A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Zagora vs. Madrid for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Zagora or Madrid?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Zagora or Madrid? 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: Zagora or Madrid?

Zagora

A small town in southern Morocco, Zagora is a popular base camp for excursions on foot, by camel, or four wheel drive vehicles into the surrounding desert. One of the most famous and historic treks is the ancient caravan route to Timbuktu, marked by a famous sign at the end of town - indicating a journey of "52 days" by camel.

Madrid

Madrid, the capital of Spain, overs visitors countless opportunities to experience Spain's culture, art, cuisine, and nightlife. It is the largest city in Spain, and as such has much to explore. The city is situated on the Iberian Peninsula on the Spanish central Castillian plateau. If you're flying into Spain, you'll likely fly into the Madrid airport as it's one of the largest airports in Europe. Madrid is well connected to the rest of Spain with planes, trains and buses, making it a popular place to visit for many travelers doing a European tour.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Morocco, The Best Cultural Tours in Morocco, The Best Contiki Tours to Spain, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Spain.


Which place is cheaper, Madrid or Zagora?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Zagora is $50, while the average daily cost in Madrid is $146. 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 Zagora and Madrid in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Zagora $36
    Madrid $83
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Zagora $72
    Madrid $166
Compare Hotels in Zagora and Madrid

Looking for a hotel in Zagora or Madrid? 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 Zagora


Hotels in Madrid


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: Zagora Hotel Prices and Madrid Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Zagora $1.42
    Madrid $20

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Zagora

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Zagora:

  • Airport Private Transfer: $35

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Madrid

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Madrid are as follows:


  • Taxi Ride
    $28

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Madrid

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

  • Madrid Barajas Airport: Transfer to/from Atocha Bus Station: $7.48
  • Madrid Barajas International Airport - Private Arrival Transfer: $22
  • Private transfer from Atocha Station to Madrid city center: $22
  • Hotel Madrid City Private Transfer To Madrid Barajas Airport: $26
  • Private One-way Airport Transfer Madrid Airport To Madrid: $27
  • Private transfer: Barajas Airport (MAD) to Madrid City Center: $29
  • Madrid Barajas Airport Private Transfer To Alcobendas: $32
  • Private Arrival Transfer from Barajas Airport: $40
  • Private Transfer: Madrid to Madrid Barajas Adolfo Suárez Airport (MAD): $42
  • Private Transfer From Madrid Barajas Airport to Madrid: $44
  • Private Transfer from Airport to the City of Madrid Round Trip: $48
  • Madrid City Center: Private Transfer to Madrid Airport: $49

Is it cheaper to fly into Zagora or Madrid?

Prices for flights to both Madrid and Zagora 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
    Zagora $13
    Madrid $36

Typical Food Prices in Madrid

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


  • Coffee
    $2.14
  • Ice Cream
    $3.21
  • Kebabs (for 2)
    $17
  • Croissant
    $1.61
  • Lunch at Airport (for 2)
    $17

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Madrid

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

  • Tipsy Tapas Food Tour with Drinks and Food: $27
  • Drunken Tapas Food Tour with Dinner in Madrid: $33
  • Tapas Dinner Party Food Tour with Guide: $33
  • Tapas Crawl Food Tour with 6 Tapas and 4 Drinks: $35
  • Madrid Tipsy Tapas Guided Food Tour with Dinner: $42
  • Madrid Tipsy Tapas Tour with Dinner and Drinks: $43
  • Madrid Tapas Dinner Party with Guide: $43
  • Paella and Sangria Workshop with Dinner and Drinks: $47
  • Skip the Line: Flamenco Show with Dinner and Workshop in Madrid Ticket: $49
  • San Miguel Market and Street Food Tour: $52
  • Traditional Paella & Sangría Workshop & Spanish Dinner in Madrid: $53
  • The Authentic Morning Madrid's Food Tour: $59

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Zagora $2.85
    Madrid $36

Tours and Activities in Zagora

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Zagora are as follows:

  • 2 Days Tour to Zagora Desert with sunset from Marrakech: $82
  • 2 days tour from Zagora to Erg Chegaga: $136
  • From Agadir 4 Days 3 night Désert Tours to Marrakech: $1,326
  • From Agadir or Taghazout: 2-Day Sahara Desert Tour to Zagora: $353
  • From Agadir or Taghazout: 2-Day Sahara Desert Tour to Zagora: $356
  • From Agadir or Taghazout: 2-Day Sahara Desert Tour to Zagora: $376
  • From 2-Day Desert Tour to Erg Chegaga: $288
  • Marrakech: 2-Day Sahara Desert Tour Zagora & BenHaddou: $111
  • Private Day Camel Trekking Tour in Draa Valley from Zagora: $214
  • Zagora to Erg chigaga desert tour & 4x4 (All-inclusive) 2-Days: $164
  • Zagora to Erg chigaga desert tour & 4x4 (All-inclusive) 2-Days: $164

Tours and Activities in Madrid

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

  • Madrid Essential: Free Walking City Tour: $1.07
  • First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.21
  • Madrid Mountains Free Walking Tour: $3.27
  • History & Culture Guided Walking Tour: $4.28
  • Escape Game and Tour: $4.28
  • 2 Hour Madrid Walking Tour : $4.36
  • Wonders of Madrid Walking Tour : $4.36
  • Wonders of Madrid Walking Tour: $5.35
  • Marvels of Madrid Walking Tour: $5.35
  • Madrid Old Town & Hidden Gems Walking Tour: $5.35
  • Ticket Entrance to the Madrid Nougat Museum: $5.35
  • Wonders of Madrid City Walking Tour: $5.35

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Zagora -
    Madrid $21

Typical Alcohol Prices in Madrid

Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Madrid are as follows:


  • Beer
    $5.36
  • Drinks and Tapas (for 2)
    $14

Sample the Local Flavors in Madrid

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Madrid:

  • Pub Crawl with Tapas and VIP Club Entry: $9.62
  • Madrid Pub Crawl with VIP Club Entrance: $11
  • Visit to the Winery with Wine Tasting and Appetizers in Navarra: $12
  • Pub crawl & Party Tour Madrid: $14
  • Pub Crawl Madrid Running since 2005 Bar Exploration: $16
  • Guided Pub Crawl Madrid Experience and Club Entry: $16
  • Pub Crawl Madrid-The Original since 2005-Shots-Fun-Clubs-Dance: $16
  • Pub Crawl Madrid: $19
  • Wine Tasting near Plaza Mayor: $22
  • Wine Tasting Experience with 4 Spanish Wines: $26
  • Wine Tour with tasting in the Natural Park of La Mata: $38
  • Wine Tasting Experience: $49


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Zagora and Madrid, we can see that Madrid is more expensive. And not only is Zagora much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Zagora is in Africa and Madrid 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 Zagora would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Zagora 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 Madrid would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Madrid than you might in Zagora.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Zagora Expensive? and Is Madrid Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Zagora or Madrid?

Madrid has a larger population, and is about 90 times larger than the population of Zagora. When comparing the sizes of Zagora and Madrid, 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.