Which place is cheaper, Marrakech or Jaisalmer?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Jaisalmer or Marrakech?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Jaisalmer or Marrakech? 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: Jaisalmer or Marrakech?
Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer is located in western part of the Rajasthan state of India. The city is known as the "Golden City" for its Sonar Qila, or 'Golden Fort'. This fort is different than other forts in India in that it is a living fort, meaning that it contains many hotels, homes, and shops for locals and visitors. The city is very close to the Thar Desert, to which excursions can be made.
Marrakech
Marrakech is on of the most popular travel destinations in Morocco. It is the third largest city in Morocco after Casablanca and Rabat and is located near the foothills of the Atlas Mountains only a few hours from the Sahara Desert. It's a beautiful city that is often referred to as the "Pink City" because of the pale pink color of many of the city's buildings. These striking colors make the city particularly beautiful during the evening hours when the low sun creates a very dramatic lighting.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to India, The Best Sightseeing Tours in India, The Best 10-Day Tours in Morocco, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Morocco.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayJaisalmer $37Marrakech $69
The average daily cost (per person) in Jaisalmer is $37, while the average daily cost in Marrakech is $69. 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 Jaisalmer and Marrakech in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personJaisalmer $13Marrakech $46
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomJaisalmer $26Marrakech $92
Compare Hotels in Jaisalmer and Marrakech
Looking for a hotel in Jaisalmer or Marrakech? 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: Jaisalmer Hotel Prices and Marrakech Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Jaisalmer $12Marrakech $6.30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Jaisalmer
Also for Jaisalmer, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer From Jaisalmer To Udaipur Via Ranakpur Jain Temple: $90
- Private transfer from Jaisalmer to Bikaner: $120
- Private Transfers Jaisalmer To Bikaner Drop: $123
- Private Transfer from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur: $45
- Private Transfer from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur: $37
- Private Transfer From Jaisalmer To Sam Sand Dunes: $19
- Private Transfer From Jaisalmer To Pushkar: $85
- Private Transfer From Jaisalmer To Khuri Sand Dunes: $19
- Private Transfer From Jaisalmer To Jodhpur Via Osian Temple : $45
- Private Transfer From Jaisalmer To Jaipur: $117
- Private Transfer From Jaisalmer To Delhi: $197
- Private Transfer From Jaisalmer To Bikaner: $65
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Marrakech
Also for Marrakech, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer From Marrakech To Fez: $446
- One way transfer from Fes to Marrakech: $362
- Private Transfer between Marrakech and Casablanca: $311
- City to City Transfer - Marrakesh > Merzouga: $300
- Agadir private transfer from Ouirgane to Agadir airport (AGA): $290
- Transfer Marrakech to Tangier: $286
- Private Premium Transfert From / To Marrakech To / From Tangier: $284
- Private Transfer From Casablanca to Marrakesh: $279
- Transfert Departure Marrakech City to Casablanca Airport: $265
- Private Transfer from Marrakech Menara (RAK) Airport to Taroudant: $255
- Essaouira Day Trip From Marrakech With Private Transfers: $253
- Private Premium Transfert From / To Marrakech To / From Meknes: $250
Is it cheaper to fly into Jaisalmer or Marrakech?
Prices for flights to both Marrakech and Jaisalmer 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 dayJaisalmer $13Marrakech $13
Typical Food Prices in Jaisalmer
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Jaisalmer:
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Dinner$4.78
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Jaisalmer
For Jaisalmer, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Half Day SunSet Tour with Dinner: $26
- Jaisalmer Heritage Cultural Walking & Street Food Tour: $28
- Half Day Camel Safari Sunset with Dinner Tour (Non Touristic): $30
- Pleasant Sunset Safari With Dinner On Dunes (From 2:00 PM to Approx. 10:00 PM): $33
- Peaceful Non -Touristic Sunset Camel Safari With Dinner : $35
- Sunset Safari With Dinner: $37
- Half Day Desert Safari with Camel ride & dinner: $42
- Sun Set Safari with Dinner: $45
- 4×4 Jeep Safari And Camel Safari With Dinner On Sand dunes: $48
- Away from the Crowd Dinner on dunes/ In Non Touristic Desert: $55
- DiNnER iN HeVeN /aT Golden Desert of Jaisalmer: $55
- DiNnER !N G0LdEN DE$ERT 0F jASeLMeR: $55
Typical Food Prices in Marrakech
For Marrakech, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Orange Juice on the Square$0.30
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Breakfast$1.20
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Dates$0.60
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Olives$0.90
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Sandwich$1.29
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Souvenir Spices$6.18
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Marrakech
For Marrakech, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Agafay Desert Sunset, Camel Ride and Dinner from Marrakech: $15
- Cooking Lesson at the Ouirgane Ecolodge with Lunch: $19
- Dinner in Agafay desert from Marrakech & camel riding: $19
- Restaurant Dinner Experience with Hotel Pickup: $21
- Dinner and show in Desert Agafay with Quad bike & Camel ride: $22
- Sunset in Agafay: Dinner, Camel, Quad-Book Adventure with Viator: $22
- Agafay desert Sunset Camel ride with Dinner Show: $23
- Magical Dinner & Agafay Desert ,Under The Stars: $24
- Marrakech Amazing Dinner Show in Agafay Desert, Sunset Camel Ride: $24
- Dinner Experience in a Moroccan Restaurant with transfer: $24
- Moroccan Cooking Class with a Local Chef: $24
- From Agafay Desert Sunset Dinner with Live Show: $25
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Jaisalmer $12Marrakech $7.01
Typical Entertainment Prices in Jaisalmer
For Jaisalmer, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Sam Sand Dunes for Two$3.59
Tours and Activities in Jaisalmer
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Jaisalmer.
- Private Full-Day Tour of Jaisalmer with Guide: $33
- 1 Night Desert Experience Sleeping Under Star Near Jodhpur: $56
- 1 night 2 day thar desert experience & village lifestyle: $38
- 2 Days-1 Night Camel Tour: $103
- 2 Nights 3 Days Jaisalmer Tour & Non-Touristic Camel Safari: $210
- 2-Night Desert Experience with Luxury Camp from Jaisalmer: $213
- 3 Days Jaisalmer Private Tour: $180
- 3 Days Jaisalmer Tour From Jodhpur: $270
- 3 days Jaisalmer Private Tour with Desert Safari, Sightseeing and Accommodation: $203
- 3-Day Private Tour of Jaisalmer with Desert Camp Experience: $173
- 4 - Days Jaisalmer And Jodhpur Combo Tour: $180
- 4 - Days Jaisalmer Sightseeing Tour: $168
Typical Entertainment Prices in Marrakech
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Marrakech's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Palace Tickets$1.99
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Golf at Atlas Golf$56
Tours and Activities in Marrakech
For Marrakech, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 10 Hours tour from marrakech to ouarzazate: $44
- 3 Day Private Desert Tour From Marrakech To Merzouga Dunes With Camel Trek: $274
- 3 Days Tour - Marrakech To Fez via Sahara Desert Erg chebbi: $207
- Agafay Desert: Three Valley Guided Tour From Marrakech : $21
- Atlas Mountains &Berber family & berber village experience : $90
- Atlas Mountains Horseback Ride Day Tour From Marrakech : $50
- Atlas Mountains, Berber Villages & Waterfall Tour: $25
- Best Marrakech Private walking tour: $44
- Desert Agafay & Berber Villages Day Tour From Marrakech including Camel Ride: $49
- Desert Thrills: Quad Biking Adventures in Palmeraie Marrakech: $44
- Desert tour small group with luxury tent: $98
- Experience Moroccan Hammam and Massage: $71
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayJaisalmer $9.23Marrakech $15
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Jaisalmer and Marrakech, we can see that Marrakech is more expensive. And not only is Jaisalmer much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Jaisalmer is in Asia and Marrakech 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 Jaisalmer would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Jaisalmer 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 Marrakech would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Marrakech than you might in Jaisalmer.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Jaisalmer Expensive? and Is Marrakech Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Jaisalmer or Marrakech?
Marrakech has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Jaisalmer. When comparing the sizes of Jaisalmer and Marrakech, 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.