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

Should you visit Ouarzazate or Puerto del Carmen?

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 Puerto del Carmen 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 Puerto del Carmen?

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.

Puerto del Carmen

Located on the south-eastern coast of the Canary Island of Lanzarote, Puerto del Carmen is a popular resort area best known for its high concentration of bars, pubs, restaurants, and clubs. By day, visitors frequent the beaches for swimming, sunbathing, windsurfing, and other watersports - and by night, they flock to enjoy the live music and drinks of the area's thriving nightlife.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Morocco, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Morocco, The Best 3-Day Tours from Madrid, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Madrid.


Which place is cheaper, Puerto del Carmen 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 Puerto del Carmen is $185. 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 Puerto del Carmen in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Ouarzazate $21
    Puerto del Carmen $105
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Ouarzazate $42
    Puerto del Carmen $210
Compare Hotels in Ouarzazate and Puerto del Carmen

Looking for a hotel in Ouarzazate or Puerto del Carmen? 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 Puerto del Carmen


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 Puerto del Carmen Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Ouarzazate $3.39
    Puerto del Carmen $41
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

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto del Carmen

Also for Puerto del Carmen, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Lanzarote : Parasailing activity with hotel transfer: $102

Is it cheaper to fly into Ouarzazate or Puerto del Carmen?

Prices for flights to both Puerto del Carmen 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
    Puerto del Carmen $55
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

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Ouarzazate $11
    Puerto del Carmen $18

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

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Ouarzazate -
    Puerto del Carmen $64


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ouarzazate and Puerto del Carmen, we can see that Puerto del Carmen 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 Puerto del Carmen 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 Puerto del Carmen would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Puerto del Carmen 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 Puerto del Carmen Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Ouarzazate or Puerto del Carmen?

Ouarzazate has a larger population, and is about 91% larger than the population of Puerto del Carmen. When comparing the sizes of Ouarzazate and Puerto del Carmen, 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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