Which place is cheaper, Merzouga or Istanbul?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Istanbul or Merzouga?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Istanbul or Merzouga, 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 Merzouga?
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.
Merzouga
Let's say you want to truly get away. I don't mean putting your ear buds in on some beach with a stronger on the next chair over. I mean really get away, and find yourself deserted. Merzouga, Morocco lets you do just that. This land of sand dune after sand dune is ideal for anyone yearning to ride a camel to the ends of civilization. And you'll find plenty of options to get here with a tour, or even on your own.
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.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayIstanbul $126Merzouga $17
The average daily cost (per person) in Istanbul is $126, while the average daily cost in Merzouga is $17. 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 Merzouga in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personIstanbul $47Merzouga $10
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomIstanbul $94Merzouga $20
Compare Hotels in Istanbul and Merzouga
Looking for a hotel in Istanbul or Merzouga? 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: Istanbul Hotel Prices and Merzouga Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Istanbul $55Merzouga -
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Istanbul
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Istanbul are as follows:
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Ferry$0.09
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Local Bus$0.09
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Istanbul
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Istanbul:
- Princes' Islands Tour with Lunch and Transfers: $13
- Private Transfer from Istanbul Hotels to Istanbul Cruise Port: $19
- Istanbul City to Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW)-Departure Private Transfer: $20
- Airport - Otel Transfer and City Tours: $20
- Private One-Way New Istanbul Airport Transfer To/From Istanbul: $21
- Istanbul Hotels to Istanbul Ataturk Airport (ISL) - Departure Private Transfer: $22
- Istanbul Airport (SAW) to Istanbul - Arrival Private Transfer: $22
- Istanbul to Istanbul Airport (SAW) - Departure Private Transfer: $22
- Istanbul Airport Private Transfers: $22
- Princes' Islands Cruise w/Music, Lunch & Transfer: $24
- Istanbul Airport VIP/ULTRA VIP Transfer, Free WIFI: $25
- Private Transfer from Istanbul Hotels to Istanbul Cruise Port: $26
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Merzouga
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Merzouga:
- 1 way transfer: $62
Is it cheaper to fly into Istanbul or Merzouga?
Prices for flights to both Merzouga 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
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Food Meals for one dayIstanbul $31Merzouga $5.92
Typical Food Prices in Istanbul
Some typical examples of dining costs in Istanbul are as follows:
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Juice$0.06
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Turkish Delight$0.02
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Dessert$0.26
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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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Merzouga
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Merzouga.
- One Night in Private Camp in the Sahara Desert in Merzouga with Dinner: $65
- Sunset With Dinner And Berber Music in Merzouga Desert With 4WD : $65
- Merzouga Orange Dunes ATV Sandsurf Camels with 5 Stars Dinner: $85
- Camel trek with 1 Night in Luxury camp with Dinner+ Sundbording: $87
- Visit The Nomads, Gnawa Music, Rally In Dunes, Berber Pizza : $98
- Magical Dinner and Camel Trek with 1 Night In Merzouga Luxury Desert Camp: $105
- Overnight in Luxury Camp With camel Trek & Dinner: $107
- From Fes: 2-Day Merzouga Desert Trip(Luxury Tent & Dinner): $124
- From Fes: 2-Day Merzouga Desert Trip w/Luxury Tent & Dinner: $127
- 2 Nights Private Camp in Merzouga with Dinner and Camel Ride: $200
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Istanbul $79Merzouga -
Typical Entertainment Prices in Istanbul
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Istanbul are as follows:
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Bosphurus Boat (for 2)$0.62
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Yerebatan Cistern for Two$0.62
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Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts for Two$0.31
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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
Tours and Activities in Merzouga
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Merzouga are as follows:
- Camel Ride Experience: $27
- Merzouga Desert Quad bike Adventure with Sand boarding: $38
- Merzouga 4x4 Desert Excursion - Sahara 4WD Adventure: $43
- Merzouga ATV Quad Desert Tours: $43
- Merzouga 4x4 Desert Tours & Excursions: $46
- Extreme Adventure with Harness Zorbing in Merzouga dunes: $48
- Merzouga one hour Adventure Tour: $55
- Merzouga 4x4 tour - Excursion around dunes: $55
- Merzouga Experience -1.5h Quad buggy : $55
- Merzouga 4X4 Half-Day Tour with Lunch: $55
- 1 Night Camel Trekking Tour in Merzouga Desert Camp : $60
- From Quad bike tour to the peak of Erg Chebbi dune: $62
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayIstanbul $15Merzouga -
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 Merzouga, we can see that Istanbul is more expensive. And not only is Merzouga much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Istanbul is in Europe and Merzouga 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 Merzouga would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Merzouga 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 Merzouga.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Istanbul Expensive? and Is Merzouga Expensive?.
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.