Which place is cheaper, Marrakech or Petra?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Petra or Marrakech?
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 Marrakech can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Petra or Marrakech?
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.
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 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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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPetra $125Marrakech $69
The average daily cost (per person) in Petra is $125, while the average daily cost in Marrakech is $69. 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 Marrakech in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPetra $59Marrakech $46
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPetra $118Marrakech $92
Compare Hotels in Petra and Marrakech
Looking for a hotel in Petra 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: Petra Hotel Prices and Marrakech Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Petra $23Marrakech $6.30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Petra
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Petra:
- Private transfer Petra to/from Wadi Rum: $118
- Private Transfer from Petra City Hotels to Aqaba Airport: $93
- Private Transfer Petra to/from Wadi Rum: $135
- Private Transfer From Petra to Amman or Airport With Optional : $99
- Private Transfer Amman Airport to Petra or vice versa via the King's Highway: $120
- Private Departure Transfer: Petra Hotels to Amman Airport: $93
- Petra to Wadi Rum Private Transfer: $80
- Petra to Madaba Private Transfer: $140
- Petra to Aqaba South Beach Hotels Private Transfer: $110
- Petra Private Transfer to or from Aqaba: $105
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Marrakech
Also for Marrakech, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Marrakech Airport Transfer: $5.01
- Transfer from Al Madina Airport: $5.79
- Marrakech Airport transfer ( ONE WAY pick-up OR/OU ONE WAY drop-off): $6.50
- Private transfer from or to the airport: $6.93
- Marrakech : Transfer privé vers ou depuis l'aéroport de Rak: $6.94
- Marrakech Airport Transfer ( ONE WAY pick-up OR/OU ONE WAY drop-off): $7.05
- Marrakesh: 1-Way Private Transfer to Menara Airport: $7.46
- Private Transfers to Marrakech from Ménara Airport: $7.59
- Private Transfer: from Marrakech Airport to your hotel: $8.10
- Marrakech : Private Transfer to/from RAK Airport: $8.10
- Marrakech Airport Transfer : $8.13
- Marrakech Travel Services: Airport Transfers & Hotel Shuttles : $8.66
Is it cheaper to fly into Petra or Marrakech?
Prices for flights to both Marrakech 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 $38Marrakech $13
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.
- Cooking outside in little Petra between the Mountains. : $45
- Private Outdoor bedouin Dinner in Petra: $300
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$1.20
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Dates$0.60
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Olives$0.90
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Sandwich$1.29
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Souvenir Spices$6.18
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Marrakech
For Marrakech, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Online Moroccan Cooking Class: $17
- Cooking Lesson at the Ouirgane Ecolodge with Lunch: $18
- Magical dinner in agafay desert with camel ride: $19
- Marrakech desert: Agafay Desert Sunset Dinner Show: $20
- Restaurant Dinner Experience with Hotel Pickup: $21
- Sunset in Agafay: Dinner, Camel, Quad-Book Adventure with Viator: $22
- Desert Dinner, Camel Ride, Sunset & Show: $23
- Dinner in Desert Marrakech and Camel ride at Sunset: $23
- Moroccan Cooking Class with a Local Chef: $24
- From Agafay Desert Sunset Dinner with Live Show: $25
- Dinner Magic in Agafay desert with transport from Marrakech: $26
- Desert Agafay Dinner at Nomad Camp and Camel Ride: $26
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Petra $47Marrakech $7.01
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 Guided Tour In Petra with hotel pick up.: $75
- Petra Back Entrance Private Walking Tour: $215
- Private Back Trail Tour of Petra starting from the Monastery : $276
- Private Full-Day Tour to Petra and Wadi Rum from Dead Sea: $269
- Private Half-Day Tour of Petra with Lunch: $120
- Private Indiana-Jones Archeological Trail Tour: $90
- Private Petra Back Entrance Tour with Guide .: $140
- Wadi Rum Day Tour from Petra ending in Aqaba: $138
- Wadi Rum Private Tour from Petra with Martian and Star Wars Film Site: $173
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$1.99
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Golf at Atlas Golf$56
Tours and Activities in Marrakech
For Marrakech, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 3-Hour Colorful Souks Tour: $5.00
- 3-Hour Colorful Souks Tour experience: $5.00
- 3-Hour Colorful Souks Tour with Tour guide: $5.00
- Marrakesh: Cactus Thiemann Entry Ticket: $8.20
- Ourika Valley, Atlas Mountain and Waterfalls Tour from Marrakech: $10
- Camel ride experience at the palm grove of Marrakech: $12
- 1/2 day Guided Medina Walking Tour & Souks : $13
- Marrakech:Quad Tour in Palmeraie: $14
- Historical Marrakech Walking Tour: $15
- Full Day Hiking Tour to Atlas Mountains from Marrakech: $15
- Marrakech activities: Camel ride tour Marrakech: $15
- Marrakech Sightseeing Tour: $15
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPetra $15Marrakech $15
Sample the Local Flavors in Marrakech
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Marrakech:
- Bar Crawl with Local Guide: $28
- Moroccan wine tasting workshop in Marrakech: $70
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Petra and Marrakech, we can see that Petra is more expensive. And not only is Marrakech much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Petra is in Middle East and Marrakech 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 Marrakech would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Marrakech 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 Marrakech.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Petra Expensive? and Is Marrakech Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Petra or Marrakech?
Marrakech has a larger population, and is about 60 times larger than the population of Petra. When comparing the sizes of Petra 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.