A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Kampala vs. Merzouga for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Kampala or Merzouga?

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

Should I visit Kampala or Merzouga? 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: Kampala or Merzouga?

Kampala

Kampala is the capital of Uganda in the South part of the country near Lake Victoria. It is the largest city in Uganda, with a population of over two million people. This city is very safe and the locals are known to be very kind and approachable.

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 Overlanding Trips in Uganda, The Best Adventure Tours to Uganda, The Best Budget Tours to Morocco, and The Best Luxury Tours to Morocco.


Which place is cheaper, Merzouga or Kampala?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Kampala is $77, while the average daily cost in Merzouga is $22. 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 Kampala and Merzouga in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Kampala $60
    Merzouga $10
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Kampala $120
    Merzouga $20
Compare Hotels in Kampala and Merzouga

Looking for a hotel in Kampala 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.

Hotels in Kampala


Hotels in Merzouga


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: Kampala Hotel Prices and Merzouga Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Kampala $2.54
    Merzouga -
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Kampala

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


  • Taxi around town
    $4.07

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kampala

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Kampala:

  • Entebbe Kampala Airport Transfer: $45
  • Entebbe Airport pickup (Entebbe - Kampala) reliable 24/7 transfer: $48
  • Private Transfer from Kampala to Entebbe Airport (EBB) Uganda: $72
  • Private Transfer from Entebbe Airport (EBB) Uganda to Kampala: $72
  • Entebbe Airport Transfers: $80
  • Full-Day Kampala Trip with Lunch and Hotel Transfers: $200
  • From Entebbe: 3-Day Gorilla Trekking Safari with Transfers: $1,850
  • From 3-Day Murchison Falls Safari with Transfer: $2,200

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Merzouga

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Merzouga:

  • 1 way Errachidia airport transfer: $63
  • Transfer Service From Merzouga to Marrakesh: $32

Is it cheaper to fly into Kampala or Merzouga?

Prices for flights to both Merzouga and Kampala 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
    Kampala $15
    Merzouga $10
Typical Food Prices in Kampala

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


  • Lunch for 2
    $1.63

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Kampala

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

  • Kampala Food Tour (KWT): $26
  • Like a local cooking Tours: $26
  • Three-Hour Food Tour: $41
  • Private Cooking Class with a Local Host: $47
  • Cooking Class With a Local (Kampala, Jinja, Entebbe - 4 Hours): $56
  • Cooking Class Tour Kampala.: $60
  • Momma Ida's Ugandan Cuisine Cooking Tour: $75
  • Kampala City Walking Food Tour: $77
  • Night-time Boda Boda Street Food Tour: $91
  • Fishing Village Food Tour & Luwombo Stop: $102
  • Half-day Kampala City Tour and Traditional Dance Show with Dinner (7-Hours): $147
  • uganda fun time (bed,breakfast, lunch and dinner ) : $154

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Merzouga

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

  • Sunset With Dinner And Berber Music in Merzouga Desert With 4WD : $59
  • Moroccan Berber Pizza Cooking Class in Khamelia: $68
  • 1-Night in the luxury camp. camel ride & Dinner: $74
  • Overnight in Luxury camp with camels dinner: $85
  • 1-Night In Royal Camp With Air Condition & Dinner: $94
  • From Fes: 2-Day Merzouga Desert Trip(Luxury Tent & Dinner): $102
  • Merzouga Desert Tour, Quad Sandboarding Camel Ride & Dinner: $146
  • Quad Biking, Sandboarding, Camel & Sunset Dinner: $146
  • 2 Nights Private Camp in Merzouga with Dinner and Camel Ride: $160

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Kampala -
    Merzouga -

Tours and Activities in Kampala

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

  • Katanga Wandegeya Slum Tour: $4.00
  • Small Group City guided walking tour: $5.00
  • Uganda Community Tour: $15
  • African Fabric Market Tour : $18
  • Amazing Tour Experience with a local: $20
  • Kampala Half-Day Walking Tour with Local Female Guides: $20
  • Guided Walking Tour in Kampala: $22
  • Kampala's walking city Tour Experience : $23
  • Zanzibar City Walking Tour in Stone Town And Lunch.: $24
  • 3-Hour Walking Tour with Optional Gaddafi Mosque: $24
  • City Guided Walking Tour with Kabaka's Palace: $24
  • Kampala City Guided Walking Tour with Kabaka's Palace: $24

Tours and Activities in Merzouga

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

  • Merzouga : Adventure Quad Bike Safari, & Sandboarding: $32
  • Erg Chebbi Dunes Quad Biking Tour: $32
  • Merzouga Excursions 4×4 desert tour : $32
  • Merzouga ATV Quad Desert Tours: $42
  • Private Quad Bike Adventure at Merzouga with Guide: $43
  • Merzouga Desert Quad bike Adventure with Sand boarding: $43
  • Sahara ATv Experience -1.H Quad OR buggy : $43
  • Sanding Ball in Experience the sand dunes on a zorbing activity: $48
  • Extreme Adventure with Harness Zorbing in Merzouga dunes: $49
  • Overnight in Desert Camp Berber Experience in Merzouga Desert & Camel Ride: $51
  • Merzouga : Adventure Quad Bike Safari, & Sandboarding: $51
  • Erg Chebbi Dunes Quad Biking Tour: $53

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Kampala -
    Merzouga -

Sample the Local Flavors in Kampala

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Kampala:

  • Entebbe and club,pub and bar crawl experiences: $35
  • Kampala Pub Crawl | Uganda | 4 hours: $65


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Kampala and Merzouga, we can see that Kampala is more expensive. And not only is Merzouga much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. 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 Kampala would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Kampala 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 Kampala Expensive? and Is Merzouga Expensive?.


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