Which place is cheaper, Marrakech or Meknes?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Meknes or Marrakech?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Meknes and Marrakech can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Meknes or Marrakech?
Meknes
So you love a bustling nightlife with fine restaurants and meaningful historical buildings, but you hate all the tourists. Well, it maybe time to visit Meknes, Morocco. Since most travelers head straight to Fez, that leaves Meknes relatively untouched and remains free of the usual hassles that plague other major destinations.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Morocco, The Best Cultural Tours in Morocco, The Best Budget Tours to Morocco, and The Best Luxury Tours to Morocco.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMeknes $46Marrakech $69
The average daily cost (per person) in Meknes is $46, while the average daily cost in Marrakech is $69. 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 Meknes and Marrakech in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMeknes $26Marrakech $46
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMeknes $52Marrakech $92
Compare Hotels in Meknes and Marrakech
Looking for a hotel in Meknes or Marrakech? 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: Meknes Hotel Prices and Marrakech Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Meknes $1.46Marrakech $6.30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Marrakech
Also for Marrakech, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer From Marrakech To Fez: $447
- Private Transfer From Fez To Marrakech: $447
- One way transfer from Fes to Marrakech: $363
- Private Transfer between Marrakech and Casablanca: $308
- City to City Transfer - Marrakesh > Merzouga: $300
- Private Transfer From Casablanca to Marrakesh: $280
- Private Premium Transfert From / To Marrakech To / From Merzouga: $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
- Transfer Marrakech to Fes: $255
- Private Transfer from Safi to Casablanca (CMN) Airport: $253
Is it cheaper to fly into Meknes or Marrakech?
Prices for flights to both Marrakech and Meknes 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 dayMeknes $14Marrakech $13
Typical Food Prices in Meknes
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Meknes:
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Popcorn$0.20
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Spices$2.49
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Meknes
For Meknes, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Fes Medina :Grocery shopping & cooking Class with Fatima: $96
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$0.30
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Breakfast$1.20
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Dates$0.60
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Olives$0.90
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Sandwich$1.29
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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:
- Magical dinner in agafay desert with camel ride: $19
- Marrakech desert: Agafay Desert Sunset Dinner Show: $21
- Restaurant Dinner Experience with Hotel Pickup: $21
- All-inclusive Dinner and camel ride experience in Agafay desert : $22
- Dinner Show in Agafay Desert with Quad Bike & Camels: $22
- Typical Moroccan Dinner at the inhabitant in Marrakech: $22
- Sunset in Agafay: Dinner, Camel, Quad-Book Adventure with Viator: $22
- Desert Dinner, Camel Ride, Sunset & Show: $23
- Dinner in Desert Marrakech and Camel ride at Sunset: $23
- Moroccan Cooking Class with a Local Chef: $24
- From Agafay Desert Sunset Dinner with Live Show: $25
- From Camel Ride Sunset Dinner and Show Desert: $26
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Meknes $3.55Marrakech $7.01
Tours and Activities in Meknes
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Meknes.
- Fes Volubilis Tour: $46
- From Fez: Volubilis, Moulay Idriss and Meknes Full Day Tour: $18
- From Rabat: Volubilis and Meknes Full-day Tour: $259
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$1.99
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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:
- 3 Day Private Desert Tour From Marrakech To Merzouga Dunes With Camel Trek: $271
- 3 Days Tour - Marrakech To Fez via Sahara Desert Erg chebbi: $205
- Agafay Desert: Three Valley Guided Tour From Marrakech : $21
- Atlas Mountains, Berber Villages & Waterfall Tour: $25
- Best Marrakech Private walking tour: $29
- Biking Tour in atlas Mountain day trip form Marrakech : $140
- City Tour Marrakech with guide 1/2 day: $20
- Desert Agafay & Berber Villages Day Tour From Marrakech including Camel Ride: $49
- 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 : $29
- Full day tour Ourika Valley And Atlas Mountains : $60
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMeknes $2.62Marrakech $15
Typical Alcohol Prices in Meknes
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Meknes:
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Bottle of Wine$4.58
Sample the Local Flavors in Marrakech
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Marrakech:
- Bar Crawl with Local Guide & Drinks: $28
- Moroccan wine tasting workshop in Marrakech: $70
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Meknes and Marrakech, we can see that Marrakech is more expensive. And not only is Meknes much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Meknes would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Meknes 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 Meknes.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Meknes Expensive? and Is Marrakech Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Meknes or Marrakech?
Marrakech has a larger population, and is about 54% larger than the population of Meknes. When comparing the sizes of Meknes and Marrakech, 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.