Which place is cheaper, Essaouira or Marrakech?
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 Marrakech or Essaouira?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Marrakech or Essaouira? 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: Marrakech or Essaouira?
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.
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 10-Day Tours in Morocco, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Morocco, The Best 2-Week Tours in Morocco, and Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Morocco.
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Marrakech Prices
Morocco PricesEssaouira Prices
Morocco Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMarrakech $102Essaouira $61
The average daily cost (per person) in Marrakech is $102, while the average daily cost in Essaouira is $61. 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 Marrakech and Essaouira in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMarrakech $58Essaouira $28
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMarrakech $116Essaouira $56
Compare Hotels in Marrakech and Essaouira
Looking for a hotel in Marrakech 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.
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: Marrakech Hotel Prices and Essaouira Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Marrakech $14Essaouira $2.18
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Marrakech
Also for Marrakech, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer Essaouira - Lmlil: $283
- Private Transfer from Marrakech Menara (RAK) Airport to Taroudant: $275
- Essaouira Day Trip From Marrakech With Private Transfers: $272
- From Marrakech : Private Transfer to Fes: $261
- Private transfer from marrakech to casablanca airport or center city: $259
- Agadir private transfer from Marrakech to Agadir airport (AGA): $254
- Private Transfer from Marrakech To Casablanca Airport: $252
- Private Taxi Transfer from Marrakech to Fes: $251
- One Way transfer from Marrakech to Rabat: $250
- Private Transfer To or From Taghazout– Marrakech: $250
- Private Transfer Marrakech to Casablanca City or Airport: $248
- Private Transfer from Marrakech Menara (RAK) Airport to Casablanca: $245
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Essaouira
Also for Essaouira, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- private transfer essaouira to casablanca or casablanca-essaouira: $289
- Transferts Marrakech à Essaouira ou Essaouira à Marrakech: $99
- Transfert Marrakech to Essaouira Or Essaouira to Marrakech: $113
- Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakech city or Marrakech airport: $126
- Private transfer Marrakech airpot - Essaouira: $118
- Private transfer Essaouira Taroudant.: $200
- Private transfer Essaouira Safi.: $111
- Private transfer Essaouira Ouarzazate.: $237
- Private Transfer from Marrakech to Essaouira 1 to 4 people: $109
- Private Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakesh Menara (RAK) Airport: $138
- Private Transfer Essaouira-Agadir: $130
- From Agadir : Day in Essaouira with Transfer: $33
Is it cheaper to fly into Marrakech or Essaouira?
Prices for flights to both Essaouira and Marrakech 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 dayMarrakech $29Essaouira $26
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$0.33
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Breakfast$1.31
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Dates$0.65
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Olives$0.98
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Sandwich$1.41
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Souvenir Spices$6.75
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: $7.08
- Marrakech Cooking Class in Ourika Valley: Garden Lunch & Pool: $9.60
- Agafay Desert Marrakech Quad dinner and show DE feu: $11
- Agafay Desert Sunset Dinner with Camel Ride & Moroccan Live Show: $12
- Morocco's Top Cooking Classes For Authentic berber Cuisine in the Atlas Mountain: $13
- Agafay Desert Camel Ride Sunset Dinner and Live Moroccan Show: $13
- Agafay Desert Dinner with Camel Ride from Marrakech Sunset Tour: $13
- Desert Agafay Marrakech Sunset Camel Ride, Dinner Sw Hotel Pickup: $14
- Marrakech Agafay Desert Camel Ride, Dinner and Fire Show: $14
- Best Agafay Desert Quad Bike, Camel Ride & Dinner Show: $14
- Agafay Desert, Camel Ride, Dinner & Fire Show: $14
- Agafay Desert Quad Biking & Camel Ride & Dinner & Show: $15
Typical Food Prices in Essaouira
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Essaouira:
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Baklava$1.52
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Breakfast Crepes$0.54
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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:
- Agadir Cooking Class Experience with Local Market Visit: $31
- Traditional Moroccan Cooking Class: $39
- Cooking class: How To Be a Real Moroccan Chef: $41
- Essaouira Sunset Tour: Sidi M’barek Waterfall,Coastal Walk&Dinner: $48
- Moroccan cooking class in Essaouira city: $53
- Al Aaila Farm Moroccan Natural And Healthy Cooking Experience: $59
- Essaouira Family Dinner Experience: $66
- Essaouira Street Food Tour: $70
- Essaouira Walking Food Tour: $70
- l'Atelier - Moroccan Cooking Workshop in Essaouira: $71
- 3 Hours Horse Riding with Dinner and Overnight Berber Camp: $218
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Marrakech $11Essaouira $13
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$2.18
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Golf at Atlas Golf$62
Tours and Activities in Marrakech
For Marrakech, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- "Mogador Camel Expedition Ecotour | Private & Luxury: $195
- 1-day private tour from Marrakech to Kasbah Ait Benhaddou & Telouet: $142
- 1-night Atlas Mountain Experience from Marrakech with Hike and Camel Ride: $130
- 1/2 Day: Quad tour in the palm grove of Marrakech: $34
- 2 - Day Marrakech to Zagora Desert Tour Camel Trek & Overnight Camp: $130
- 2 Day Check-out Tour from Marrakech to Zagora: $80
- 2 Day Desert Tour From Marrakech To Zagora Marrakech Desert Tours: $149
- 2 Day Tour from Marrakech to Essaouira and Taghazout Agadir Coast: $300
- 2 Day Zagora Adventure from Marrakech Quad Biking and Camel Ride: $281
- 2 Day Zagora Tour from Marrakech Including the Atlas Mountains, Camel Trek and Desert Camp: $271
- 2 Day in Atlas Mountains Tour from Marrakech: $150
- 2 Days / 1 Night Zagora Desert Tour , Group & private: $114
Tours and Activities in Essaouira
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Essaouira.
- 1 Day Horseback Riding Tour with Overnight Stay in Berber Tent: $295
- 1 Hour Quad Bike Adventure in Essaouira desert: $32
- 1-Day Quad Adventure in Essaouira near Marrakech: $209
- 1-hour buggy tour in Essaouira desert (2 places/buggy): $78
- 2 – Hours Quad Bike Adventure in Essaouira Desert with Moroccan Tea: $55
- 2 Hours Dromedary Ride Tour in Essaouira Morocco: $53
- 2-Hours Buggy Adventure in Essaouira desert (2 places per buggy): $93
- 3-Days Desert Tour From Fes to Marrakech: $200
- 3H Buggy Adventure – Dunes, Ocean & Sunset Ride: $235
- Beginners surf experience in Essaouira: $34
- Big Cap Sim dunes and forest 3 hours tour.: $75
- Big dunes and atlantic coast tour 2 HOURS: $61
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMarrakech $10Essaouira $10
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
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Marrakech and Essaouira, we can see that Marrakech is more expensive. And not only is Essaouira much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Essaouira would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Essaouira 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 Essaouira.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Marrakech Expensive? and Is Essaouira Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Marrakech or Essaouira?
Marrakech has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Essaouira. When comparing the sizes of Marrakech 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.
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.