A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Istanbul vs. Ait Ben Haddou for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Istanbul or Ait Ben Haddou?

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

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Istanbul or Ait Ben Haddou, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.

Where Should I go: Istanbul or Ait Ben Haddou?

Istanbul

Istanbul is strategically located on the Bosphorus and is split between Europe and Asia. It truly is a city where east meets west. Istanbul is the cultural and financial hub of Turkey, and also the most populous city. The sites are countless and there's something for everybody, whether you're interested in art, music, food, or adventure. You can pass many days exploring both the residential and commercial pockets of this city. Much of the appeal is hidden away along back alleys or within corner shops.

Ait Ben Haddou

Think of a time when you've seen Jerusalem in a movie. Chances are what you're really looking at is the traditional, mud brick city of Ait Ben Haddou, Morocco. This city on the edge of the High Atlas Mountains has been an UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987, and has also been seen in movies like Lawrence of Arabia, Orson Welles' Sodom and Gomorrah, Jesus of Nazareth, the French version of Cleopatra, Bertolucci's Sheltering Sky, Scorsese's Kundun, Gillies MacKannon's Hideous Kinky, Ridley Scott's Gladiator, Oliver Stone's Alexander the Great, and in some scenes from Game of Thrones.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours in Turkey, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Turkey, The Best Budget Tours to Morocco, and The Best Luxury Tours to Morocco.


Which place is cheaper, Ait Ben Haddou or Istanbul?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Istanbul is $126, while the average daily cost in Ait Ben Haddou is $70. 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 Istanbul and Ait Ben Haddou in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Istanbul $47
    Ait Ben Haddou $25
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Istanbul $94
    Ait Ben Haddou $50
Compare Hotels in Istanbul and Ait Ben Haddou

Looking for a hotel in Istanbul or Ait Ben Haddou? 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 Istanbul


Hotels in Ait Ben Haddou


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: Istanbul Hotel Prices and Ait Ben Haddou Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Istanbul $55
    Ait Ben Haddou $29
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Istanbul

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


  • Ferry
    $0.09
  • Local Bus
    $0.09

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Istanbul

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Istanbul:

  • Istanbul Airport Transfer by Private Minivan + Meet & Greet Service: $85
  • Istanbul Cruise Port(Galataport) Private Transfer Service: $35
  • Saw Sabiha Gokcen Airport Transfers for Old City & Taksim Hotels: $55
  • 1-Way Private Transfer to/from Sabiha Gokcen Airport: $75
  • Airport - Otel Transfer and City Tours: $20
  • Airport Istanbul Private Transfer IST or SAW Airport : $34
  • Airport transfer Istanbul: $46
  • Arrival & Departure Private Transfer in Istanbul: $43
  • Arrival Private Transfer: New Airport IST to Istanbul in Luxury Van: $70
  • Bursa Uludağ Mountain Tour From Istanbul w/Lunch & Hotel Transfer: $35
  • CARPEDIEM : SABIHA GOKCEN AIRPORT LUXURY TRANSFER (Arrival/Departure): $45
  • Daily Green Bursa Tour with Cable Car & Transfer from Istanbul: $73

Is it cheaper to fly into Istanbul or Ait Ben Haddou?

Prices for flights to both Ait Ben Haddou and Istanbul 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
    Istanbul $31
    Ait Ben Haddou $23
Typical Food Prices in Istanbul

Some typical examples of dining costs in Istanbul are as follows:


  • Juice
    $0.06
  • Turkish Delight
    $0.02
  • Dessert
    $0.26
  • Pastries
    $0.05

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Istanbul

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

  • Bosphorus Dinner Cruise with Turkish Night Show from Istanbul: $16
  • Bosphorus Dinner Cruise & Show with Private Table: $17
  • Dinner Cruise and Entertainment with Private Table: $17
  • Bosphorus Dinner Cruise , Unlimited Drinks, & Show: $21
  • Bosphorus Luxury Catamaran Cruise with Dinner Show: $25
  • Bosphorus Dinner Cruise and Turkish Night Show: $26
  • Bosphorus Boat Cruise with Dinner & Entertainment: $27
  • Istanbul Bosphorus Dinner Cruise with Unlimited Drinks and Shows: $28
  • Dinner Cruise Bosphorus with Hotel Transfer: $28
  • Istanbul Bosphorus Dinner Cruise and Turkish Night Show: $29
  • Half Day Sunset Luxury Yacht Dinner Cruise Tour in Istanbul: $29
  • 3 Hour Ottoman Dinner Cruise in Istanbul : $29

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Istanbul $79
    Ait Ben Haddou $28
Typical Entertainment Prices in Istanbul

Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Istanbul are as follows:


  • Bosphurus Boat (for 2)
    $0.62
  • Yerebatan Cistern for Two
    $0.62
  • Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts for Two
    $0.31
  • Hagia Sofia entrance
    $0.93

Tours and Activities in Istanbul

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

  • App self-guided tours Istanbul with multilingual audioguide: $2.14
  • First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.21
  • City Tour with Audio Guide in your smartphone: $5.35
  • Highlights Self Guided Scavenger Hunt & Tour: $5.35
  • Hagia Sophia Exclusive Digital Audio Guided Tour: $5.35
  • City Exploration Game and Tour: $6.42
  • Istanbul Outdoor Escape Game: The Royal Adventure: $7.08
  • Istanbul in a day: A Self-Guided Audio Tour in English: $7.87
  • Daytime or Sunset Sightseeing Cruise & Audio Guide: $8.06
  • Hippodrome and Blue Mosque Guided Tour: $8.73
  • Bosphorus Sightseeing Cruise with Audio Guide: $9.62
  • The Royal Adventure Highlights Exploration Game: $11

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Istanbul $15
    Ait Ben Haddou $6.12

Sample the Local Flavors in Istanbul

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Istanbul:

  • Istanbul Pub Crawl Big Nightout . Rooftop parties,party Bus & Nightlife: $22
  • Istanbul 7-Hour Pub Crawl: Big Night Out: $27
  • Famous Istanbul Pub Crawl #1 Nightlife Experience: $27
  • Party Pub Crawl with Party Bus: $29
  • Wine Tasting Experience in Istanbul : $50
  • Istanbul Wine Tasting at Home with Local Family: $80
  • 2-Day Wine Tasting Tour along the Thracian Wine Route: $180
  • Istanbul Private Wine Tasting Tour Through 3 City Wineries : $245
  • Istanbul Private and Guided, Food and Wine Tasting Tour: $430
  • Luxury Wine Tasting on a Private Yacht: $844


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

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