Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Merzouga?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Merzouga or Cape Town?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Merzouga or Cape Town, 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: Merzouga or Cape Town?
Merzouga
Let's say you want to truly get away. I don't mean putting your ear buds in on some beach with a stronger on the next chair over. I mean really get away, and find yourself deserted. Merzouga, Morocco lets you do just that. This land of sand dune after sand dune is ideal for anyone yearning to ride a camel to the ends of civilization. And you'll find plenty of options to get here with a tour, or even on your own.
Cape Town
Picture your travel bucket list. Is Cape Town on it? Yes, most people dream of visiting the "Mother City" of South Africa. As one of the most iconic places in the world, Cape Town is a world-class cosmopolitan city full of bustling nightlife, historical backdrops and a large gay community.
Cape Town is the most southern city in Africa with seasons turned upside down. In the southern hemisphere they experience the summer from December to February. During these months days can be hot and dry so be sure to gather in the shade and wear plenty of sunscreen. The winter from June to August is full of rainy days and cold nights.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Tours to Morocco, The Best Luxury Tours to Morocco, The Best 10-Day Tours in South Africa, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in South Africa.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMerzouga $18Cape Town $106
The average daily cost (per person) in Merzouga is $18, while the average daily cost in Cape Town is $106. 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 Merzouga and Cape Town in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMerzouga $11Cape Town $42
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMerzouga $22Cape Town $84
Compare Hotels in Merzouga and Cape Town
Looking for a hotel in Merzouga or Cape Town? 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: Merzouga Hotel Prices and Cape Town Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Merzouga -Cape Town $19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Merzouga
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Merzouga:
- From Fez: Merzouga Transfer with Scenic Stops: $45
- 1 way Errachidia airport transfer: $64
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cape Town
Also for Cape Town, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfers: $12
- 24 hour Private Airport Shuttle and Transfer: $18
- Airport Transport Shuttle Transfer to Claremont Cape Town : $18
- Airport Transport Shuttle Transfer to Camps Bay Cape Town: $19
- Airport Transfer (Cape Town ) Bus: $19
- Airport transfers to and from Cape Town City center. : $21
- Hotel to airport transfers from Cape Town to Cape Town International Airport: $22
- Private Airport Transfers: $22
- Airport transfers: $24
- Cape Town Airport Transfers To and From the Hotels : $24
- Cape Town Airport Transfers to Camps Bay: $24
- Cape Town Airport Transfers: $24
Is it cheaper to fly into Merzouga or Cape Town?
Prices for flights to both Cape Town and Merzouga 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 dayMerzouga $6.13Cape Town $45
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Merzouga
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Merzouga.
- Merzouga Orange Dunes ATV Sandsurf Camels with 5 Stars Dinner: $28
- Camel trek with 1 Night in Luxury camp with Dinner+ Sundbording: $45
- Berber Cooking Class in the Desert: $49
- One Night in Private Camp in the Sahara Desert in Merzouga with Dinner: $57
- Sunset With Dinner And Berber Music in Merzouga Desert With 4WD : $62
- 1-Night in the luxury camp. camel ride & Dinner: $70
- Overnight in Luxury Camp With camel Trek & Dinner: $95
- Magical Dinner and Camel Trek with 1 Night In Merzouga Luxury Desert Camp: $105
- 1-Night In Royal Camp With Air Condition & Dinner: $113
- From Fes: 2-Day Merzouga Desert Trip(Luxury Tent & Dinner): $129
- Merzouga Desert Tour, Quad Sandboarding Camel Ride & Dinner: $150
- 2 Nights Private Camp in Merzouga with Dinner and Camel Ride: $200
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cape Town
For Cape Town, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- African Cooking with a Chef Founder: $30
- Cape Malay Cooking Class in Bo-Kaap: $44
- 3-Hour Malay Cooking Class & Lunch in Bo-Kaap: $47
- Authentic African Cuisine Cooking Experience: $59
- Sunset Champagne Cruise and 3-Course Dinner: $61
- Bo-Kapp Walking Tour and Malay Cooking Class: $64
- African Dinner, Drumming Experience with Transfer: $65
- From CapeTown: African Dinner and Drumming Experience: $66
- Authentic African Cuisine Cooking Experience: $67
- Cooking Class and Wine Tasting in a Cape Town Home in Wynberg : $80
- South African Cooking Class in Cape Town with a Local Family: $82
- Private Authentic Cape Malay Cooking Class in Manenberg with Locals: $92
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Merzouga -Cape Town $25
Tours and Activities in Merzouga
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Merzouga are as follows:
- Berber Experience Private Sahara Desert Day Trip: $84
- Overnight Sahara Tours luxury camp : $68
- Private Desert Tour and Visit to Nomadic Families: $102
- 1 Hour Merzouga Desert Buggy Experience: $145
- 1 Hour Merzouga Desert Quad Biking Tour & Sandboarding: $67
- 1 Night Camel Trekking Tour in Merzouga Desert Camp : $62
- 2 Hours Merzouga Desert Quad Bike Adventure: $134
- 2 hours Merzouga Dunes ATV Rental - Desert Quad Biking Tour: $117
- 2-Day Desert Tour with Return to Marrakech: $190
- 2-Days Merzouga tour from Errachidia: $150
- 3 Day Merzouga and Sahara Desert Tour: $112
- 3 Days Private Desert Tour in Merzouga with ATV and Sandboarding : $272
Tours and Activities in Cape Town
For Cape Town, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Skip the Line: District Six Museum Admission Ticket: $3.82
- District Six Museum Skip-the-Line Entrance Ticket: $4.00
- 30 Minute Harbour Boat Cruise with Seal Watching: $4.09
- Cape Town 30-minute V&A Harbour Cruise: $4.41
- Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Ticket (One way Down): $4.66
- Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Ticket (One way Up): $4.66
- V&A Waterfront: Seal & Harbour Cruise: $5.00
- Sea Point Promenade: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.13
- Muizenberg to Kalk Bay: Amble along the amazing False Bay Coast on an audio tour: $5.20
- The Village in the City: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Bo-Kaap: $5.34
- Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens: A Self-guided Audio Tour: $5.34
- Slavery in the Cape: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Cape Town's Slave History: $5.40
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMerzouga -Cape Town $22
Sample the Local Flavors in Cape Town
Also in Cape Town, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Experience South African Craft Rum tasting and distillery tour in Cape Town: $10
- African drum show & wine tasting at Silvermist: $21
- Wine Tasting & Storytelling with SA Tapas add-on: $30
- From 3 Regions Wine Tour with 3 Estates, 15 Wines: $44
- Wine Tour: Paarl, Franschhoek & Stellenbosch incl 3 wineries: $44
- half day wine tour & Safaris[Morning /Afternoon]: $47
- Three Region Wine Tour: $47
- Stellenbosch: Half-Day Wine Tour: $52
- Stellenbosch, Franschhoek & Paarl 5 Wine Tasting Tour small group: $53
- Stellenbosch Franschhoek & paarl 20 Wine Tasting small grp tour : $53
- From CapeTown: Stellenbosch Half Day Wine Tour: $55
- Fullday Wine Tour: $56
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Merzouga and Cape Town, we can see that Cape Town is more expensive. And not only is Merzouga much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Merzouga would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Merzouga 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 Cape Town would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cape Town than you might in Merzouga.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Merzouga Expensive? and Is Cape Town Expensive?.
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.