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

Should you visit Ouarzazate or Marseille?

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 Marseille 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 Marseille?

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.

Marseille

Marseille is the second largest city in France and is the largest Mediterranean port in the region. For visitors, Marseille offers an authentic glimpse at France. It has many colorful markets, natural beauty such as the Calanques with its large, beautiful cliffs, and the old harbor area, which offers a glimpse at the areas working class history.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Morocco, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Morocco, The Best Contiki Tours to France, and The Best G Adventures Tours to France.


Which place is cheaper, Marseille or Ouarzazate?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Ouarzazate is $42, while the average daily cost in Marseille is $158. 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 Marseille in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Ouarzazate $21
    Marseille $76
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Ouarzazate $42
    Marseille $152
Compare Hotels in Ouarzazate and Marseille

Looking for a hotel in Ouarzazate or Marseille? 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 Ouarzazate


Hotels in Marseille


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 Marseille Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Ouarzazate $3.39
    Marseille $30
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Ouarzazate

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


  • Taxi Ride
    $1.99

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ouarzazate

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Ouarzazate:

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

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Marseille

Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Marseille:


  • Metro Pass
    $3.21

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Marseille

Also for Marseille, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • “Airport-Marseille Center Transfers: Luxury and Comfort VTC.”: $87
  • Airport Marseille Transfer to Marseille Old Port: $91
  • Aix en Provence-Transfer from or to Marseille Airport: $102
  • Arles-Transfer From or To Airport MARSEILLE: $218
  • Arrival Private Transfer Marseille Airport MRS to Marseille city or Port by Van: $101
  • Arrival Transfer: MRS Airport to Marseille in Business Car: $109
  • Cannes Private Transfer to Marseille Airport: $642
  • Departure Private Transfer Marseille city or Port to Marseile Airport MRS by Van: $101
  • Departure Private Transfer from Marseille city to Marseille Cruise Port by Van: $101
  • Departure Transfer: Marseille to MRS Airport in Business Car: $109
  • Marseille Airport (MRS) Arrival Transfer (Airport to Marseille Hotel or Address): $215
  • Marseille Airport (MRS) to (MPCT) Marseille Port - Arrival Private Transfer: $35

Is it cheaper to fly into Ouarzazate or Marseille?

Prices for flights to both Marseille 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Ouarzazate $16
    Marseille $45
Typical Food Prices in Ouarzazate

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


  • 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.

  • Oases Fint Tour With Dinner: $65

Typical Food Prices in Marseille

For Marseille, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Orangina
    $2.68

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Marseille

For Marseille, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Web-cooking workshop / French cuisine or French pastry: $35
  • No Diet Club - Unique food tour in Marseille! (Cours Julien): $63
  • Sunset Cruise with Dinner: $74
  • Sunset Sailing Cruise with Dinner and Drinks: $86
  • Sunset Boat Cruise with Dinner and Drinks: $86
  • Bakeries, Chocolate & Patisseries Food Tour: $93
  • Sunset Apéro Food tour: $95
  • Walking Food Tour with Tastings: $97
  • Marseille Sunset Apéro Food tour: $97
  • Evening Food Tour with Tastings: $102
  • Sunset Sailing Dinner in the Frioul Archipelago: $102
  • Marseille Miam Miam Food tour: $104

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Ouarzazate $11
    Marseille $41

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: $125
  • 3-Day Desert Adventure: Ouarzazate to Merzouga: $100
  • 4 day Fantastic Desert Tour From Fes To Marrakech via desert: $464
  • 7 night 8 day Casablanca morocco tour via merzouga: $1,508
  • Ait-Ben-Haddou - City Tour: $22
  • Casablanca: 6 Days Tour Blue City, Fes, Desert & Marrakech: $1,082
  • Desert by Quad: 5 Days of Pure Adventure from Ouarzazate: $2,884
  • Experience of kasbah ait Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate city: $131
  • Fez to Merzouga & Marrakech Combined 3 Day Desert Tour: $213
  • From Agadir : 4-Day Private Desert Tour To Zagora & Merzouga: $571
  • From Agadir or Taghazout: 2-Day Sahara Desert Tour to Zagora: $382

Tours and Activities in Marseille

For Marseille, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.21
  • City Exploration Game and Tour: $4.28
  • Marseille:Highlights Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt & Tour: $4.28
  • Marseille Scavenger Hunt and Best Landmarks Self-Guided Tour: $4.36
  • City Exploration Game and Tour on your Phone: $6.41
  • Marseille Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.00
  • Self-guided Like a Local Highlights Day Tour: $9.52
  • Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt Game & Sightseeing: $9.84
  • Panier District Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $11
  • Self-Guided Audio Tour: $11
  • Humorous and Informative Tour of the Historic Center of La Ciotat: $11
  • Mucem Skip-the-Line Entry Ticket: $12

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Ouarzazate -
    Marseille $29

Sample the Local Flavors in Marseille

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Marseille:

  • Marseille Bar Crawl Party with Free Shots and VIP Entry: $21
  • Marseille Riviera Bar Crawl Party with Free Shots and VIP Entry: $22
  • Marseille Pub Crawl : Meet, Drink & Party: $43
  • New Year's Eve Bar Crawl Marseille France: $96
  • Delicious Food and Wine Tour: $117
  • Bandol and Cassis: Full Day Wine Tour from Marseille: $143
  • Luberon: Full-Day Wine Tour from Marseille: $143
  • Full-day Wine Tour around Bandol & Cassis from Marseille: $146
  • Full-Day Wine Tour around Luberon from Marseille: $146
  • Côtes du Rhône Wine tour: Avignon, Palace of the Popes: $164
  • Small Group Marseille Shore Excursion : Avignon & Chateauneuf du Pape Wine Tour: $164
  • Marseille Shore Excursion - Full Day Wine Tour in Provence: $164


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ouarzazate and Marseille, we can see that Marseille is more expensive. And not only is Ouarzazate much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Ouarzazate is in Africa and Marseille 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 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 Marseille would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Marseille 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 Marseille Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Ouarzazate or Marseille?

Marseille has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Ouarzazate. When comparing the sizes of Ouarzazate and Marseille, 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.