Which place is cheaper, Santiago de Compostela or Merzouga?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Merzouga or Santiago de Compostela?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Merzouga or Santiago de Compostela, 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 Santiago de Compostela?
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.
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is the capital city of northwest Spain's Galicia region. Its famous cathedral marks the culmination of the Way of Saint James pilgrimage route, and is the alleged burial site of the apostle himself. The pilgrimage route begins in the Pyrenees, 500 miles away, though travelers can decide to join the journey at certain points in between, depending on how far they want to walk and how much they want to see.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Tours to Morocco, The Best Luxury Tours to Morocco, The Best 3-Week Tours in Spain, and The Best Bicycle Tours in Spain.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMerzouga $17Santiago de Compostela $97
The average daily cost (per person) in Merzouga is $17, while the average daily cost in Santiago de Compostela is $97. 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 Santiago de Compostela in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMerzouga $10Santiago de Compostela $40
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMerzouga $20Santiago de Compostela $80
Compare Hotels in Merzouga and Santiago de Compostela
Looking for a hotel in Merzouga or Santiago de Compostela? 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 Santiago de Compostela Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Merzouga -Santiago de Compostela $41
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Merzouga
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Merzouga:
- 1 way transfer: $62
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santiago de Compostela
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Santiago de Compostela:
- Departure Private Transfer Santiago de Compostela to SCQ Airport by Business Car: $38
- Airport Transfer Santiago de Compostela: $45
- Santiago de Compostela Private Transfer from the city centre to SCQ Airport: $51
- Santiago de Compostela Private Transfer from the city centre to SCQ Airport: $51
- Santiago de Compostela Private Transfer from SCQ Airport to City centre: $51
- Airport transfer Santiago de Compostela: $71
- Santiago de Compostela Private Transfer to SCQ Airport by Van: $91
- Arrival Private Transfer Santiago de Compostela Airport to City Center by Minivan: $91
Is it cheaper to fly into Merzouga or Santiago de Compostela?
Prices for flights to both Santiago de Compostela 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 $5.92Santiago de Compostela $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
- Merzouga Orange Dunes ATV Sandsurf Camels with 5 Stars Dinner: $85
- Camel trek with 1 Night in Luxury camp with Dinner+ Sundbording: $87
- Visit The Nomads, Gnawa Music, Rally In Dunes, Berber Pizza : $98
- 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
Typical Food Prices in Santiago de Compostela
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Santiago de Compostela:
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Raspberries$3.75
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Ice Cream$2.14
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Cookie$1.07
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Kebab$7.77
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Dinner & Tapas (for 2)$29
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Tuna Empanada$3.75
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Fruit Shake$3.75
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Crepe$4.29
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Merzouga -Santiago de Compostela $41
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 ATV Quad Desert Tours: $43
- Merzouga 4x4 Desert Tours & Excursions: $46
- Extreme Adventure with Harness Zorbing in Merzouga dunes: $48
- Merzouga one hour Adventure Tour: $55
- Merzouga 4x4 tour - Excursion around dunes: $55
- 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
Tours and Activities in Santiago de Compostela
Here are a few actual costs in Santiago de Compostela for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Old Town of Santiago de Compostela Walking Tour: $1.09
- Secrets of A Self-Guided Tour: $9.99
- Secrets of Private Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.99
- Old town walking tour with an Official Guide: $11
- Guided Tour of the Old Town with an Official Guide: $11
- Hostal de los Reyes Católicos Tour: $13
- Land of Legends & Meigas Night Tour: $13
- Night Tour Land of Legends and Meigas: $13
- Queimada Experience Show and Tasting: $16
- Museum Tour of Galician Culture: $16
- Santiago: Cathedral & Museum Tour & Pórtico of Glory Option: $16
- Santiago de Compostela Cathedral and Museum Guided Tour: $16
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMerzouga -Santiago de Compostela $24
Typical Alcohol Prices in Santiago de Compostela
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Santiago de Compostela from other travelers:
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1 Pint Beer$2.14
Sample the Local Flavors in Santiago de Compostela
Also in Santiago de Compostela, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Cheese and Wine Tasting Experience: $31
- Cheese and Wine Tasting Experience: $32
- Albariño Wine Tasting with Winery Tour: $33
- Premium Porto Santiago Compostela tour lunch & wine tasting: $214
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Merzouga and Santiago de Compostela, we can see that Santiago de Compostela 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 Santiago de Compostela 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 Santiago de Compostela would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Santiago de Compostela 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 Santiago de Compostela 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.