Which place is cheaper, Barcelona or Essaouira?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Essaouira or Barcelona?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Essaouira and Barcelona can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Essaouira or Barcelona?
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.
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain with a population of over 1.5 million people. It's also the capital of Catalonia and is located on the northeastern part of the Mediterranean coast. Barcelona is one of the country's most popular travel destinations because of its rich history, interesting architecture, and vibrant culture. Barcelona hosted the 1992 Summer Olympic games and that had a strong influence over tourism in the area. Many different neighborhoods were renovated and rebuilt. Modern design became the norm in many parts of the city, although there is still an old city feel and many efforts at preservation.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Morocco, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Morocco, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Spain, and The Best 10-Day Tours in Spain.
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Essaouira Prices
Morocco PricesBarcelona Prices
Spain Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayEssaouira $62Barcelona $218
The average daily cost (per person) in Essaouira is $62, while the average daily cost in Barcelona is $218. 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 Essaouira and Barcelona in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personEssaouira $29Barcelona $115
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomEssaouira $58Barcelona $230
Compare Hotels in Essaouira and Barcelona
Looking for a hotel in Essaouira or Barcelona? 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: Essaouira Hotel Prices and Barcelona Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Essaouira $2.21Barcelona $22
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Essaouira
Also for Essaouira, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer Essaouira-Essaouira Airport: $23
- Transfer Airport Essaouira Mogador : $24
- Private Transfer from or to Essaouira Aéroport : $36
- Essaouira P5: Quad EN route DE la mer (free transfer): $38
- Private Transfer from or to Essaouira Airport : $40
- Essaouira Desert Quad and Sandboarding with Photos and Transfer: $71
- "Essaouira to Agafay Desert Marrakech: Exclusive Private Transfer: $90
- Private Transfer from Marrakech to Essaouira 1 to 4 people: $109
- Private transfer Marrakech to Essaouira or Essaouira toMarrakech : $114
- Transfert Marrakech to Essaouira Or Essaouira to Marrakech : $114
- Private transfer Essaouira to Marrakech or Marrakech / essaouira : $119
- Airport transfer, Departure : Essaouira, Arrival : Agadir: $127
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Barcelona
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Barcelona are as follows:
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10 Trip Metro Ticket$9.15
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Airport Bus$5.87
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Metro$2.46
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Barcelona
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Barcelona:
- Montserrat RoundTrip Transfer with lunch (optional): $298
- Private Transfer from Barcelona to Figueres: $281
- Private Transfer from Barcelona Airport to Calella de Palafrugell: $281
- Private Transfer From Barcelona To Tarragona With a 2 Hour Stop: $260
- Private Transfer from Barcelona to La Roca Shopping Village: $258
- La Roca Village: private Round-Trip Transfer: $257
- Private Transfer from Barcelona to Reuse Airport: $239
- Transfer with wheelchair Accessible from Bcn airport/ port/city: $239
- Private Transfer from Barcelona to PortAventura World: $222
- Private Transfer from Barcelona Airport to Tossa de Mar: $221
- Barcelona Airport (BNC) to Port Aventura/Salou Arrival Transfer: $211
- Private Transfer from Barcelona Airport (BCN) to Tarragona Port: $210
Is it cheaper to fly into Essaouira or Barcelona?
Prices for flights to both Barcelona and Essaouira 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 dayEssaouira $26Barcelona $68
Typical Food Prices in Essaouira
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Essaouira:
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Baklava$1.55
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Breakfast Crepes$0.55
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Fish for Lunch$17
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
- Essaouira Moroccan Cooking Class Experience: $42
- Essaouira Sunset Experience, Waterfall Walk & Romantic Dinner: $43
- l'Atelier - Moroccan Cooking Workshop in Essaouira: $71
- Essaouira Food Tour: $88
- 3 Hours Horse Riding with Dinner and Overnight Berber Camp: $220
Typical Food Prices in Barcelona
Some typical examples of dining costs in Barcelona are as follows:
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Hot Cocoa & Churro$4.87
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Sandwich$1.99
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Baguette & Horchata$4.46
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Tapas on the beach$9.72
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Gelatto$2.93
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Barcelona
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Barcelona.
- Hard Rock Cafe Barcelona with Set Lunch or Dinner: $34
- Barcelona Guided Street Food Tour and Gothic Quarter Visit: $42
- Flamenco Casa Sors & Guitar Museum with Optional Drink or Dinner: $44
- Tasty Barcelona Street Food Tour With Local Market Visit : $54
- Barcelona Food Tour: Market & Gothic Quarter with Expert Guide: $54
- Barcelona Street Food Tour with Local Market & City Center Visit: $54
- Tablao Flamenco Cordobes on Rambla Barcelona with Dinner Option: $57
- Barcelona Morning Tapas Crawl by Food Tour: $71
- Wine Tasting and 5 Course Tapas Pairing Dinner: $71
- Barcelona Interactive Spanish Cooking Experience: $78
- Seafood Paella and Mediterranean Tapas Cooking Class: $81
- A vegan/vegetarian food tour in Barcelona: $90
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Essaouira $13Barcelona $39
Tours and Activities in Essaouira
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Essaouira.
- Essaouira to Marrakech Supratours bus tickets: $18
- Essaouira Donkey Tours : $30
- Full-Day Essaouira Tour from Marrakech: $30
- guided Oriental city tour marrakech from agadir 1 day: $39
- 1 Hour Quad Bike Adventure in Essaouira Forest Beach: $42
- Essaouira Dar Sultan Palace Horseback Tour Experience: $54
- 2 Hours Dromedary Ride Tour in Essaouira Morocco: $54
- Essaouira P12: 1h Quad bike tour and 1h dromedary Ride: $58
- Essaouira Tour - Half day visit to berber market : $61
- Big dunes and atlantic coast tour 2 HOURS: $62
- Essaouira Guided Tour: 3 on 1 - Nightlife tour, Live like a local & Street food: $71
- Authentic Berber Tour near Essaouira – Fishing,Tagine & Waterfall: $71
Typical Entertainment Prices in Barcelona
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Barcelona are as follows:
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Picasso Walking Tour and Museum Pass$49
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Souvenir Gaudi Book$10
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Admission to Museo Picasso$7.04
Tours and Activities in Barcelona
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Barcelona are as follows:
- Barcelona Arrival Cruise Port to Sants Station Private: $45
- Barcelona eBike Beach Private Tour to Vineyards & Picnic: $299
- Costa Brava Coves Towns and Winery Private Tour: $197
- Day Sailing Experience, Barcelona(9 Persons): $90
- Luca’s Hidden Old the Gothic and El Born Tour: $24
- Montserrat Guided Tour from Barcelona + Basilica Access : $94
- Private Guides Barcelona Tour with Skip The Line in Cathedral: $238
- Private Mountain Bike Tour in Barcelona: $57
- Sagrada Familia Guided Tour: $197
- Self-Guided Audio Tour - Legends of the Gothic Quarter: $10
- Skip The Line - Early Picasso Museum and Born Neighborhood: $61
- Sunset Sailing Tour in Barcelona: $71
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayEssaouira $10Barcelona $20
Sample the Local Flavors in Barcelona
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Barcelona:
- Barcelona Bar Crawl Old Town Treasure Tramp Adventure: $15
- Estrella Damm Brewery in El Prat de Llobregat tour with Tasting: $18
- Barcelona Halloween Bar Crawl: $18
- Pub Crawl in Barcelona: $18
- Pub Crawl Barcelona by EVOLVE The BEST night experience: $24
- Estrella Damm Old Brewery Barcelona Guided Tour with Beer Tasting: $24
- Nightlife Tour - Barcelona Bar Crawl with Flamingos: $25
- Original Pub Crawl & Tapas Tour: $30
- Wine tasting next to the Sagrada Familia: $30
- Barcelona Markets Tour With Optional Food & Wine Tasting Upgrade: $35
- Winery tour & wine tasting in Penedès region 40min from Barcelona: $38
- Wine Tasting Experience in Barcelona: $42
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Essaouira and Barcelona, we can see that Barcelona is more expensive. And not only is Essaouira much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Essaouira is in Africa and Barcelona 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 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 Barcelona would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Barcelona 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 Essaouira Expensive? and Is Barcelona Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Essaouira or Barcelona?
Barcelona has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Essaouira. When comparing the sizes of Essaouira and Barcelona, 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.