Which place is cheaper, Essaouira or Rhodes?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Rhodes or Essaouira?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Rhodes and Essaouira. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Rhodes or Essaouira?
Rhodes
Rhodes Island is one of the largest and most visited islands in Greece both because of its diversity of sights and its wonderful climate. On the island are some beautiful beaches, well preserved historic sights, and lovely towns. Rhodes City is the capital city on the island of Rhodes and is famous as the former site of the Colossus. Colossus is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and the oldest inhabited medieval town in Europe. Today Rhodes City has an interesting old town that is surrounded by the medieval wall. Inside you'll find countless souvenir shops and restaurants that cater to tourists. Cruise ships also frequent the island, so it's best visited during the off season when the crowds may be slightly less. You will also find that prices drop when the crowds are thinner and the cruise ships are scarce.
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 2-Week Tours in Greece, The Best Bicycle Tours in Greece, 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 dayRhodes €135Essaouira €43
The average daily cost (per person) in Rhodes is €135, while the average daily cost in Essaouira is €43. 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 Rhodes and Essaouira in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personRhodes €58Essaouira €24
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomRhodes €116Essaouira €48
Compare Hotels in Rhodes and Essaouira
Looking for a hotel in Rhodes 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: Rhodes Hotel Prices and Essaouira Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Rhodes €48Essaouira €1.87
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Rhodes
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Rhodes:
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Taxi Ride€7.00
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Rhodes
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Rhodes:
- Rhodes Private Return Transfer - Rhodes Airport to Kiotari (and return): $256
- Rhodes Private Return Transfer - Rhodes Airport to Glistra-Glystra (and return): $244
- Rhodes Private Return Transfer - Rhodes Airport to Pefki (and return): $228
- Rhodes Private Return Transfer - Rhodes Airport to Lardos - Lindos (and return): $225
- Rhodes Private Return Transfer - Rhodes Airport to Vlicha (and return): $192
- Rhodes Private Return Transfer - Rhodes Airport to Kalathos (and return): $186
- Rhodes Private Return Transfer - Rhodes Airport to Embona (and return): $154
- Rhodes Private Return Transfer - Rhodes Airport to Kamiros (and return): $154
- Rhodes Private Return Transfer - Rhodes Airport to Salakos (and return): $154
- Rhodes Private Return Transfer - Rhodes Airport to Stegna (and return): $138
- Rhodes Private Return Transfer - Rhodes Airport to Archangelos (and return): $132
- Rhodes Private Return Transfer - Rhodes Airport to Kolympia (and return): $122
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Essaouira
Also for Essaouira, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfert Marrakech to Agafay-Private Agafay to Marrakech : $87
- Airport Transfer From Essaouira Airport To Medina: $22
- Essaouira : Private Transfer from or to Agafay Desert: $160
- Essaouira Airport To city Transfer: $38
- Essaouira private transfer from Essaouira city to Agadir airport (AGA): $138
- Hinterland Quad Bike Tour with Transfer: $36
- Private Transfer from or to Essaouira Airport: $27
- Private Transfer from or to Essaouira Airport (ESU): $22
- Scenic Hinterland Quad Ride with Transfer: $80
- From Beachside Quad Bike Tour with Transfer: $70
- From Private Transfer to Casablanca: $321
- From Private Transfer to Marrakech: $123
Is it cheaper to fly into Rhodes or Essaouira?
Prices for flights to both Essaouira and Rhodes 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 dayRhodes €47Essaouira €13
Typical Food Prices in Rhodes
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Rhodes:
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Coffee€1.95
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Dinner for Two€23
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Rhodes
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Rhodes.
- Rhodes Sunset Cruise - Dinner with Live Music set: $44
- Sunset Catamaran Cruise with Dinner: $53
- Guided Rhodes City By Night with Live Music & Dinner: $70
- Rhodes by Night With Dinner - Laterna: $72
- Food & Wine Tour: 11- Course Lunch, Cooking Class, Wine Tasting: $75
- Vine & Dine Tale: 11-Plate Lunch, Wine Discovery, Cooking Mastery: $75
- 3-Hours Sunset Catamaran Cruise with Dinner all Inclusive: $76
- Sunset Cruise w/ Gourmet Dinner, Drinks & Live Music: $77
- 11 Course Lunch with Cooking Mastery and Wine Tasting in Rhodes: $84
- Rhodes Wine & Food Tour: 10 Meal Course Lunch, Wine Tasting, Cooking Class : $85
- Traditional Greek COOKING class and Wine Tasting in Rhodes: $86
- Winery Tour, Tasting and cooking with the Winemaker in Rhodes: $86
Typical Food Prices in Essaouira
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Essaouira:
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Baklava€1.31
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Breakfast Crepes€0.47
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Fish for Lunch€14
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: $55
- Traditional Family Style Moroccan Cooking Class: $67
- 3 hours Camel Ride in Essaouira with Dinner and Overnight in Berber Camp: $170
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Rhodes €19Essaouira €11
Tours and Activities in Rhodes
Here are a few actual costs in Rhodes for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 3 Hour Yellow Semi Submarine Swimming Cruise with Drinks Included!: $55
- Full Day Sail Cruise In Greece: $140
- Private Full Day Tour Introducing the Most & the Best of Rhodes : $96
- Private Swimming Snorkeling Experience at the Most Beautiful Bays of Rhodes : $73
- Rhodes Town Day Tour from Kolymbia in a High Speed Boat: $49
- Rhodes, Lindos and Medieval City Guided Tour: $77
- 3-hour Guided Submarine Tour in Saint Paul's Bay, Lindos and Navarone Bay: $38
- 30m Wooden traditional Boat - 6.5 Hours Day Cruise in Rhodes: $71
- 4 Hour Beach Tour with Meal and Unlimited Drinks in Rhodes: $120
- 4x4 Buggy Adventures - Off-road Polaris Experience: $120
- 6-Hour Guided Tour in the Main Ancient Attractions of Rhodes: $71
- 90 min Sunset Cruise to Anthony Quinn Bay with Unlimited Drinks!: $33
Tours and Activities in Essaouira
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Essaouira.
- Highlights Tour with Tasting the Ocean City: $19
- Full Day Tour From Marrakech To Essaouira Mogador: $21
- Private City Tour: $26
- From Marrakech: Guided tour of Essaouira the coastal city: $26
- Friend-Guide Essaouira city tour: $31
- 3-Hour Camel Tour: $40
- Cultural & Historical Sightseeing Tour - half day: $41
- Guided Dromedary Riding Tour: $48
- Half-Day Old Town Guided Tour: $48
- Essaouira : 1H quad bike tour and 1H camel ride: $57
- Big dunes and atlantic coast tour 2 HOURS: $57
- 2 Hour Quad & ATV Experience: $58
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayRhodes €12Essaouira €8.58
Sample the Local Flavors in Rhodes
Also in Rhodes, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Private Wine Tasting Experience for Beginners: $37
- Rhodian Wines - Private Wine Tasting Under a Sommelier: $53
- 1 Day Rhodes Island Tour with Olive Oil, Honey and Wine Tasting : $55
- Enchanting Lindos, Old Town, History, Culture & Wine Tour: $56
- Full Day Guided Rhodes Island Cultural & Wine Tour: $56
- Rhodes Shore Excursion Including Olive Oil, Honey & Wine Tasting: $59
- Wine tasting in Rhodes, inside the vineyards with the Producer: $60
- Rhodes Island Tour: Lindos, Old Town, Pottery Workshop, Wine Tasting : $60
- Full-Day Rhodes Island Tour with Wine Tasting Experience: $62
- Private Wine Tasting Experience for Wine Lovers: $64
- Rhodes Deluxe Tour including Lindos, Old Town, Wine Tasting : $64
- Full-Day Сomprehensive Tour of Rhodes including Wine Tasting : $67
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Rhodes and Essaouira, we can see that Rhodes is more expensive. And not only is Essaouira much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Rhodes is in Europe 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 Rhodes would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Rhodes 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 Rhodes Expensive? and Is Essaouira Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Rhodes or Essaouira?
Rhodes has a larger population, and is about 8 times larger than the population of Essaouira. When comparing the sizes of Rhodes 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.