A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Messina vs. Ouarzazate for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Messina or Ouarzazate?

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

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Messina and Ouarzazate 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: Messina or Ouarzazate?

Messina

Messina is a city in the northwest area of Sicily. There are only five kilometers across the Straits of Messina to the Calabria region of mainland Italy. You can reach Messina by boats which travel every hour from the town of Villa San Giovanni in mainland Italy. There are also a couple of hydrofoils that make the trip every day from Reggio di Calabria. During the summer season don't be surprised to see cruise ships arriving with crowds of tourists. They are usually docked right downtown and are therefore hard to miss. Messina is also connected to mainland Italy by train, which are transported across the Straits of Messina by ferry.

Ouarzazate

Morocco can be quite an energetic country, but if you're looking for more of a quiet getaway, consider Ouarzazate. Small by Moroccan standards, this town is built up mostly around a main street – the Avenue Mohammad V. Ouarzazate. The name "Ouarzazate" comes from the Berber language meaning "without noise" or "without confusion." It was once a crossroad for a African traders traveling to northern cities in Morocco and Europe. Today, Ouarzazate is the largest town in the Moroccan Sahara, and its central location serves as a good home base touring the rest of Morocco.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Italy, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Italy, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Morocco, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Morocco.


Which place is cheaper, Ouarzazate or Messina?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Messina is €118, while the average daily cost in Ouarzazate is €40. 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 Messina and Ouarzazate in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Messina 65
    Ouarzazate 20
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Messina 130
    Ouarzazate 40
Compare Hotels in Messina and Ouarzazate

Looking for a hotel in Messina or Ouarzazate? 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 Messina


Hotels in Ouarzazate


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: Messina Hotel Prices and Ouarzazate Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Messina 22
    Ouarzazate 3.17

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Messina

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Messina:

  • From Private Air-Conditioned Transfer to Taormina: $99

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Ouarzazate

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Ouarzazate are as follows:


  • Taxi Ride
    1.87

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ouarzazate

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Ouarzazate:

  • "Ouarzazate to Marrakech: Your Comfortable Private Transfer": $107
  • Ouarzazate Airport: Private Transfer: $41
  • Private Transfer between Ouarzazate & Marrakech: $309
  • Private Transfer from Marrakech to Dades Gorges: $187

Is it cheaper to fly into Messina or Ouarzazate?

Prices for flights to both Ouarzazate and Messina 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
    Messina 37
    Ouarzazate 15

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Messina

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Messina.

  • Private Home Cooking Demo with a Four-Course Meal: $112
  • Cesarine: Dining & Cooking Demo at Local's Home in Messina: $115
  • Market Tour & Lunch/Dinner at a Cesarina's Home: $149
  • Messina Private Home Cooking Class: $155
  • Home Cooking Class & Meal with a Local in Messina: $158
  • Market Tour, Private Home Cooking Class and Dinner: $202

Typical Food Prices in Ouarzazate

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Ouarzazate:


  • Dinner for Two
    10

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ouarzazate

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Ouarzazate.

  • Oases Fint Tour With Dinner: $65

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Messina 21
    Ouarzazate 9.88

Tours and Activities in Messina

Here are a few actual costs in Messina for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Alfotour 2/3 hour tour with swimming stop: $32
  • 2,5-Hour Messina Walking Tour: $46
  • Guided City Highlights Walking Tour: $47
  • The Godfather Movie Tour from Messina: $84
  • Messina Taormina: cultural heritage experience: $85
  • Messina and Taormina City Tour from Messina - Private tour: $87
  • Taormina Shore Excursion from Messina - Shared tour: $87
  • Taormina and Castelmola Tour from Messina: $98
  • 3-Hour Messina Segway PT Authorized Tour: $118
  • Full Day Taormina and Castelmola Tour with Messina Shore Excursion: $120
  • Etna Alcantara tour: the majestic lava landscape : $126
  • Taormina and Castelmola: Private tour: $149

Tours and Activities in Ouarzazate

Here are a few actual costs in Ouarzazate for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Ait-Ben-Haddou - City Tour: $22
  • Royal Private Tour of Ksar Ait Ben Haddou: $22
  • 1 Hour Horse Riding Adventure in Ait Ben Haddou: $26
  • Private Quad Experience in the Ouarzazate Desert: $57
  • Marrakech day tour to Ouzoud falls: $73
  • 3-Day Desert Adventure: Ouarzazate to Merzouga: $100
  • From Marrakech : Merzouga 3 day desert tour with camel ride: $103
  • Private One Day Tour AIT BENHADDOU and TELOUET via Ouarzazate: $109
  • From Marrakech: 3 Days Desert Tour To Erg Chebbi Merzouga: $116
  • From marrakech : 3 Days Luxury Desert Tour To Merzouga: $116
  • Private tour Ait Ben Haddou - Ouarzazate. Lunch included.: $119
  • 3 days group tour from Marrakech to Merzouga desert: $125

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Messina 18
    Ouarzazate -


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Messina and Ouarzazate, we can see that Messina is more expensive. And not only is Ouarzazate much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Messina is in Europe and Ouarzazate is in Africa, 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 Ouarzazate would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Ouarzazate 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 Messina would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Messina than you might in Ouarzazate.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Messina Expensive? and Is Ouarzazate Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Messina or Ouarzazate?

Messina has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Ouarzazate. When comparing the sizes of Messina and Ouarzazate, 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.

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