Which place is cheaper, Novalja or Merzouga?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Merzouga or Novalja?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Merzouga or Novalja, 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 Novalja?
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.
Novalja
Novalja is a Croatian town in the north of the island of Pag in the Adriatic Sea. Novalja is known internationally as party central because of the infamous party beach, Zrce, which boasts 4 clubs open around the clock. The pumping house/techno music and dance parties typically start at around 4 pm and continue well past 2 in the morning. During the summer, many well-known DJs and groups from around the world, including Benni Benassi, Jamie Jones, and Swanky Tunes, host concerts in these nightclubs. Zrce is not just for party-goers though. Many families lay out their towels for a day at the beautiful stone beach. This Novalja beach has cafe-bars and restaurants so you can easily grab a bite to eat or quick drink at your convenience. In addition to Zrce, Novalja offers tourists a number of other gorgeous beaches. Cista and Babe and both are perfect if you're looking for a calmer location. Both of these beaches have a lot less activity than Zrce, making for a relaxing afternoon, and their waters tend to be a bit warmer too.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Tours to Morocco, The Best Luxury Tours to Morocco, The Best 2-Week Tours from Dubrovnik, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Split.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMerzouga $17Novalja $62
The average daily cost (per person) in Merzouga is $17, while the average daily cost in Novalja is $62. 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 Novalja in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMerzouga $10Novalja $34
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMerzouga $20Novalja $68
Compare Hotels in Merzouga and Novalja
Looking for a hotel in Merzouga or Novalja? 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 Novalja Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Merzouga -Novalja $12
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Merzouga
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Merzouga:
- 1 way transfer: $62
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Novalja
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Novalja:
- Private Transfer from Crikvenica to Rijeka Airport (RJK): $74
- Zrce, Private Transfer to/from Zadar Airport: $170
Is it cheaper to fly into Merzouga or Novalja?
Prices for flights to both Novalja 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 $5.92Novalja $21
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Merzouga
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Merzouga.
- One Night in Private Camp in the Sahara Desert in Merzouga with Dinner: $65
- Sunset With Dinner And Berber Music in Merzouga Desert With 4WD : $65
- Day Trip By Camels In Erg Chebbi Dunes, Lunch With Berber Pizza: $76
- Merzouga Orange Dunes ATV Sandsurf Camels with 5 Stars Dinner: $85
- Camel trek with 1 Night in Luxury camp with Dinner+ Sundbording: $87
- 5 Hour Sunset Tour with Camel Ride and Dinner In Desert: $87
- Visit The Nomads, Gnawa Music, Rally In Dunes, Berber Pizza : $104
- Magical Dinner and Camel Trek with 1 Night In Merzouga Luxury Desert Camp: $105
- Overnight in Luxury Camp With camel Trek & Dinner: $107
- From Fes: 2-Day Merzouga Desert Trip(Luxury Tent & Dinner): $124
- From Fes: 2-Day Merzouga Desert Trip w/Luxury Tent & Dinner: $127
- 2 Nights Private Camp in Merzouga with Dinner and Camel Ride: $200
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Merzouga -Novalja $6.48
Tours and Activities in Merzouga
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Merzouga are as follows:
- Camel Ride Experience: $27
- Merzouga Desert Quad bike Adventure with Sand boarding: $38
- Merzouga 4x4 Desert Excursion - Sahara 4WD Adventure: $43
- Merzouga 4x4 Desert Tours & Excursions: $46
- Extreme Adventure with Harness Zorbing in Merzouga dunes: $48
- Merzouga one hour Adventure Tour: $54
- Merzouga 4x4 tour - Excursion around dunes: $54
- Merzouga Experience -1.5h Quad buggy : $55
- Merzouga 4X4 Half-Day Tour with Lunch: $55
- 1 Night Camel Trekking Tour in Merzouga Desert Camp : $60
- From Quad bike tour to the peak of Erg Chebbi dune: $62
- One Hour Sahara Desert Quad Biking tour: $62
Tours and Activities in Novalja
Here are a few actual costs in Novalja for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Bungee Tower Ticket with Zrce Beach Panoramic Views: $32
- From Svetojanj Bike Tour: $47
- Standup Paddleboard Guided Tour: $47
- From Kolan Bike Tour: $47
- From Metajna/Pag Bay Guided Sea Kayaking Tour: $49
- Zrce Booze Cruise - Novalja Boat Party: $52
- Glowing Standup Paddleboard Guided Night Tour: $58
- Pag Island Light-Up Kayak Night Tour: $62
- Kayak and Via Ferrata Adventure: $71
- Zrce Beach Bungee Jumping Experience: $74
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMerzouga -Novalja $7.76
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Merzouga and Novalja, we can see that Novalja is more expensive. And not only is Merzouga much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Merzouga is in Africa and Novalja 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 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 Novalja would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Novalja 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 Novalja 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.