Which place is cheaper, Merzouga or Pretoria?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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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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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPretoria $49Merzouga $17
The average daily cost (per person) in Pretoria is $49, while the average daily cost in Merzouga is $17. 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 $25Merzouga $10
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPretoria $50Merzouga $20
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 $12Merzouga -
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pretoria
Also for Pretoria, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Gauteng, South Africa: Airport transfers, shuttle services: $26
- One Way Private Transfer from Airports and Hotels in Sandton: $86
- Sun City Private Transfer: $250
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Merzouga
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Merzouga:
- 1 way transfer: $61
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 $15Merzouga $5.92
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Merzouga
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Merzouga.
- One Night in Private Camp in the Sahara Desert in Merzouga with Dinner: $65
- Sunset With Dinner And Berber Music in Merzouga Desert With 4WD : $65
- Day Trip By Camels In Erg Chebbi Dunes, Lunch With Berber Pizza: $76
- Merzouga Orange Dunes ATV Sandsurf Camels with 5 Stars Dinner: $85
- Camel trek with 1 Night in Luxury camp with Dinner+ Sundbording: $87
- 5 Hour Sunset Tour with Camel Ride and Dinner In Desert: $87
- Visit The Nomads, Gnawa Music, Rally In Dunes, Berber Pizza : $104
- Magical Dinner and Camel Trek with 1 Night In Merzouga Luxury Desert Camp: $105
- Overnight in Luxury Camp With camel Trek & Dinner: $107
- From Fes: 2-Day Merzouga Desert Trip w/Luxury Tent & Dinner: $115
- From Fes: 2-Day Merzouga Desert Trip(Luxury Tent & Dinner): $123
- 2 Nights Private Camp in Merzouga with Dinner and Camel Ride: $200
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Pretoria $14Merzouga -
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: $16
- Private 1 hour Cruise on Hartebeespoort Dam: $29
- Soweto walking tour with a taxi ride: $32
- History Bicycle Tour of Soweto: $38
- Apartheid Museum Tour in Johannesburg, every FRIDAY afternoon: $50
- Johannesburg guided city tour: $51
- Private local authentic soweto Moto taxi experience : $52
- Pretoria Tour - Voortrekker Monument, Union Buildings, Pretoria : $53
- Soweto and Johannesburg Tours: $53
- Johannesburg Walking Tours: $54
- Johannesburg and Soweto guided tour: $54
- Soweto Township Tour from Johannesburg - Friday Special: $56
Tours and Activities in Merzouga
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Merzouga are as follows:
- Berber Experience Private Sahara Desert Day Trip: $80
- Private Adventure to Merzouga Risani from Erfoud : $142
- Private Desert Tour and Visit to Nomadic Families: $98
- 1 Hour Merzouga Desert Buggy Experience: $140
- 1 Hour Merzouga Desert Quad Biking Tour: $64
- 1 Night Camel Trekking Tour in Merzouga Desert Camp : $60
- 1/2 day 4x4 tour of Erg Chebbi: $82
- 2 Hours Merzouga Desert Quad Bike Adventure: $113
- 2 hours Merzouga Dunes ATV Rental - Desert Quad Biking Tour: $112
- 2-Day Desert Tour with Return to Marrakech: $181
- 3 Days Tour From Marrakech To Sahara Desert Of Merzouga: $86
- 3 Days Tour from Fes to Marrakech via Merzouga with Luxury Camp: $218
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPretoria $31Merzouga -
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.