Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Ouarzazate?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Ouarzazate or Cape Town?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Ouarzazate and Cape Town 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: Ouarzazate or Cape Town?
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.
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 Family-Friendly Tours to Morocco, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Morocco, The Best Camping Tours in South Africa, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in South Africa.
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Ouarzazate Prices
Morocco PricesCape Town Prices
South Africa Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayOuarzazate $59Cape Town $189
The average daily cost (per person) in Ouarzazate is $59, while the average daily cost in Cape Town is $189. 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 Ouarzazate and Cape Town in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personOuarzazate $23Cape Town $88
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomOuarzazate $46Cape Town $176
Compare Hotels in Ouarzazate and Cape Town
Looking for a hotel in Ouarzazate 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: Ouarzazate Hotel Prices and Cape Town Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Ouarzazate $3.68Cape Town $19
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Ouarzazate
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Ouarzazate are as follows:
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Taxi Ride$2.17
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ouarzazate
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Ouarzazate:
- Private transfer from Ouarzazate to Ait Ben Haddou (round Trip): $80
- Private Transfert Between Marrakech & Ouarzazate: $187
- Private Ouarzazate Airport Transfer: $30
- Ouarzazate Airport: Private Transfer: $46
- Ouarzazate Airport Transfer: $29
- "Ouarzazate to Marrakech: Your Comfortable Private Transfer": $119
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cape Town
Also for Cape Town, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- 1-4 Passenger Arrival & Departure Cape Town - Airport Transfers: $61
- 1-4 Passenger Cape Town - Airport Transfer: $31
- AIRPORT Transfer to and from Cape Town City: $17
- Afternoon Tea and Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens with Transfer: $156
- Airport Transfer (Cape Town ) Bus: $49
- Airport Transfer (Cape Town ) Bus: $20
- Airport Transfer (Cape Town): $61
- Airport Transfer from Cape Town International: $37
- Airport Transfer: Airport CPT to Cape Town by Luxury Car: $115
- Airport Transfers Cape Town: $62
- Airport Transfers to and from Cape Town International Airport: $37
- Airport and Hotel Transfer: $44
Is it cheaper to fly into Ouarzazate or Cape Town?
Prices for flights to both Cape Town and Ouarzazate 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 dayOuarzazate $30Cape Town $81
Typical Food Prices in Ouarzazate
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Ouarzazate:
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Dinner for Two$12
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ouarzazate
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Ouarzazate.
- Private Berber Cooking Class at Fint Oasis with Lunch: $59
- Private Moroccan Cooking Classes in Ouarzazate: $61
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: $32
- From African Dinner and Drumming Experience: $62
- Authentic African Cuisine Cooking Experience: $63
- Cape Town Dinner Experience with local family: $67
- Private Indonesian & Cape Malay Cultural Cooking Class: $75
- South African Cooking Class in Cape Town with a Local Family: $82
- African Dinner Experience from Cape Town: $86
- Cape Town African Taste-Safari & Live Entertainment Dinner Experience: $94
- Cape Town Historic Centre Food Tour with 15 Local Dishes and Wine: $97
- Private Cape Malay Cooking Class in Lorette’s Cape Town Home: $100
- Cape town Dinner Restaurant African Food With Live Music: $108
- Cape Malay/Creole Cooking Class and Local Shopping in Salt River: $112
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Ouarzazate $11Cape Town $26
Tours and Activities in Ouarzazate
Here are a few actual costs in Ouarzazate for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 1 Hour Horse Riding Adventure in Ait Ben Haddou: $26
- 3 Days Group Tour from Marrakech to Merzouga Desert: $117
- 3-Day Desert Adventure: Ouarzazate to Merzouga: $151
- 3-Day Sahara Desert Adventure From Ouarzazate to Erg Chegaga: $502
- 7 night 8 day Casablanca morocco tour via merzouga: $2,048
- Ait-Ben-Haddou - City Tour: $23
- Casablanca: 6 Days Tour Blue City, Fes, Desert & Marrakech: $1,195
- Desert Adventure in Skoura: $35
- From 2-Day Erg Lihdoui and Mhamid Desert Tour: $385
- From 3 Days tour though Merzouga & Dades: $410
- From 3-Day Merzouga to Erg Chebbi Tour: $495
- From Todra Gorges and 1000 Casbahs Road Day Tour: $158
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: $4.05
- Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Ticket (One way Down): $4.94
- Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Ticket (One way Up): $4.96
- Half Hour Seal and Harbour Cruise from Cape Town: $4.98
- Kirstenbosch Gardens: An Audio Tour by Botany Expert: $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
- Slavery in the Cape: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Cape Town's Slave History: $5.40
- Cape Town live guided Urban Safari: Inner City Tour: $5.63
- Cape Town Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $5.70
- Hop-On Hop-Off Cape Town Canal Cruise: $5.94
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayOuarzazate -Cape Town $23
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: $14
- Craft Gin Tasting Experience and Distillery Tour: $15
- Urban Wine Tasting: $31
- Cape Town Hop- On Hop -Off Tour and Groot Constantia Wine Tasting: $34
- Indigenous Food and Wine Tasting: $38
- Cape Point, Penguins & Wine Tasting In Constantia Full Day Tour: $47
- Cape Town Wine Tour: 3 Wineries — Babylonstoren, Fairview & Spier: $48
- Wine Tour at Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, and Paarl: $48
- Wine Tour: Paarl, Franschhoek & Stellenbosch incl 3 wineries: $56
- Uncork the Cape : Stellenboch Half Day Wine Tour: $56
- From CapeTown: Stellenbosch Half Day Wine Tour: $58
- Full-Day Stellenbosch Wine Tasting Tour: $60
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ouarzazate and Cape Town, we can see that Cape Town is more expensive. And not only is Ouarzazate much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. 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 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 Ouarzazate.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Ouarzazate Expensive? and Is Cape Town Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Ouarzazate or Cape Town?
Cape Town has a larger population, and is about 60 times larger than the population of Ouarzazate. When comparing the sizes of Ouarzazate and Cape Town, 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.