Which place is cheaper, Marrakech or Johannesburg?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Johannesburg or Marrakech?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Johannesburg and Marrakech 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: Johannesburg or Marrakech?
Johannesburg
Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa with a population of over 3 million people. Most of the population is made up of South Africa's black residents, who predominately reside in the Soweto area. There are approximately half a million white residents and 300,000 residents of other descent. Half of the population live in the Soweto area as well as the nearby suburbs.
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 South Africa, The Best Eco Tours in South Africa, The Best 10-Day Tours in Morocco, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Morocco.
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Johannesburg Prices
South Africa PricesMarrakech Prices
Morocco Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayJohannesburg $122Marrakech $100
The average daily cost (per person) in Johannesburg is $122, while the average daily cost in Marrakech is $100. 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 Johannesburg and Marrakech in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personJohannesburg $62Marrakech $57
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomJohannesburg $124Marrakech $114
Compare Hotels in Johannesburg and Marrakech
Looking for a hotel in Johannesburg 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: Johannesburg Hotel Prices and Marrakech Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Johannesburg $18Marrakech $13
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Johannesburg
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Johannesburg:
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Taxi Ride$3.68
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Johannesburg
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Johannesburg:
- Van for 1-7 Passengers Johannesburg - Airport Transfer: $58
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in Johannesburg HTL-APT (JNB): $51
- Suncity Transfer: $213
- Shuttle and Transfers to Johannesburg and Pretoria: $77
- Private Van Airport Transfers : Johannesburg, Sandton, Pretoria: $48
- Private Transfer: Tambo Airport JNB to Johannesburg by Luxury Van: $80
- Private Transfer: Tambo Airport JNB to Johannesburg by Luxury Car: $115
- Private Transfer: Johannesburg to Tambo Airport JNB in Sedan Car: $74
- Private Transfer: Johannesburg to Tambo Airport JNB in Luxury Van: $80
- Private Transfer: Johannesburg to Tambo Airport JNB in Luxury Car: $109
- Private Transfer to Sun City Resort from Johannesburg: $234
- Private Transfer in Johannesburg OR Tambo and Lanseria: $18
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Marrakech
Also for Marrakech, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer privé depuis ou vers l'aéroport marrakech: $5.00
- Marrakech TAXI Airport privâtes Transfer: $5.00
- Marrakech Airport Transfer: $5.01
- Private Transfer to Marrakech Menara Airport: $6.08
- Transfer from Al Madina Airport: $6.19
- Marrakech airport transfer to Hotel: $6.96
- Private Transfer in Marrakech Airport and City: $6.96
- Private transfer to or from Marrakech airport: $7.00
- Private Transfer To/From Marrakech Airport: $7.21
- Private Airport Transfer to or from Marrakech Menara Airport RAK: $7.42
- Private Marrakech Airport Transfer – Fast & Reliable Pickup 24/7: $8.00
- Transfers between Menara Airport and Marrakesh: $8.12
Is it cheaper to fly into Johannesburg or Marrakech?
Prices for flights to both Marrakech and Johannesburg 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 dayJohannesburg $33Marrakech $28
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Johannesburg
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Johannesburg.
- Joburg street food tour in it's oldest suburb!: $78
- Zulu Food Cooking & Dining Experience with a local Chef: $85
- Pan-African Cooking & Dinning Experience: $96
- Johannesburg Culture and Food Tour: $98
- Zulu Food Cooking and Dining Experience with a local Chef: $109
- Johannesburg Culture and food tour: $111
- Lesedi Cultural Village Tour with Lunch or Dinner: $122
- Lesedi Cultural Village with lunch or dinner cultural food: $133
- Pan African Cooking Class & Dinning Experience: $134
- Soweto Township Tour With African food tour: $145
- Rooftop Bar, Dinner and Clubbing (Amapiano): $217
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$0.32
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Breakfast$1.28
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Dates$0.64
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Olives$0.96
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Sandwich$1.38
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Souvenir Spices$6.63
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Marrakech
For Marrakech, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Magical Dinner in Agafay Desert with a Sunset Camel Ride: $6.96
- Agafay Sunset Camel Ride & Dinner Under the Stars from Marrakech: $8.29
- Excursion from Marrakech to Agafay desert Quad Camel dinner show: $12
- Camel Ride and Sunset & Dinner Show in Agafay Desert: $12
- Morocco's Top Cooking Classes For Authentic berber Cuisine in the Atlas Mountain: $13
- Desert Agafay Marrakech Sunset Camel Ride, Dinner Sw Hotel Pickup: $14
- Agafay Desert Quad Bike Camel Ride and Dinner Show: $14
- Agafay Desert Camel Ride with Moroccan Dinner and Fire Show: $14
- Agafay Desert Quad Biking & Camel Ride & Dinner & Show: $15
- Marrakech : Desert Agafay Sunset, Camel Ride, Dinner Show: $15
- MARRAKECH QUAD BIKE : Sunset & Dinner Show & Camel Desert: $15
- Agafay Desert, Camel Ride, Dinner & Fire Show: $15
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Johannesburg $24Marrakech $11
Tours and Activities in Johannesburg
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Johannesburg are as follows:
- 2 Day Kruger Glamping Budget Adventure: $487
- 2-Day Kruger National Park Safari Tour from Johannesburg: $1,010
- 5 Days 4 Nights Safari Tour In Madikwe And Pilanersbeg: $2,402
- 6 Days Johannesburg and Kruger National Park Tour: $1,737
- Aerial cableway Hartebeespoort Halfday tour: $160
- African Food Tasting Tour: $73
- Amapiano & Afrobeats Nightlife Experience in Johannesburg: $113
- Ann Van Dyk Cheetah Centre Tour from Johannesburg or Pretoria: $204
- Apartheid Museum & Soweto Tour: $133
- Apartheid Museum & Soweto Tour with Hotel Pickup: $85
- Apartheid Museum Guided Tour: $77
- Apartheid Museum Tour: $58
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$2.14
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Golf at Atlas Golf$60
Tours and Activities in Marrakech
For Marrakech, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 3 Days Desert Tour From Marrakech & Back, Share & private: $3.48
- 3 Days Merzouga Sahara Desert Tour from Marrakech to Fes: $5.00
- Marrakech Audioguided walking tour 2h45 and 21 reviews: $6.84
- Atlas Mountains Ourika Valley Guided Tour From Marrakech: $6.96
- Tea and Moroccan Stories cultural experience Marrakech: $6.96
- Skip the Line: Woven History Museum Ticket - musée Histoire Tissée: $7.14
- Marrakech Airport to Hotel – Your Premium Arrival Experience: $8.35
- Navigate Marrakech Effortlessly, Your Digital Tour Guide Anytime: $10
- Small group to Atlas Mountains 4valleys;Waterfulls and camel Ride experience: $10
- Ourika Valley Waterfalls Hike & Berber Villages Tour + Lunch: $11
- Atlas Mountains Day Trip from Small-Group Tour: $11
- Tuk Tuk Marrakech Private Tour with Pickup & Audio Guide Ride: $12
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayJohannesburg $5.37Marrakech $10
Sample the Local Flavors in Johannesburg
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Johannesburg:
- Wine Tasting Experience in Johannesburg: $9.14
- Wine Tasting: $12
- Wine Tasting and Cableway Half Day Tour: $157
Sample the Local Flavors in Marrakech
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Marrakech:
- Marrakech Nightlife Adventure: The Ultimate Pub Crawl: $25
- Private Vineyard Day from Marrakech Wine Tasting and City Tour: $128
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Johannesburg and Marrakech, we can see that Johannesburg is more expensive. And not only is Marrakech much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Marrakech would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Marrakech 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 Johannesburg would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Johannesburg than you might in Marrakech.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Johannesburg Expensive? and Is Marrakech Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Johannesburg or Marrakech?
Johannesburg has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Marrakech. When comparing the sizes of Johannesburg 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.