A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Kolkata (Calcutta) vs. Essaouira for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Kolkata (Calcutta) or Essaouira?

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

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Kolkata (Calcutta) or Essaouira, 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: Kolkata (Calcutta) or Essaouira?

Kolkata (Calcutta)

Formerly known as Calcutta, Kolkata is the capital of West Bengal, India. Featuring colonial architecture, galleries, temples, and festivals, the city has flourished from its roots as an East India Company trading post in the 18th Century to a thriving metropolis. Today Kolkata is a diverse center of culture and bustling activity.

Essaouira

Essaouira is a beautiful beach town on the Atlantic coast of Morocco. The city has a pleasant medina that has been named a UNESCO World Heritage site and is interesting to explore. It's an 18th century fortified town with a lot of character and charm. The city is rich and culture and you'll find a handful of art galleries throughout the town. The city is also a gathering place for artists and musicians, particularly during the Gnaoua Festival of World Music, which takes place the last week of June. This event attracts about 450,000 visitors yearly.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 4-Week (1-Month) Tours in India, The Best Bicycle Tours in India, The Best 10-Day Tours in Morocco, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Morocco.


Which place is cheaper, Essaouira or Kolkata (Calcutta)?

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

  • Kolkata (Calcutta) Prices
    India Prices
    Essaouira Prices
    Morocco Prices
  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    Kolkata (Calcutta) $42
    Essaouira $60

The average daily cost (per person) in Kolkata (Calcutta) is $42, while the average daily cost in Essaouira is $60. 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 Kolkata (Calcutta) and Essaouira in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Kolkata (Calcutta) $15
    Essaouira $28
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Kolkata (Calcutta) $30
    Essaouira $56
Compare Hotels in Kolkata (Calcutta) and Essaouira

Looking for a hotel in Kolkata (Calcutta) or Essaouira? 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 Kolkata (Calcutta)


Hotels in Essaouira


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: Kolkata (Calcutta) Hotel Prices and Essaouira Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Kolkata (Calcutta) $4.48
    Essaouira $2.14

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kolkata (Calcutta)

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Kolkata (Calcutta):

  • Build Your Own: custom private tour of Kolkata with transfers: $73
  • Departure transfer from Hotel to Airport in Kolkata: $44
  • Kolkata - Arrival transfer from Airport to Hotel: $43
  • Airport Taxi: Round Trip Transfer Between Kolkata & Kolkata Airport CCU: $43
  • Kolkata Airport to Kolkata Hotels drop: Private Transfers: $32

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Essaouira

Also for Essaouira, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Marrakech : Private Transfer from or to Marrakech Airoport: $23
  • Private Transfer from or to Essaouira Airport: $27
  • From Agadir : Day in Essaouira with Transfer: $33
  • Essaouira P1: Quad ride / family & friends (free transfer): $34
  • Essaouira Airport Private Transfer: $34
  • Essaouira P17: Quad ride dunes beaches free transfer.: $34
  • Essaouira P3: Quad and Buggy tour beach dunes free transfer: $34
  • Private Transfer from or to Essaouira Airport: $40
  • Essaouira to Marrakech:Private Transfer for a Hassle-Free Journey: $72
  • Essaouira P13: 2h quad + 2h camel free transfer: $92
  • "Essaouira to Agafay Desert Marrakech: Exclusive Private Transfer: $93
  • Transferts Marrakech à Essaouira ou Essaouira à Marrakech: $98

Is it cheaper to fly into Kolkata (Calcutta) or Essaouira?

Prices for flights to both Essaouira and Kolkata (Calcutta) 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
    Kolkata (Calcutta) $22
    Essaouira $25

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Kolkata (Calcutta)

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Kolkata (Calcutta).

  • Hooghly River Dinner Cruise: $39
  • Bengali Nights Kolkata Food Tour with 13+ Tastings: $39
  • Alleyway Food Tour: $39
  • Food Tour Delights of Kolkata with Aditya: $109

Typical Food Prices in Essaouira

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Essaouira:


  • Baklava
    $1.50
  • Breakfast Crepes
    $0.53
  • Fish for Lunch
    $16

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Essaouira

For Essaouira, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Essaouira Sunset Tour: Sidi M’barek Waterfall,Coastal Walk&Dinner: $47
  • Moroccan cooking class in Essaouira city: $52
  • Essaouira Moroccan Cooking Class Experience: $52
  • Sidi Kaouki Sunset Walk and Berber Tent Dinner by Atlantic: $52
  • Al Aaila Farm Moroccan Natural And Healthy Cooking Experience: $58
  • Essaouira Family Dinner Experience: $65
  • Essaouira Street Food Tour: $69
  • l'Atelier - Moroccan Cooking Workshop in Essaouira: $70
  • Essaouira Walking Food Tour: $70
  • Essaouira Cooking Class: $76
  • 3 hours Camel Ride in Essaouira with Dinner and Overnight in Berber Camp: $213
  • 3 Hours Horse Riding with Dinner and Overnight Berber Camp: $216

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Kolkata (Calcutta) $13
    Essaouira $13

Tours and Activities in Kolkata (Calcutta)

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Kolkata (Calcutta) are as follows:

  • Audio Guided Tour of Pathuriaghata – Finding the Tagores, Kolkata: $6.12
  • Calcutta Contrast Tour: $43
  • Capturing the City of Joy; Full Day Kolkata Street Photography Tour: $85
  • Chasing The Sun Experience Kolkata's Culture: $35
  • Cultural Confluence of Kolkata - Culture Kaleidoscope Tour: $38
  • Explore Kolkata: Private 1-Day and 2-Day Tour Options: $93
  • Festivals of Calcutta walking Tour : Durga Puja/ Diwali Kali Puja: $85
  • Flower Market Colors and Ganges Ghat Experience: $30
  • Full Day Pilgrimage Tour of Ganga Sagar from Kolkata: $100
  • Gangasagar Pilgrimage Day Tour from Kolkata: $138
  • Guided Kolkata Sightseeing Trip by Car, Walk & Sunset Cruise Excursion Trip: $96
  • Hello Calcutta Walk Tour: $20

Tours and Activities in Essaouira

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Essaouira.

  • Essaouira to Marrakech Supratours bus tickets: $18
  • Essaouira Camel Ride, Quad Bike & Buggy Adventure: $22
  • Scenic Horseback Adventure Along Essaouira’s Beaches: $25
  • Sunset Horse Ride Experience in Essaouira: $34
  • 1 Hour Quad Bike Adventure in Essaouira desert: $34
  • Essaouira P6: Cape Sim quad bike tour: $34
  • Quad Adventure in 1 Hour: $34
  • Essaouira Experience Bike Quad: $41
  • Essaouira 2-Hour Camel Adventure Ride: $41
  • Wingfoil Experience in Essaouira with Bleuryde Watersports: $50
  • 2 Hours Dromedary Ride Tour in Essaouira Morocco: $52
  • Essaouira Dar Sultan Palace Horseback Tour Experience: $52

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Kolkata (Calcutta) $7.25
    Essaouira $9.82


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

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Kolkata (Calcutta) Expensive? and Is Essaouira Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Kolkata (Calcutta) or Essaouira?

Kolkata (Calcutta) has a larger population, and is about 70 times larger than the population of Essaouira. When comparing the sizes of Kolkata (Calcutta) and Essaouira, 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.