Which place is cheaper, Essaouira or Petra?
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 Petra or Essaouira?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Petra and Essaouira can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Petra or Essaouira?
Petra
Whether you're checking off the Seven Wonders of the World, or you're just a huge Indiana Jones fan, the city of Petra must be on your bucket list. The "rose red city, half as old as time," was the capital of the Nabataean kingdom in the 6th century BC. It was the center for trade and commerce until an earthquake took out buildings and destroyed their water management system. After this destruction, the city of Petra seemed to be lost to western civilization.
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 Historical Tours in Jordan, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Jordan, The Best 10-Day Tours in Morocco, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Morocco.
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Petra Prices
Jordan PricesEssaouira Prices
Morocco Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPetra $153Essaouira $60
The average daily cost (per person) in Petra is $153, while the average daily cost in Essaouira is $60. 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 Petra and Essaouira in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPetra $59Essaouira $28
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPetra $118Essaouira $56
Compare Hotels in Petra and Essaouira
Looking for a hotel in Petra 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: Petra Hotel Prices and Essaouira Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Petra $23Essaouira $2.16
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Petra
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Petra:
- Petra Private Transfer To Jerusalem: $290
- Private Transfers from Petra Inside Jordan and Vice Versa: $176
- Private Transfer Amman Airport to Petra or vice versa via the King's Highway: $120
- Private Transfer from Ma'in Hotel to Aqaba Airport: $120
- Petra Private Transfer To Multiple Destinations: $115
- Comfortable and Reliable Private Transfer: Petra to Wadi Rum: $100
- Petra Private Transfer To Aqaba: $100
- Private Departure Transfer: Petra Hotels to Amman Airport: $93
- Private Transfer from Petra City Hotels to Aqaba Airport: $93
- Private Transfer From Petra to Amman or Airport With Optional: $88
- Private Transfer Amman Airport to Ma'in Hotel and vice versa: $73
- Private Transfer To & From Airport, Petra, Wadi Rum and Dead Sea: $35
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Essaouira
Also for Essaouira, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer services between Essaouira Airport and the city center: $18
- Marrakech : Private Transfer from or to Marrakech Airoport: $24
- From Agadir : Day in Essaouira with Transfer: $33
- Essaouira P17: Quad ride dunes beaches free transfer.: $34
- Essaouira P2: dunes wipe & beaches in quad with transfer: $34
- Essaouira P3: Quad and Buggy tour beach dunes free transfer: $34
- Private Transfer from or to Essaouira Airport: $40
- Essaouira to Marrakech:Private Transfer for a Hassle-Free Journey: $73
- Essaouira P13: 2h quad + 2h camel free transfer: $94
- "Essaouira to Agafay Desert Marrakech: Exclusive Private Transfer: $94
- Private transfer Marrakech airpot - Essaouira: $107
- Private Transfer from Marrakech to Essaouira 1 to 4 people: $109
Is it cheaper to fly into Petra or Essaouira?
Prices for flights to both Essaouira and Petra 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 dayPetra $66Essaouira $25
Typical Food Prices in Petra
Some typical examples of dining costs in Petra are as follows:
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Dinner for Two$12
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Juice$1.76
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Petra
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Petra.
- Authentic Jordanian Cooking, Taste of Comfort With Family: $28
- Cooking outside in little Petra between the Mountains.: $50
- Private Outdoor bedouin Dinner in Petra: $150
Typical Food Prices in Essaouira
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Essaouira:
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Baklava$1.51
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Breakfast Crepes$0.54
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Fish for Lunch$16
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Essaouira
For Essaouira, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Agadir Cooking Class Experience with Local Market Visit: $31
- Cooking class: How To Be a Real Moroccan Chef: $41
- Essaouira Sunset Tour: Sidi M’barek Waterfall,Coastal Walk&Dinner: $48
- Essaouira Moroccan Cooking Class Experience: $53
- Kids Moroccan Cooking Class: $53
- Sidi Kaouki Sunset Walk and Berber Tent Dinner by Atlantic: $53
- Essaouira Cooking Class At Home: $53
- Souk Stories Essaouira Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $59
- Essaouira Berber Cooking Class & Organic Farm Tour Al Aaila Farm: $65
- Essaouira Family Dinner Experience: $66
- Essaouira Street Food Tour: $70
- Essaouira Walking Food Tour: $70
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Petra $47Essaouira $13
Typical Entertainment Prices in Petra
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Petra are as follows:
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Entry to Petra for One$71
Tours and Activities in Petra
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Petra are as follows:
- 3 Hour Horse Riding Adventure around the Petra Area: $145
- 3-Hour Private Petra Tour: Siq, Treasury & Qasr Al-Bint: $145
- 6 Hours Private Tour in Petra: $125
- Discover Petra in a Day Guided Tour of the Lost Nabatean City: $200
- From Petra : Wadi Rum Private 8 - hours roundtrip tour .: $190
- Guided 3 Hour Tour of Petra's Iconic Landmarks: $60
- Half-Day Private Indiana Jones Petra Back Road Trial Tour: $200
- Petra Highlight Tour with Private Guide Sami Nawafleh | 2.5 Hours: $120
- Petra Highlights Guided Golf Cart Tour with Hotel Pickup: $169
- Private 2-Day Jordan Tour: Petra, Wadi Rum & Dead Sea: $210
- Private 3-Day Jordan Tour: Petra, Wadi Rum & Dead Sea: $270
- Private 3-Hour Guided Tour of Petra with Hotel Pickup .: $75
Tours and Activities in Essaouira
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Essaouira.
- Essaouira to Marrakech Supratours bus tickets: $18
- Essaouira Camel Ride, Quad Bike & Buggy Adventure: $22
- Scenic Horseback Adventure Along Essaouira’s Beaches: $25
- Small Group Surf Lesson in Essaouira 3 Hour Experience: $30
- Sunset Horse Ride Experience in Essaouira: $34
- Beginners surf experience in Essaouira: $34
- Essaouira P6: Cape Sim quad bike tour: $34
- Essaouira Experience Bike Quad: $41
- 2 Hours Dromedary Ride Tour in Essaouira Morocco: $53
- 2 – Hours Quad Bike Adventure in Essaouira Desert with Moroccan Tea: $58
- 2 Seater Dune and Ocean Buggy Tour: $59
- 2-hour quad adventure between beach and dunes: $59
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPetra $15Essaouira $9.94
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Petra and Essaouira, we can see that Petra is more expensive. And not only is Essaouira much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Petra is in Middle East 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 Petra would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Petra 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 Petra Expensive? and Is Essaouira Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Petra or Essaouira?
Essaouira has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Petra. When comparing the sizes of Petra 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.