Which place is cheaper, Merzouga or Pretoria?
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 Pretoria or Merzouga?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Pretoria or Merzouga? 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 Merzouga?
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.
Merzouga
Let's say you want to truly get away. I don't mean putting your ear buds in on some beach with a stronger on the next chair over. I mean really get away, and find yourself deserted. Merzouga, Morocco lets you do just that. This land of sand dune after sand dune is ideal for anyone yearning to ride a camel to the ends of civilization. And you'll find plenty of options to get here with a tour, or even on your own.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Eco Tours in South Africa, The Best Sightseeing Tours in South Africa, The Best Budget Tours to Morocco, and The Best Luxury Tours to Morocco.
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Pretoria Prices
South Africa PricesMerzouga Prices
Morocco Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPretoria $69Merzouga $24
The average daily cost (per person) in Pretoria is $69, while the average daily cost in Merzouga is $24. 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 Merzouga in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPretoria $28Merzouga $11
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPretoria $56Merzouga $22
Compare Hotels in Pretoria and Merzouga
Looking for a hotel in Pretoria or Merzouga? 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: Merzouga Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Pretoria $13Merzouga -
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pretoria
Also for Pretoria, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Airport Transfers to Sandton & Joburg CBD: $25
- Private Oneway Transfer from Johannesburg to Johannesburg Airport: $35
- Pretoria to Johannesburg O.R. Tambo Airport (JNB) - Departure Private Transfer: $42
- Airport Transfers and Private Tours: $44
- Airport transfers,door to door shuttle: $53
- Sun City Private Transfer: $246
Is it cheaper to fly into Pretoria or Merzouga?
Prices for flights to both Merzouga 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 $29Merzouga $11
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Pretoria
For Pretoria, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Lesedi Cultural Experience + Lunch or Dinner: $113
- Lesedi Cultural Experience + Lunch or Dinner: $135
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Merzouga
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Merzouga.
- Berber Pizza Cooking Class: $35
- Exclusive Merzouga Desert Safari: Camel Ride, Sandsurf & Dinner: $52
- Cooking class in Merzouga Make Berber Madfouna in Sand: $59
- Merzouga Luxury AC/ Heating Camp: Camel Ride, Dinner & breakfast: $65
- Magical Dinner and Camel Trek with 1 Night In Merzouga Luxury Desert Camp: $105
- 2 Nights Private Camp in Merzouga with Dinner and Camel Ride: $200
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Pretoria $16Merzouga -
Tours and Activities in Pretoria
For Pretoria, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Harties Cableway Experience Ticket: $19
- History Bicycle Tour of Soweto: $45
- Soweto Food and Beer Bike Tour: $47
- Soweto Quad Bike and Tuk Tuk Tours: $48
- Johannesburg & Soweto Full day Tour - With Pickup & Drop Off: $60
- Pretoria Tour-Voortrekker Monument, Town, Union Buildings: $64
- Rietvlei Nature Reserve half-day tour from Pretoria, every TUESDAY: $65
- Private local authentic soweto Moto taxi experience: $67
- Soweto and Johannesburg Tour: $69
- Apartheid Museum Tour in Johannesburg from Pretoria, every FRIDAY afternoon: $72
- Half day guided tour: $75
- Constitutional Hill and Apartheid Museum Half-Day Tour from ZAR R1 100 Private: $75
Tours and Activities in Merzouga
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Merzouga are as follows:
- 1 Hour Buggy Can-am Merzouga Desert Experience: $123
- 1 Night Camel Trekking Tour in Merzouga Desert Camp: $65
- 1 Night Experience Camel Trekking Merzouga: $71
- 1 hour Quad in the Sahara: Merzouga Off Roading Experience: Nature & Wildlife: $81
- 1 hour tour Quad biking experience: $100
- 2 Hour Merzouga Buggy Adventure in the Sahara Dunes: $206
- 2 Hour Quad Desert Experience with Sandboarding: $39
- 2 days tour in Merzouga Erg Chabbi with 4WD Jeep and Camel Treck: $295
- 2 hours Merzouga Dunes ATV Rental - Desert Quad Biking Tour: $114
- 2-Hour Quad Desert Tour, Dunes Oasis, Nomads Family & Sandboard: $45
- 3 Days Marrakech to Sahara Adventure Merzouga Dunes & Camel Trek: $117
- 3 hour Jeep Tour in Merzouga Desert: $65
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPretoria $35Merzouga -
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Pretoria and Merzouga, we can see that Pretoria is more expensive. And not only is Merzouga much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Merzouga would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Merzouga 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 Pretoria would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Pretoria than you might in Merzouga.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Pretoria Expensive? and Is Merzouga Expensive?.
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.