Which place is cheaper, Essaouira or Santorini?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Santorini or Essaouira?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Santorini or Essaouira, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Santorini or Essaouira?
Santorini
Santorini is a volcanic island that is part of the Cyclades group of the Greek Islands. It has some spectacular views, beautiful sunsets, and excellent beaches. As one of the most popular of the Greek Islands to visit, Santorini sees many tourists every year. However, it's for a good reason, as the famous white-washed buildings that spill down the hill, some with blue domes that match the gorgeous color of the water, are set against the beautiful mountainous backdrop of one of the most scenic areas of the Mediterranean. Home to several of these small and scenic towns such as Oia, Kamari, Perissa, and Fira, visitors can explore the large island, enjoy delicious food, swim at the beaches, hike the hills, and sail the blue waters.
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 Luxury Tours to Greece, The Best Budget Tours to 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 daySantorini €175Essaouira €43
The average daily cost (per person) in Santorini is €175, 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 Santorini and Essaouira in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSantorini €93Essaouira €24
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSantorini €186Essaouira €48
Compare Hotels in Santorini and Essaouira
Looking for a hotel in Santorini 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: Santorini Hotel Prices and Essaouira Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Santorini €28Essaouira €1.87
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santorini
Also for Santorini, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Helicopter Transfer between Mykonos & Santorini: $3,743
- Santorini Airport Transfer For Group: $297
- Santorini Group Transfer from Airport/Port up to 17 people: $180
- Santorini Airport(JTR) to Santorini - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $142
- Caldera Cruise with Greek Meal and Transfer: $139
- Skip Cable Car! Santorini Shore Excursion with Boat Transfer: $129
- Private Sunset Tour with Picnic & Transfer: $128
- Santorini to Heraklion Crete: Ferry Ticket & Hotel Transfer: $125
- Santorini to Mykonos: Ferry Ticket & Hotel Transfer: $125
- Santorini Private transfer up to 8 persons: $120
- Santorini Luxury Sailing Catamaran Cruise with BBQ, Drinks and Transfer: $120
- Santorini Sunset Luxury Sailing Catamaran Cruise with BBQ, drinks, transfer: $120
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Essaouira
Also for Essaouira, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- From Private Transfer to Casablanca: $321
- Private Transfer Essaouira - Rabat: $262
- Essaouira : Private Transfer from or to Agafay Desert: $160
- From Private Transfer to Taghazout or Agadir: $150
- Essaouira private transfer from Essaouira city to Agadir airport (AGA): $138
- From Private Transfer to Marrakech: $123
- Private transfer Marrakech to Essaouira or Essaouira toMarrakech : $102
- Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakech city or Marrakech airport: $93
- Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakech city or Marrakech airport: $93
- Transfert Marrakech to Agafay-Private Agafay to Marrakech : $87
- Private transfer Marrakech airpot - Essaouira : $87
- Scenic Hinterland Quad Ride with Transfer: $80
Is it cheaper to fly into Santorini or Essaouira?
Prices for flights to both Essaouira and Santorini 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 daySantorini €48Essaouira €13
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santorini
For Santorini, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Romantic Sunset Caldera Cruise with Dinner: $70
- Santorini Caldera: Sunset Cruise with Dinner: $70
- Volcanic Sunset Cruise with Dinner: $80
- Catamaran Tour with BBQ Dinner, Drinks, and Music: $91
- Volcano and Hot Springs Sunset Dinner Cruise: $96
- Cooking Class in Traditional cave house in Santorini!: $120
- Sunset Cruise with Swim Stops, Dinner, and Drinks: $120
- Fira: 4-Hour Walking Food Tour With Tastings: $123
- Half-Day Sunset Wine Tasting Tour in Santorini with dinner: $123
- Luxury Sunset Cruise with Dinner & Open Bar: $128
- Sunset Sea Kayak with Light Dinner: $128
- Hands on Cooking Class with a Chef: $134
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.Santorini €36Essaouira €11
Tours and Activities in Santorini
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Santorini.
- Santorini Panoramic Blue Shade Tour-Firostefani, Imerovigli, Oia: $62
- Santorini Private Half Day Tour : $218
- Santorini Secrets & Gems for Cruise Passengers: $96
- 3 Hour Sightseeing Tour in the Magical Santorini: $74
- 3 Hour Tour in Oia: $120
- 3 Hours Private Santorini Tour: $136
- 3-Hour Santorini Highlights Tour: $71
- 4 Hour Eat and Drink Private Tour in Santorini: $296
- 4 Hours Private Tour in Santorini with Pick up: $87
- 4 hrs island tour and photoshooting, Oia Blue domes, Red beach : $196
- 4-Hour Private Custom Santorini Tour: $161
- 5 Hour Santorini Shore Excursion for Cruise Passengers: $71
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
- Essaouira : 1H quad bike tour and 1H camel ride: $57
- Essaouira : Half-day E-Experience from Mountains to Sea: $129
- Essaouira Guided Tour: 3 on 1 - Nightlife tour, Live like a local & Street food: $65
- Essaouira Sand Dunes: Half Day Quad Bike Tour: $65
- 3-Hour Camel Tour: $40
- 3-Hour Quad Bike Tour: $87
- Area Highlights 3 hours E-Bike Tour: $61
- Atlantic Dune Buggy Adventure: $206
- Cultural & Historical Sightseeing Tour - half day: $41
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySantorini €26Essaouira €8.58
Sample the Local Flavors in Santorini
Also in Santorini, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Half Day Simply Santorini Tour with Wine Tasting: $60
- Top Sights Day Trip, Wine Tasting, & Oia Sunset: $63
- Fira Town Walking Tour with Wine Tasting: $75
- Top Sights of Santorini with Wine Tasting and Sunset in Oia: $75
- Notos Day Tour through History & Wine Tasting: $98
- Santorini 4 Hour Private Oia Tour & Wine Tasting : $105
- Wine Tour with Sunset in Oia: $106
- Santorini Highlights Small-Group Tour with Wine Tasting from Fira: $109
- 5 towns in 5 hours: Santorini Most Popular Tour with Wine tasting: $117
- Wine Tour Santorini: $118
- Wine tasting and Carving lesson in Santorini: $131
- Santorini 4-Hour Private Tour including Wine Tasting, Shore Excursion: $136
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Santorini and Essaouira, we can see that Santorini is more expensive. And not only is Essaouira much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Santorini 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 Santorini would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Santorini 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 Santorini Expensive? and Is Essaouira Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Santorini or Essaouira?
Santorini has a larger population, and is about 8 times larger than the population of Essaouira. When comparing the sizes of Santorini 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.