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

Should you visit Essaouira or Budva?

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 Budva can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Essaouira or Budva?

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.

Budva

A coastal resort in Montenegro, Budva is probably the country's most popular tourist destination. Not only does it host a number of great beaches, but it is also home to a picturesque old town center located on a small peninsula. Some of its best features include narrow winding lanes, historic buildings, churches, and small squares.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Morocco, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Morocco, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Montenegro, and The Best Adventure Tours to Montenegro.


Which place is cheaper, Budva or Essaouira?

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 Essaouira is $62, while the average daily cost in Budva is $133. 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 Budva in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Essaouira $29
    Budva $43
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Essaouira $58
    Budva $86
Compare Hotels in Essaouira and Budva

Looking for a hotel in Essaouira or Budva? 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 Essaouira


Hotels in Budva


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 Budva Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Essaouira $2.21
    Budva $24

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Essaouira

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

  • "Essaouira to Agafay Desert Marrakech: Exclusive Private Transfer: $90
  • Airport transfer from Essaouira to Agadir: $256
  • Airport transfer from Essaouira to Marrakesh : $82
  • Airport transfer, Departure : Essaouira, Arrival : Agadir: $128
  • Essaouira Desert Quad and Sandboarding with Photos and Transfer: $71
  • Essaouira P13: 2h quad + 2h camel free transfer: $94
  • Essaouira P4: excursions EN Quad (free transfer): $38
  • Essaouira P5: Quad EN route DE la mer (free transfer): $38
  • Essaouira to Marrakech:Private Transfer for a Hassle-Free Journey: $80
  • Private Transfer from or to Essaouira Aéroport : $36
  • Private Transfer from or to Essaouira Airport : $41
  • Private Transfer Essaouira-Essaouira Airport: $23

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Budva

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


  • Daily Car Rental
    $76

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Budva

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Budva:

  • Private Transfer from Bar to Tivat Airport (TIV): $168
  • Private transfer Tivat/Kotor/Budva-Podgorica: $149
  • Private Transfer from Petrovac to Tivat airport: $131
  • Kotor to Budva one way transfer: $111
  • Private Transfer from Petrovac to Tivat Airport (TIV): $111
  • Tivat to Budva private one way transfer: $107
  • AIRPORT TRANSFER Montenegro Budva Tivat Podgorica Kotor Perast: $68
  • Private Transfer from Budva to Podgorica Airport and city: $46

Is it cheaper to fly into Essaouira or Budva?

Prices for flights to both Budva 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Essaouira $26
    Budva $63
Typical Food Prices in Essaouira

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


  • Baklava
    $1.55
  • Breakfast Crepes
    $0.55
  • 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
  • Al Aaila Farm Moroccan Natural And Healthy Cooking Experience: $54
  • l'Atelier - Moroccan Cooking Workshop in Essaouira: $72
  • Essaouira Food Tour: $88
  • Berber Cooking Class at a Farm in the Countryside & shopping at a rural Souk.: $106
  • 3 hours Camel Ride in Essaouira with Dinner and Overnight in Berber Camp: $219
  • 3 Hours Horse Riding with Dinner and Overnight Berber Camp: $220

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Essaouira $13
    Budva $26

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
  • Full-Day Essaouira Tour from Marrakech: $30
  • Essaouira Donkey Tours : $30
  • guided Oriental city tour marrakech from agadir 1 day: $39
  • Quad Adventure in 1 Hour: $39
  • 1 Hour Quad Bike Adventure in Essaouira Forest Beach: $42
  • 2 Hours Dromedary Ride Tour in Essaouira Morocco: $54
  • Essaouira Dar Sultan Palace Horseback Tour Experience: $54
  • Full Day Tour To Essaouira from Marrakech Mogador: $55
  • Essaouira P12: 1h Quad bike tour and 1h dromedary Ride: $58
  • 2 Hour Quad & ATV Experience: $59
  • Essaouira Tour - Half day visit to berber market : $61

Tours and Activities in Budva

Here are a few actual costs in Budva for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Private Swimming and Boat Tour Trsteno Beach Budva: $179
  • 1-Hour Guided Lipa Cave Adventure in Montenegro: $19
  • Adrenaline Speedboat Tours through the Bay of Kotor: $118
  • Boka Bay: Kotor, Cave, Herceg Novi, & Lady of the Rocks Tour: $69
  • Budva 1 hour Private walking tour: $85
  • Budva Bay: Boat Tour with Snorkeling and Sightseeing: $76
  • Budva Bay: Kayak & SUP Tour to Coastal Caves: $54
  • Budva Diving - Scuba Diving Experience: $74
  • Budva old town private tour: $236
  • 2-Hour «Night Lights» Kayak Tour: $54
  • 3-Hour Paddle Board or Kayak Tour to Coastal Caves: $53
  • City Private Tour: $138

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Essaouira $10
    Budva $17


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Essaouira and Budva, we can see that Budva 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 Budva 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 Budva would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Budva 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 Budva Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Essaouira or Budva?

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