A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Marrakech vs. Puerto del Carmen for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Marrakech or Puerto del Carmen?

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

Should I visit Marrakech or Puerto del Carmen? 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 Puerto del Carmen?

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.

Puerto del Carmen

Located on the south-eastern coast of the Canary Island of Lanzarote, Puerto del Carmen is a popular resort area best known for its high concentration of bars, pubs, restaurants, and clubs. By day, visitors frequent the beaches for swimming, sunbathing, windsurfing, and other watersports - and by night, they flock to enjoy the live music and drinks of the area's thriving nightlife.

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


Which place is cheaper, Puerto del Carmen 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 Puerto del Carmen is $185. 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 Puerto del Carmen in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Marrakech $46
    Puerto del Carmen $105
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Marrakech $92
    Puerto del Carmen $210
Compare Hotels in Marrakech and Puerto del Carmen

Looking for a hotel in Marrakech or Puerto del Carmen? 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 Puerto del Carmen


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 Puerto del Carmen Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Marrakech $6.30
    Puerto del Carmen $41

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Marrakech

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

  • transfers from Marrakech to Fez (Airport or city/Door to Door): $231
  • transfer from Marrakech to Fez Airport or city: $231
  • Transfert privé vers ou depuis RAK aéroport: $13
  • Transfert de l'aéroport de Marrakech à la ville: $22
  • Transfert Privée Aéroport Marrakech vers Essaouira : $98
  • Transfert Departure Marrakech City to Casablanca Airport: $265
  • Transfert Aeroport Marrakech Votre Porte a marrakech: $13
  • Transfer from Marrakech to Casablanca airport: $27
  • Transfer from Marrakech to Casa-Airport or Casa-Airport to Marrakech: $152
  • Transfer from Marrakech to Agadir or from agadir to marrakech: $164
  • Transfer from Marrakech city or Marrakech Airport to Essaouira: $93
  • Transfer from Marrakech airport to the whole city: $11

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto del Carmen

Also for Puerto del Carmen, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Lanzarote : Parasailing activity with hotel transfer: $102

Is it cheaper to fly into Marrakech or Puerto del Carmen?

Prices for flights to both Puerto del Carmen 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
    Puerto del Carmen $55
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
    Puerto del Carmen $18
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
    Puerto del Carmen $64


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Marrakech and Puerto del Carmen, we can see that Puerto del Carmen 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 Puerto del Carmen 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 Puerto del Carmen would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Puerto del Carmen 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 Puerto del Carmen Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Marrakech or Puerto del Carmen?

Marrakech has a larger population, and is about 30 times larger than the population of Puerto del Carmen. When comparing the sizes of Marrakech and Puerto del Carmen, 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.