Which place is cheaper, Marrakech 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 Marrakech?
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 Marrakech 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 Marrakech?
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.
Marrakech
Marrakech is on of the most popular travel destinations in Morocco. It is the third largest city in Morocco after Casablanca and Rabat and is located near the foothills of the Atlas Mountains only a few hours from the Sahara Desert. It's a beautiful city that is often referred to as the "Pink City" because of the pale pink color of many of the city's buildings. These striking colors make the city particularly beautiful during the evening hours when the low sun creates a very dramatic lighting.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Morocco, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Morocco, The Best 10-Day Tours in Morocco, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Morocco.
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Ouarzazate Prices
Morocco PricesMarrakech Prices
Morocco Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayOuarzazate $55Marrakech $94
The average daily cost (per person) in Ouarzazate is $55, while the average daily cost in Marrakech is $94. 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 Marrakech in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personOuarzazate $22Marrakech $54
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomOuarzazate $44Marrakech $108
Compare Hotels in Ouarzazate and Marrakech
Looking for a hotel in Ouarzazate or Marrakech? 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 Marrakech Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Ouarzazate $3.43Marrakech $13
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Ouarzazate
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Ouarzazate are as follows:
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Taxi Ride$2.02
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ouarzazate
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Ouarzazate:
- Private transfer from Ouarzazate to Ait Ben Haddou (round Trip): $79
- Private Transfert Between Marrakech & Ouarzazate: $187
- Private Transfer from Marrakech to Dades Gorges: $190
- Private Ouarzazate Airport Transfer: $30
- Ouarzazate to Merzouga Private Transfer via Todra Gorge: $149
- Ouarzazate to Marrakech Private Transfer: $117
- Ouarzazate Airport: Private Transfer: $46
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Marrakech
Also for Marrakech, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- "Marrakech to El Jadida: Private Transfer for Your Comfort": $115
- "Marrakech to Rabat: Enjoy a Private Transfer with Ease": $172
- Agadir private transfer from Imouzzer Ida Ou Tanane to Agadir airport (AGA): $110
- Agafay Camel Ride, Pool & Lunch with Hotel Transfers: $23
- Agafay Desert Luxury Private Lunch with 4x4 Transfer: $172
- Agafay Desert Pool Day with Camel Ride, Lunch & Hotel Transfer: $33
- Agafay Desert Pool Day, Moroccan Lunch & Transfers from Marrakech: $29
- Agafay Desert Tour with Private Breakfast and Transfer Included: $252
- Airport & City Transfer Marrakech to Casablanca | Private: $115
- Airport Taxi Transfers Marrakech: $17
- Airport Transfer Ride: $21
- Airport transfer Transfer to your hotel in Marrakech: $29
Is it cheaper to fly into Ouarzazate or Marrakech?
Prices for flights to both Marrakech 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 $28Marrakech $27
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$11
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ouarzazate
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Ouarzazate.
- Private Moroccan Cooking Classes in Ouarzazate: $60
Typical Food Prices in Marrakech
For Marrakech, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Orange Juice on the Square$0.30
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Breakfast$1.21
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Dates$0.61
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Olives$0.91
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Sandwich$1.31
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Souvenir Spices$6.25
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Marrakech
For Marrakech, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Marrakech special food tour: $5.73
- Agafay Desert Magic: Sunset Camel Ride, Quad Bike & Dinner: $8.76
- Agafay Desert Camel Ride and Quad Bike with Dinner Show: $9.17
- Excursion from Marrakech to Agafay desert Quad Camel dinner show: $11
- Camel Ride and Sunset & Dinner Show in Agafay Desert: $11
- Morocco's Top Cooking Classes For Authentic berber Cuisine in the Atlas Mountain: $13
- Agafay Desert Quad Bike Camel Ride and Dinner Show: $14
- Agafay Desert Quad Biking & Camel Ride & Dinner & Show: $14
- Marrakech Sunset in the Agafay desert, camel ride and dinner show: $14
- Marrakech Agafay Desert Sunset with Camel Ride and Dinner Show: $14
- Agafay desert dinner show camel ride with sunset: $15
- Cooking Class in the hearth of the Atlas Mountain from Marrakech With locals: $15
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Ouarzazate $11Marrakech $9.93
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
- 2-Hour Quad Biking Adventure in Marrakech Palm Grove: $52
- 3 Days Group Tour from Marrakech to Merzouga Desert: $115
- 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
- Day in the palm grove of Skoura Guided Mountain Bike Tour Quad Ride: $79
- Desert Adventure in Skoura: $34
- From 2-Day Erg Lihdoui and Mhamid Desert Tour: $385
- From 3 Days tour though Merzouga & Dades: $410
Typical Entertainment Prices in Marrakech
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Marrakech's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Palace Tickets$2.02
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Golf at Atlas Golf$57
Tours and Activities in Marrakech
For Marrakech, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Marrakech Medina Self-Guided Walking Tour Experience: $1.12
- Berber Culture Experience & Atlas Mountains Tour: $5.73
- Marrakech Audioguided walking tour 2h45 and 21 reviews: $6.77
- Skip the Line: Woven History Museum Ticket - musée Histoire Tissée: $7.06
- Ourika Valley Tour: Waterfall Hiking and Lunch: $8.03
- Marrakech Airport to Hotel – Your Premium Arrival Experience: $9.29
- Navigate Marrakech Effortlessly, Your Digital Tour Guide Anytime: $10
- Agafay Desert Sunset Experience Half Day from Marrakech: $10
- Guided Medina Walking Tour Monuments and Souks: $10
- Berber Rugs Marrakech Shopping Tour with Shipping Available: $11
- Marrakech walking Tour Jewish Quarter and Bahia Palace: $11
- Cycling tour in marrakesh desert: $11
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayOuarzazate -Marrakech $9.56
Sample the Local Flavors in Marrakech
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Marrakech:
- Marrakech Nightlife Pub Crawl with Hotel Pickup: $23
- Marrakech Nightlife Adventure: The Ultimate Pub Crawl: $25
- Private Vineyard Day from Marrakech Wine Tasting and City Tour: $126
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ouarzazate and Marrakech, we can see that Marrakech 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 Marrakech would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Marrakech 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 Marrakech Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Ouarzazate or Marrakech?
Marrakech has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Ouarzazate. When comparing the sizes of Ouarzazate and Marrakech, 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.