Which place is cheaper, Marseille or Xi'an?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Xi'an or Marseille?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Xi'an and Marseille can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Xi'an or Marseille?
Xi'an
Xi'an is an ancient city in the Shaanxi Province in China. Today it is most notable as the location of the Terracotta Warriors, but for visitors who choose to linger, there is so much more to see and do in the area. The city itself is more than 3,000 years old and for about one thousand years, through 13 dynasties and 73 emperors, it was the capital. Because of its rich history there are many historical ruins and a strong culture in the city. Today the city is a pleasant place to visit, although much of it's influence and power has dwindled. The city has both cosmopolitan and modern areas as well as historic and culturally rich areas. The neighborhoods are diverse and by exploring the city in depth you can learn a little more about what China really has to offer.
Marseille
Marseille is the second largest city in France and is the largest Mediterranean port in the region. For visitors, Marseille offers an authentic glimpse at France. It has many colorful markets, natural beauty such as the Calanques with its large, beautiful cliffs, and the old harbor area, which offers a glimpse at the areas working class history.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in China, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in China, The Best Contiki Tours to France, and The Best G Adventures Tours to France.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayXi'an $94Marseille $158
The average daily cost (per person) in Xi'an is $94, while the average daily cost in Marseille is $158. 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 Xi'an and Marseille in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personXi'an $60Marseille $76
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomXi'an $120Marseille $152
Compare Hotels in Xi'an and Marseille
Looking for a hotel in Xi'an or Marseille? 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: Marseille Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Xi'an $12Marseille $30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Xi'an
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Xi'an:
- Xian to Xian Xianyang Airport (XIY) - Departure Private Transfer: $32
- Xian Xianyang International Airport (XIY) Private Departure Transfer: $40
- Xian Xianyang International Airport (XIY) Private Arrival Transfer: $40
- Xian Xianyang Airport (XIY) to Xian City - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $57
- Xian Xianyang Airport (XIY) to Xian - Arrival Private Transfer: $32
- Xian Terracotta Warriors and City Wall Tour with Airport Transfer: $224
- Xian Terracotta Warriors Tour with Airport Transfer: $176
- Xian Private Day Tour with Airport Transfer: Terracotta Warriors and City Wall: $186
- Xian City to Xian Xianyang Airport (XIY) - Departure Private Transfer: $28
- Xian Best Day Tour with Airport / Railway Station Transfer: $132
- Xi’an Xianyang International Airport Private Departure Transfer from City Area : $29
- Xi’an Terracotta Warriors Private Round-Trip Transfer from City Area : $69
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Marseille
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Marseille:
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Metro Pass$3.21
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Marseille
Also for Marseille, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- “Airport-Marseille Center Transfers: Luxury and Comfort VTC.”: $88
- Airport Marseille Transfer to Marseille Old Port: $91
- Aix en Provence-Transfer from or to Marseille Airport: $103
- Arles-Transfer From or To Airport MARSEILLE: $219
- Arrival Private Transfer Marseille Airport MRS to Marseille city or Port by Van: $102
- Arrival Transfer: MRS Airport to Marseille in Business Car: $109
- Arrival Transfer: MRS Airport to Marseille in Luxury Van: $114
- Cannes Private Transfer to Marseille Airport: $646
- Departure Private Transfer Marseille city or Port to Marseile Airport MRS by Van: $101
- Departure Private Transfer from Marseille city to Marseille Cruise Port by Van: $101
- Departure Transfer: Marseille to MRS Airport in Business Car: $109
- Marseille Airport (MRS) Arrival Transfer (Airport to Marseille Hotel or Address): $216
Is it cheaper to fly into Xi'an or Marseille?
Prices for flights to both Marseille and Xi'an 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 dayXi'an $12Marseille $45
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Xi'an
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Xi'an.
- Skip the Line: Xi'an Tang Dynasty Show Ticket & Dumpling Dinner or Royal Banquet: $32
- Dinner and Show of Tang Dynasty Palace in Xian: $40
- Private Home Cooking Class:Dumpling Cooking Class Tour in Xi'an: $50
- Xi'an Twilight Sightseeing and Food Tour: $51
- Tang Dynasty Dinner Show: $55
- Xi'an Vegetarian Food Tour: $60
- Xi'an Food Tour by Tuk Tuk: $62
- Private Xi'an Food Tour: $65
- Private Xi’an Night & Food Tour by Tuk Tuk and Public Transportation: $67
- Xi'an Evening Food Tour by TukTuk: $69
- 4 Hours Food Tours in Xi'an: $72
- 3-Hour Biang Biang Noodles Cooking Class in Xi'an: $75
Typical Food Prices in Marseille
For Marseille, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Orangina$2.68
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Marseille
For Marseille, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Web-cooking workshop / French cuisine or French pastry: $35
- No Diet Club - Unique food tour in Marseille! (Cours Julien): $64
- Sunset Boat Cruise with Dinner and Drinks: $73
- Sunset Cruise with Dinner: $74
- Sunset Sailing Cruise with Dinner and Drinks: $86
- Bakeries, Chocolate & Patisseries Food Tour: $94
- Marseille Sunset Apéro Food tour: $97
- Evening Food Tour with Tastings: $102
- Sunset Sailing Dinner in the Frioul Archipelago: $102
- Walking Food Tour with Tastings: $102
- Marseille Miam Miam Food tour: $104
- Marseille Food Tour - Do Eat Better Experience: $108
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Xi'an $35Marseille $41
Tours and Activities in Xi'an
Here are a few actual costs in Xi'an for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Group Tour to the Terra-cotta Warriors Museum & Lunch : $65
- Private Half Day Tour to See The Big Wild Goose Pagoda&City Wall:: $185
- Xi'an Morning Food & Market Tour by TukTuk: $55
- #1 Bestselling Private Terracotta Army Tours + Customized Xian Tours: $109
- 1 Day Xian City Highlights Private Tour: $148
- 1 Day Xian Group Tour: Terracotta Warriors & City Wall: $138
- 1 day The Terracotta Army+Xi'an City Wall+Yongxing Square Mini Group Tour: $106
- 1 day Xi'an Culture and History Discovery Mini Group tour: $112
- 1 day private tour to Xi'an Terra Cotta Warriors by Metro/Subway: $110
- 1-Day Xi'an City Highlights and Hanyangling Museum Private Tour: $100
- 1-Day Xi'an Terracotta Warriors Museum and Banpo Neolithic Village Museum Tour: $100
- 1-Day Xi'an Terracotta Warriors,Wild Goose Pagoda and Banpo Village Museum Tour: $100
Tours and Activities in Marseille
For Marseille, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.23
- Marseille:Highlights Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt & Tour: $4.31
- City Exploration Game and Tour: $4.31
- Marseille Scavenger Hunt and Best Landmarks Self-Guided Tour: $4.37
- City Exploration Game and Tour on your Phone: $6.45
- Marseille Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.00
- Self-guided Like a Local Highlights Day Tour: $9.58
- Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt Game & Sightseeing: $9.94
- Panier District Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $11
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: $11
- Humorous and Informative Tour of the Historic Center of La Ciotat: $11
- Mucem Skip-the-Line Entry Ticket: $12
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayXi'an $7.23Marseille $29
Sample the Local Flavors in Marseille
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Marseille:
- Marseille Bar Crawl Party with Free Shots and VIP Entry: $22
- Marseille Riviera Bar Crawl Party with Free Shots and VIP Entry: $27
- Marseille Pub Crawl : Meet, Drink & Party: $43
- New Year's Eve Bar Crawl Marseille France: $65
- Short Day Tour around Aix en Provence and Wine Tasting : $119
- Bandol and Cassis: Full Day Wine Tour from Marseille: $144
- Luberon: Full-Day Wine Tour from Marseille: $144
- Full-day Wine Tour around Bandol & Cassis from Marseille: $146
- Full-Day Wine Tour around Luberon from Marseille: $146
- Marseille Shore Excursion - Full Day Wine Tour in Provence: $164
- Small Group Marseille Shore Excursion : Avignon & Chateauneuf du Pape Wine Tour: $164
- Côtes du Rhône Wine tour: Avignon, Palace of the Popes: $165
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Xi'an and Marseille, we can see that Marseille is more expensive. And not only is Xi'an much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Xi'an is in Asia and Marseille is in Europe, 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 Xi'an would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Xi'an 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 Marseille would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Marseille than you might in Xi'an.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Xi'an Expensive? and Is Marseille Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Xi'an or Marseille?
Xi'an has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Marseille. When comparing the sizes of Xi'an and Marseille, 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.