A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Cefalu vs. Merzouga for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Cefalu or Merzouga?

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 Cefalu and Merzouga. 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: Cefalu or Merzouga?

Cefalu

Cefalu is a fishing village and beach resort that is located on the northern coast of Sicily, Italy. It sits on the Tyerrhenian Sea and is just 70 kilometers from Palermo and 185 kilometers from Messina. The town has a small population of under 14,000 residents but is a significant tourist destination on the island of Sicily. The city is flooded with millions of tourists every year from around Sicily, elsewhere in Italy, and abroad. During the summer months it is not uncommon for the city's population to triple, putting a lot of pressure on the main streets and roads around town. The city is popular as a beach resort with a youthful vibe and an active nightlife.

Merzouga

Let's say you want to truly get away. I don't mean putting your ear buds in on some beach with a stronger on the next chair over. I mean really get away, and find yourself deserted. Merzouga, Morocco lets you do just that. This land of sand dune after sand dune is ideal for anyone yearning to ride a camel to the ends of civilization. And you'll find plenty of options to get here with a tour, or even on your own.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Italy, The Best Sightseeing Tours in Italy, The Best Budget Tours to Morocco, and The Best Luxury Tours to Morocco.


Which place is cheaper, Merzouga or Cefalu?

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 Cefalu is €139, while the average daily cost in Merzouga is €20. 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 Cefalu and Merzouga in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Cefalu 87
    Merzouga 9.66
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Cefalu 174
    Merzouga 19
Compare Hotels in Cefalu and Merzouga

Looking for a hotel in Cefalu or Merzouga? 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 Cefalu


Hotels in Merzouga


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: Cefalu Hotel Prices and Merzouga Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Cefalu 4.29
    Merzouga -

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cefalu

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

  • Club Med Cefalù to Palermo airport or vice versa, Private Transfer: $119
  • Hotel Kalura, Cefalù for Palermo airport or vice versa, Private Transfer: $120
  • Alberi del Paradiso, Cefalù for APT Palermo or vice versa, Private Transfer: $131
  • Le Calette, Cefalù to Palermo airport or vice versa, Private Transfer: $131
  • Private Transfer from Palermo Airport to Your Hotel in Cefalu: $179
  • Private taxi transfer from Catania airport or City to Cefalù (or Viceversa): $215

Is it cheaper to fly into Cefalu or Merzouga?

Prices for flights to both Merzouga and Cefalu 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
    Cefalu 48
    Merzouga 9.68

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cefalu

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

  • Cooking Class in a Sicilian countryhouse: $227

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Merzouga

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Merzouga.

  • Exclusive Merzouga Desert Safari: Camel Ride, Sandsurf & Dinner: $47
  • From 1 Night in the luxury camp. Camel ride and dinner: $60
  • Cooking class in Merzouga Make Berber Madfouna in Sand: $60
  • Merzouga Luxury AC Camp: Camel Ride, Dinner & breakfast: $66
  • Sunset With Dinner And Berber Music in Merzouga Desert With 4WD : $66
  • Private Trip By Jeep In Merzouga Desert, Lunch with Berber Pizza: $90
  • Magical Dinner and Camel Trek with 1 Night In Merzouga Luxury Desert Camp: $105
  • 2 Nights Private Camp in Merzouga with Dinner and Camel Ride: $200

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Cefalu 5.71
    Merzouga -

Tours and Activities in Cefalu

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

  • Cefalù Walking Tour with Audio and Written Guide by a Local: $6.56
  • Mountain bike tour of the Madonie from Cefalù: $106
  • Safari Jeep Wild Adventure: $161
  • Nebrodi and Halaesa valley jeep tours: $161
  • Nebrodi jeep adventure: $161
  • Madonie experience in jeep: $166
  • Cefalu Etna wild jeep experience: $173
  • High Madonie wild jeep adventure: $190
  • Madonie wild adventure: $246

Tours and Activities in Merzouga

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

  • 3 hour Jeep Tour in Merzouga Desert : $119
  • Overnight Sahara Tours luxury camp : $72
  • Private Desert Tour and Visit to Nomadic Families: $108
  • 1 Hour Merzouga Buggy Desert Tour: $143
  • 1 Hour Merzouga Desert Buggy Experience: $153
  • 1 Night Camel Trekking Tour in Merzouga Desert Camp : $66
  • 1 hour Quad in the Sahara: Merzouga Off Roading Experience: Nature & Wildlife: $82
  • 2 days tour in Merzouga Erg Chabbi with 4WD Jeep and Camel Treck : $179
  • 2 hours Merzouga Dunes ATV Rental - Desert Quad Biking Tour: $116
  • 2-Days Merzouga tour from Errachidia: $200
  • 2-Night Desert Camp Experience with Jeep Tour in Merzouga: $140
  • 3 Days Tour From Marrakech To Sahara Desert Of Merzouga: $118

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Cefalu 11
    Merzouga -


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

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


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