A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Soweto vs. Essaouira for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Soweto 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 Soweto 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: Soweto or Essaouira?

Soweto

The name Soweto is an acronym for South Western Townships, first used in 1963 to describe the groups of townships to the south west of Johannesburg. It is a city of contrasts, featuring anything from tin shanties to luxurious mansions, and is probably best known for being the home of two Nobel Prize winners.

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 One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Cape Town, The Best 2-Week Tours from Cape Town, The Best 10-Day Tours in Morocco, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Morocco.


Which place is cheaper, Essaouira or Soweto?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Soweto is $88, while the average daily cost in Essaouira is $61. 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 Soweto and Essaouira in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Soweto $36
    Essaouira $28
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Soweto $72
    Essaouira $56
Compare Hotels in Soweto and Essaouira

Looking for a hotel in Soweto 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.

Hotels in Soweto


Hotels in Essaouira


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
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Soweto $13
    Essaouira $2.18

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Essaouira

Also for Essaouira, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • private transfer essaouira to casablanca or casablanca-essaouira: $287
  • Transferts Marrakech à Essaouira ou Essaouira à Marrakech: $98
  • Transfert Marrakech to Essaouira Or Essaouira to Marrakech: $112
  • Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakech city or Marrakech airport: $125
  • Private transfer Marrakech airpot - Essaouira: $117
  • Private transfer Essaouira Taroudant.: $199
  • Private transfer Essaouira Safi.: $110
  • Private Transfer from Marrakech to Essaouira 1 to 4 people: $109
  • Private Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakesh Menara (RAK) Airport: $137
  • Private Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakech: $114
  • Private Transfer Essaouira-Agadir: $129
  • From Agadir : Day in Essaouira with Transfer: $33

Is it cheaper to fly into Soweto or Essaouira?

Prices for flights to both Essaouira and Soweto 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Soweto $40
    Essaouira $26

Typical Food Prices in Essaouira

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Essaouira:


  • Baklava
    $1.52
  • Breakfast Crepes
    $0.54
  • Fish for Lunch
    $16

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Essaouira

For Essaouira, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Agadir Cooking Class Experience with Local Market Visit: $30
  • Traditional Moroccan Cooking Class: $39
  • Cooking class: How To Be a Real Moroccan Chef: $41
  • Essaouira Sunset Tour: Sidi M’barek Waterfall,Coastal Walk&Dinner: $48
  • Moroccan cooking class in Essaouira city: $53
  • Essaouira Moroccan Cooking Class Experience: $53
  • Essaouira Cooking Class At Home: $53
  • Al Aaila Farm Moroccan Natural And Healthy Cooking Experience: $59
  • Essaouira Street Food Tour: $69
  • Essaouira Walking Food Tour: $70
  • l'Atelier - Moroccan Cooking Workshop in Essaouira: $70
  • 3 hours Camel Ride in Essaouira with Dinner and Overnight in Berber Camp: $214

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Soweto $18
    Essaouira $13

Tours and Activities in Soweto

For Soweto, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Johannesburg: Soweto Half-Day Tour: $64
  • Johannesburg: Soweto Night Tour: $103
  • Johannesburg: Soweto Tour with Lunch: $75
  • Sip & Paint Walking Tour: $38
  • Visit Gospel service with additional Bicycle Tour of Soweto: $51

Tours and Activities in Essaouira

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Essaouira.

  • 1 Day Horseback Riding Tour with Overnight Stay in Berber Tent: $293
  • 1 Hour Quad Bike Adventure in Essaouira desert: $32
  • 1-Day Quad Adventure in Essaouira near Marrakech: $207
  • 1-hour buggy tour in Essaouira desert (2 places/buggy): $77
  • 2 – Hours Quad Bike Adventure in Essaouira Desert with Moroccan Tea: $54
  • 2 Hours Dromedary Ride Tour in Essaouira Morocco: $53
  • 2-Hours Buggy Adventure in Essaouira desert (2 places per buggy): $92
  • 2H Buggy Adventure in Essaouira beaches ́Dunes & Forest Ride: $158
  • 3-Days Desert Tour From Fes to Marrakech: $199
  • 3H Buggy Adventure – Dunes, Ocean & Sunset Ride: $233
  • Beginners surf experience in Essaouira: $34
  • Big Cap Sim dunes and forest 3 hours tour.: $75

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Soweto $9.35
    Essaouira $10


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Soweto and Essaouira, we can see that Soweto is more expensive. And not only is Essaouira much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. 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 Soweto would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Soweto 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 Soweto Expensive? and Is Essaouira Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Soweto or Essaouira?

Soweto has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Essaouira. When comparing the sizes of Soweto 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.