A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Marrakech vs. Playa de las Americas for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Marrakech or Playa de las Americas?

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

Should I visit Marrakech or Playa de las Americas? 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 Playa de las Americas?

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.

Playa de las Americas

If you are looking to escape your life - to relax on a modern day pleasure island, then you need to book a trip to the Playa de las Americas resort town. Located on the south coast of Tenerife, this party, beach, and vacation capital never goes to sleep. Packed with nightclubs, bars, live music, shops and restaurants, Playa de las Americas is the stuff Hollywood movies are made of.

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 One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Barcelona, and The Best 10-Day Tours from Madrid.


Which place is cheaper, Playa de las Americas or Marrakech?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Marrakech is $69, while the average daily cost in Playa de las Americas is $209. 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 Playa de las Americas in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Marrakech $46
    Playa de las Americas $123
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Marrakech $92
    Playa de las Americas $246
Compare Hotels in Marrakech and Playa de las Americas

Looking for a hotel in Marrakech or Playa de las Americas? 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 Marrakech


Hotels in Playa de las Americas


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 Playa de las Americas Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Marrakech $6.30
    Playa de las Americas $60

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Marrakech

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

  • Private Transfer From Marrakech To Fez: $444
  • One way transfer from Fes to Marrakech: $361
  • Private Transfer between Marrakech and Casablanca: $309
  • Agadir private transfer from Ouirgane to Agadir airport (AGA): $290
  • Agadir and Marrakech airport transfer : $290
  • Transfer Marrakech to Tangier: $286
  • Private Transfer From Casablanca to Marrakesh: $278
  • Agadir private transfer from Imlil to Agadir airport (AGA): $271
  • Private Transfer From Marrakech To Agadir Or Agadir To Marrakech : $268
  • Transfert Departure Marrakech City to Casablanca Airport: $265
  • City to City Transfer - Marrakesh > MHamid: $260
  • Private Transfer from Marrakech Menara (RAK) Airport to Taroudant: $255

Is it cheaper to fly into Marrakech or Playa de las Americas?

Prices for flights to both Playa de las Americas 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Marrakech $13
    Playa de las Americas $48
Typical Food Prices in Marrakech

For Marrakech, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Orange Juice on the Square
    $0.30
  • Breakfast
    $1.20
  • Dates
    $0.60
  • Olives
    $0.90
  • Sandwich
    $1.29
  • 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
  • Online Moroccan Cooking Class: $17
  • Cooking Lesson at the Ouirgane Ecolodge with Lunch: $19
  • Restaurant Dinner Experience with Hotel Pickup: $21
  • Sunset in Agafay: Dinner, Camel, Quad-Book Adventure with Viator: $22
  • Dinner Show in Agafay Desert with Quad Bike & Camels: $22
  • Typical Moroccan Dinner at the inhabitant in Marrakech: $22
  • Marrakesh: Agafay Desert Sunset Dinner with a Show and Transfers : $22
  • Dinner Show Under stars in Agafay Desert with Sunset Camel Ride: $22
  • Dinner in Desert Marrakech and Camel ride at Sunset: $23
  • Magical Dinner & Agafay Desert ,Under The Stars: $24
  • Moroccan Cooking Class with a Local Chef: $24

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Marrakech $7.01
    Playa de las Americas $32
Typical Entertainment Prices in Marrakech

Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Marrakech's activities, tours, and tickets:


  • Palace Tickets
    $1.99
  • 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 Sahara Desert Tour From Marrakech ending in Fez city: $251
  • 3 Days Tour - Marrakech To Fez via Sahara Desert Erg chebbi: $207
  • Agafay Desert: Three Valley Guided Tour From Marrakech : $21
  • Atlas Mountains Horseback Ride Day Tour From Marrakech : $50
  • Atlas Mountains, Berber Villages & Waterfall Tour: $25
  • City Tour Marrakech with guide 1/2 day: $21
  • Desert Agafay & Berber Villages Day Tour From Marrakech including Camel Ride: $49
  • Desert tour small group with luxury tent: $98
  • Food Tasting Tour in Marrakech medina : $70
  • Full Day Desert Agafay & Atlas Mountains Tour With Camel Ride : $48
  • Full Day Guided Tour in Ouzoud Waterfalls : $30

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Marrakech $15
    Playa de las Americas $9.18


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


Which is Bigger, Marrakech or Playa de las Americas?

Marrakech has a larger population, and is about 280 times larger than the population of Playa de las Americas. When comparing the sizes of Marrakech and Playa de las Americas, 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.