Which place is cheaper, Essaouira or Palermo?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Palermo or Essaouira?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Palermo and Essaouira 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: Palermo or Essaouira?
Palermo
Located on its north coast, Palermo is the capital city of Sicily. The city has a lot to offer visitors who decide to venture to this often overlooked part of Italy. There is an interesting history, some unique and delicious food, and a fascinating culture. Prices in Sicily are generally cheaper than elsewhere in Italy. There are a handful of budget accommodation options and plenty of mid range hotels that are spread throughout the city. The rooms are usually comfortable and clean but as always, read reviews before making your reservation.
Essaouira
Essaouira is a beautiful beach town on the Atlantic coast of Morocco. The city has a pleasant medina that has been named a UNESCO World Heritage site and is interesting to explore. It's an 18th century fortified town with a lot of character and charm. The city is rich and culture and you'll find a handful of art galleries throughout the town. The city is also a gathering place for artists and musicians, particularly during the Gnaoua Festival of World Music, which takes place the last week of June. This event attracts about 450,000 visitors yearly.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Luxury Tours to Italy, The Best Budget Tours to Italy, The Best 10-Day Tours in Morocco, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Morocco.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPalermo €92Essaouira €43
The average daily cost (per person) in Palermo is €92, while the average daily cost in Essaouira is €43. 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 Palermo and Essaouira in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPalermo €56Essaouira €24
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPalermo €112Essaouira €48
Compare Hotels in Palermo and Essaouira
Looking for a hotel in Palermo or Essaouira? 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: Palermo Hotel Prices and Essaouira Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Palermo €5.64Essaouira €1.87
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Palermo
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Palermo:
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Bus to Monreale€3.00
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Bus From Airport€6.00
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90 Minute Bus Pass€1.30
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Short Taxi Ride€4.35
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Palermo
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Palermo:
- Private transfer from Palermo airport to Verdura Resort Sciacca or vice versa: $233
- Transfer from Palermo Airport to Verdura Resort: $214
- Private Golf Club Class w/ Transfer, Ticket, & Food: $176
- Palermo Airport (PMO) Departure Transfer (Palermo Hotels or address to Airport): $156
- Private Transfer Palermo Airport to/from Adler SPA Resort Sicily: $149
- Private Transfer Trapani or San Vito lo Capo to Palermo Airport by Car or Van: $146
- Palermo Private Transfer from or to Palermo Airport in Sicily : $137
- Transfer from Palermo Airport to Palermo: $131
- Private Transfer from Palermo (PMO) Airport to Santa Flavia: $124
- Private Transfer Palermo Airport to/from San Vito Lo Capo, Macari: $109
- Private transfer from Palermo airport to Marsala port or vice versa: $109
- Transfers From / to Palermo Airport: $108
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Essaouira
Also for Essaouira, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Marrakech : Private Transfer from or to Marrakech Airoport: $22
- Airport Transfer From Essaouira Airport To Medina: $22
- Private Transfer from or to Essaouira Airport (ESU): $22
- Private Transfer from or to Essaouira Airport: $27
- Hinterland Quad Bike Tour with Transfer: $36
- Essaouira Airport To city Transfer: $38
- From Scenic Diabat Horseback Ride with Transfer: $48
- From Beachside Quad Bike Tour with Transfer: $70
- Scenic Hinterland Quad Ride with Transfer: $80
- Private transfer Marrakech airpot - Essaouira : $87
- Transfert Marrakech to Agafay-Private Agafay to Marrakech : $87
- Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakech city or Marrakech airport: $93
Is it cheaper to fly into Palermo or Essaouira?
Prices for flights to both Essaouira and Palermo 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 dayPalermo €29Essaouira €13
Typical Food Prices in Palermo
Some typical examples of dining costs in Palermo are as follows:
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Sitdown Dinner (for Two)€32
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Fast Food Lunch€5.32
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Palermo
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Palermo.
- Street Food Tour: $42
- Street Food Tour: $65
- Explore Palermo's with a Food Tour & Pizza Making Class: $68
- Small Group Night Street Food Tour: $68
- Pizza and Gelato Cooking Class with Dinner and Wine: $74
- Palermo Traditional Food Tour: $74
- Palermo's Delight: Unleash the Secrets of Pizza and Gelato Making: $75
- Night Street Food Tour of Palermo : $75
- Secret Food Tours Palermo: $85
- Street Food Tour in Ballarò and Vucciria Markets: $86
- Walking Street Food Tour with the Chef: $91
- Sicilian Cooking Class: $101
Typical Food Prices in Essaouira
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Essaouira:
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Baklava€1.31
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Breakfast Crepes€0.47
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Fish for Lunch€14
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Essaouira
For Essaouira, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Traditional Moroccan Cooking Class: $39
- L'Atelier Madada Moroccan Cooking Workshop in Essaouira: $55
- Traditional Family Style Moroccan Cooking Class: $67
- 3 hours Camel Ride in Essaouira with Dinner and Overnight in Berber Camp: $170
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Palermo €17Essaouira €11
Typical Entertainment Prices in Palermo
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Palermo are as follows:
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Capuchin Catacombs (for 2)€6.00
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Castello della Zisa Entrance (for Two)€12
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Theater Tickets (for Two)€49
Tours and Activities in Palermo
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Palermo are as follows:
- 4 Hours Private Architectural Tour in Palermo: $165
- Agrigento - Private Tour to the Valley of the Temples from Palermo: $295
- Agrigento Valley of the Temples and Villa Romana del Casale Tour from Palermo: $133
- Ballaro 'street food market tour & Santa Rosalia Sanctuary: $208
- Cappella Palatina and Palazzo dei Normanni Tour: $91
- Captivating Agrigento Sunset Tour of Valle dei Templi: $43
- Capuchin Catacombs and Monreale Cathedral Private Tour: $192
- Cesarine: Market Tour & Dining at a Local's Home in Palermo: $152
- Discover the Charm of A 3-Hour UNESCO Sites Walking Tour: $38
- Eating Street Food & Market Tour: $117
- English or Spanish tour to immersive museum + lunch: $37
- Entrance ticket to the Radici Piccolo Museo Della Natura: $11
Tours and Activities in Essaouira
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Essaouira.
- Highlights Tour with Tasting the Ocean City: $19
- Full Day Tour From Marrakech To Essaouira Mogador: $21
- Private City Tour: $26
- From Marrakech: Guided tour of Essaouira the coastal city: $26
- Friend-Guide Essaouira city tour: $31
- 3-Hour Camel Tour: $40
- Cultural & Historical Sightseeing Tour - half day: $41
- Guided Dromedary Riding Tour: $48
- Half-Day Old Town Guided Tour: $48
- Essaouira : 1H quad bike tour and 1H camel ride: $57
- Big dunes and atlantic coast tour 2 HOURS: $57
- 2 Hour Quad & ATV Experience: $58
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPalermo €11Essaouira €8.58
Typical Alcohol Prices in Palermo
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Palermo:
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Beer€2.56
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Bottle of Quality Wine€11
Sample the Local Flavors in Palermo
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Palermo:
- Pub Crawl Palermo: $16
- Wine Tasting with Snacks at Bottega Monteleone: $41
- Natural Local Wine Tasting & Sicilian Tapas: $49
- Natural Wine Tasting with snacks at Bottega Monteleone: $53
- Eating Palermo Food & Wine Tour: $82
- 2-Hour Sicilian Cheese and Wine Tasting Tour: $128
- From Erice and Marsala Day Trip with Wine Tasting: $181
- Wine Tasting for Small Groups in the Palermo Countryside: $196
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Palermo and Essaouira, we can see that Palermo is more expensive. And not only is Essaouira much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Palermo is in Europe and Essaouira 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 Essaouira would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Essaouira 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 Palermo would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Palermo than you might in Essaouira.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Palermo Expensive? and Is Essaouira Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Palermo or Essaouira?
Palermo has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Essaouira. When comparing the sizes of Palermo and Essaouira, 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.