for flights to both Ouarzazate and Ios 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
    Ios 33
    Ouarzazate 15

Typical Food Prices in Ouarzazate

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Ouarzazate:


  • Dinner for Two
    10

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ouarzazate

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Ouarzazate.

  • Oases Fint Tour With Dinner: $65

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Ios 26
    Ouarzazate 9.88

Tours and Activities in Ios

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Ios are as follows:

  • Ios Island Trekking Tours: Discover Ios Unexplored: $27
  • Ios Island: Speedboat Cruise from Mylopotas Beach: $52
  • 4-Hour Cruise of the Best Beaches: $63
  • From RIB Boat Trip to Sikinos Island and Winery Tour: $84
  • Electric Bike Tour Chora to Homer's Tomp: $109
  • Electric Bike Tour Chora to Diaseli Cheesery: $109
  • 5 -6 Hour Private Chora E-Bike Tours: $131
  • Private Orienteering Experience in Mylopotas: $163

Tours and Activities in Ouarzazate

Here are a few actual costs in Ouarzazate for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Ait-Ben-Haddou - City Tour: $22
  • Royal Private Tour of Ksar Ait Ben Haddou: $22
  • 1 Hour Horse Riding Adventure in Ait Ben Haddou: $26
  • Private Quad Experience in the Ouarzazate Desert: $57
  • Marrakech day tour to Ouzoud falls: $73
  • 3-Day Desert Adventure: Ouarzazate to Merzouga: $100
  • From Marrakech : Merzouga 3 day desert tour with camel ride: $103
  • Private One Day Tour AIT BENHADDOU and TELOUET via Ouarzazate: $109
  • From Marrakech: 3 Days Desert Tour To Erg Chebbi Merzouga: $116
  • From marrakech : 3 Days Luxury Desert Tour To Merzouga: $116
  • Private tour Ait Ben Haddou - Ouarzazate. Lunch included.: $119
  • 3 days group tour from Marrakech to Merzouga desert: $125

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Ios 33
    Ouarzazate -

Sample the Local Flavors in Ios

Also in Ios, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Bar Crawl Ios Ticket in Cyclades: $38


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ios and Ouarzazate, we can see that Ios is more expensive. And not only is Ouarzazate much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Ios is in Europe and Ouarzazate 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 Ouarzazate would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Ouarzazate 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 Ios would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Ios than you might in Ouarzazate.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Ios Expensive? and Is Ouarzazate Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Ios or Ouarzazate?

Ouarzazate has a larger population, and is about 30 times larger than the population of Ios. When comparing the sizes of Ios and Ouarzazate, 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.