Which place is cheaper, Essaouira or Pretoria?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Pretoria or Essaouira?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Pretoria or Essaouira? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Pretoria or Essaouira?
Pretoria
Located in Gauteng Province, Pretoria is the administrative capital city of South Africa, making it home to many government buildings and three universities. It is actually one of three capital cities, being home to the executive branch, with Cape Town as the legislative capital and Bloemfontein as the judicial capital. Within South Africa, Pretoria is also known as the "Jacaranda City" due to the thousands of jacaranda trees lining its streets, parks, and gardens.
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 Eco Tours in South Africa, The Best Sightseeing Tours in South Africa, 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 dayPretoria $49Essaouira $46
The average daily cost (per person) in Pretoria is $49, while the average daily cost in Essaouira is $46. 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 Pretoria and Essaouira in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPretoria $25Essaouira $26
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPretoria $50Essaouira $52
Compare Hotels in Pretoria and Essaouira
Looking for a hotel in Pretoria 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: Essaouira Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Pretoria $12Essaouira $1.99
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pretoria
Also for Pretoria, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Sun City Private Transfer: $250
- One Way Private Transfer from Airports and Hotels in Sandton: $86
- Gauteng, South Africa: Airport transfers, shuttle services: $26
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Essaouira
Also for Essaouira, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfert Marrakech to Essaouira Or Essaouira to Marrakech : $95
- Transfert Essaouira to Casablanca/Pivarte Casablanc to Essaouira : $240
- Transfert Essaouira to Agadir - Private Agadir to Essaouira : $118
- Transfer from Essaouira to your Riad or Hotel in Marrakech: $164
- Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakech city or Marrakech airport: $93
- Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakech city or Marrakech airport: $93
- Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakech city or Marrakech airport: $93
- Transfer Essaouira Airport to Essaouira: $22
- Private transfer Marrakech to Essaouira or Essaouira toMarrakech : $102
- Private transfer Marrakech airpot - Essaouira : $87
- Private Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakesh Menara (RAK) Airport: $127
- Private Transfer From Essaouira To Marrakech: $88
Is it cheaper to fly into Pretoria or Essaouira?
Prices for flights to both Essaouira and Pretoria 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 dayPretoria $15Essaouira $14
Typical Food Prices in Essaouira
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Essaouira:
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Baklava$1.40
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Breakfast Crepes$0.50
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Fish for Lunch$15
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: $54
- Traditional Moroccan Cooking Class: $55
- Traditional Family Style Moroccan Cooking Class: $67
- Berber Cooking Class at a Farm in the Countryside & shopping at a rural Souk.: $97
- 3 hours Camel Ride in Essaouira with Dinner and Overnight in Berber Camp: $169
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Pretoria $14Essaouira $12
Tours and Activities in Pretoria
For Pretoria, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Pilanesberg National Park Full Day Guided Tour( Safari Experience) : $176
- Pretoria Tour - Voortrekker Monument, Union Buildings, Pretoria : $53
- 1 Night 2 Days eSwatini ( Swaziland Tour): $292
- 2 Hours Bicycle Tour in Soweto(Johannesburg): $88
- 4-Hours Pretoria Private History Tour : $80
- Aerial Cableway Private Tour from Johannesburg : $80
- Ann Van Dyk Cheetah Centre Half-Day Tour from Johannesburg: $192
- Apartheid Museum Tour in Johannesburg, every FRIDAY afternoon: $50
- Artistic Half Day Tour of Johannesburg : $83
- City Tour of Pretoria: $133
- Constitutional Hill Highlight Tour: $100
- Cradle of Human Kind & Lion & Rhino Park Tour Full day Tour Private : $182
Tours and Activities in Essaouira
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Essaouira.
- Big Cap Sim dunes and forest 3 hours tour.: $70
- 2 Hour Quad & ATV Experience: $58
- Big dunes and atlantic coast tour 2 HOURS: $57
- Discover Essaouira Full-Day Tour: $43
- Essaouira : 1H quad bike tour and 1H camel ride: $56
- Essaouira : Half-day E-Experience from Mountains to Sea: $128
- Essaouira Adventure Full-Day Excursion from Marakech: $47
- Essaouira Exclusive Dune Buggy Adventure: $164
- Essaouira Guided Tour: 3 on 1 - Nightlife tour, Live like a local & Street food: $65
- Essaouira Sand Dunes: Half Day Quad Bike Tour: $65
- Essaouira Tour - Half day visit to berber market : $56
- 3-Hour Camel Tour: $40
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPretoria $31Essaouira $9.16
When comparing the travel costs between Pretoria and Essaouira, we can see that Pretoria is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Africa, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Pretoria Expensive? and Is Essaouira Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Pretoria or Essaouira?
Pretoria has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Essaouira. When comparing the sizes of Pretoria 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.