Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Essaouira?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
Jump to 
Should you visit Essaouira or Cape Town?
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 Cape Town can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Essaouira or Cape Town?
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.
Cape Town
Picture your travel bucket list. Is Cape Town on it? Yes, most people dream of visiting the "Mother City" of South Africa. As one of the most iconic places in the world, Cape Town is a world-class cosmopolitan city full of bustling nightlife, historical backdrops and a large gay community.
Cape Town is the most southern city in Africa with seasons turned upside down. In the southern hemisphere they experience the summer from December to February. During these months days can be hot and dry so be sure to gather in the shade and wear plenty of sunscreen. The winter from June to August is full of rainy days and cold nights.
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 Camping Tours in South Africa, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in South Africa.
-
Essaouira Prices
Morocco PricesCape Town Prices
South Africa Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayEssaouira $62Cape Town $179
The average daily cost (per person) in Essaouira is $62, while the average daily cost in Cape Town is $179. 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 Cape Town in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personEssaouira $29Cape Town $83
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomEssaouira $58Cape Town $166
Compare Hotels in Essaouira and Cape Town
Looking for a hotel in Essaouira or Cape Town? 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 Cape Town Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Essaouira $2.21Cape Town $18
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Essaouira
Also for Essaouira, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfert Marrakech to Essaouira Or Essaouira to Marrakech : $114
- Transfer from Essaouira to your Riad or Hotel in Marrakech: $179
- Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakech city or Marrakech airport: $127
- Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakech city or Marrakech airport: $127
- Transfer Airport Essaouira Mogador : $24
- Private transfer Marrakech to Essaouira or Essaouira toMarrakech : $114
- Private transfer Essaouira to Marrakech or Marrakech / essaouira : $119
- Private Transfer from Marrakech to Essaouira 1 to 4 people: $109
- Private Transfer Essaouira-Essaouira Airport: $23
- Private Transfer from or to Essaouira Airport : $40
- Private Transfer from or to Essaouira Aéroport : $36
- Essaouira P5: Quad EN route DE la mer (free transfer): $38
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cape Town
Also for Cape Town, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Aquila Safari and Cheese & Wine Tasting with Private Transfers: $300
- Full Day Private Chauffeur and Transfer Services in Cape Town: $300
- Shark Cage Diving & Penguins Tour to Gansbaai with private transfers: $292
- Full day Cape Point + Constantia Wine Tour with Private Transfer: $274
- Cape Peninsula and Boulders Full Day Tour with Private Transfer: $274
- Stellenbosch Winelands Connoisseur Day Tour with Private Transfer: $273
- Full Day Big Five Safari Tour from Cape Town with Transfers: $271
- Aquila Safari Game Drive, Lunch & Shared Transfers from Cape Town: $268
- Helderberg Valley Winelands Day Tour with Private Transfer: $253
- West Coast Wonders Full Day Tour with Private Transfer: $253
- Hermanus Wine Tour (Full Day Including Cape Town Transfers): $247
- Durbanville Valley Winelands Full Day Tour with Private Transfer: $242
Is it cheaper to fly into Essaouira or Cape Town?
Prices for flights to both Cape Town 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 dayEssaouira $26Cape Town $77
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
- l'Atelier - Moroccan Cooking Workshop in Essaouira: $71
- Essaouira Food Tour: $88
- 3 Hours Horse Riding with Dinner and Overnight Berber Camp: $220
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cape Town
For Cape Town, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- African Cooking with a Chef Founder: $30
- Private Indonesian & Cape Malay Cultural Cooking Class : $71
- From African Dinner and Drumming Experience: $72
- African Dinner Experience from Cape Town: $75
- Cape Malay/Creole Cooking Class and Local Shopping in Salt River: $77
- South African Cooking Class in Cape Town with a Local Family: $82
- Sunset At Signal Hill Constantia Wine Tasting and Dinner: $83
- Cape Town African Taste-Safari & Live Entertainment Dinner Experience: $88
- Private Authentic Cape Malay Cooking Class in Manenberg with Locals: $92
- Food Tour in “Little Mogadishu,” Bellville, Cape Town: $94
- Half Day Cape Town African Dinner Restaurant with Live Music Show: $98
- Private Cape Malay Cooking Class in Cape Town with a Local Family: $100
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Essaouira $13Cape Town $25
Tours and Activities in Essaouira
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Essaouira.
- Big Cap Sim dunes and forest 3 hours tour.: $76
- 1 Day Horseback Riding Tour with Overnight Stay in Berber Tent: $298
- 1 Hour Quad Bike Adventure in Essaouira Forest Beach: $42
- 1-Day Quad Adventure in Essaouira near Marrakech: $211
- 2 Hours Dromedary Ride Tour in Essaouira Morocco: $54
- 3-Hour Quad Biking Adventure in Essaouira: $89
- Authentic Berber Tour near Essaouira – Fishing,Tagine & Waterfall: $71
- Big dunes and atlantic coast tour 2 HOURS: $62
- Day Tour on Dromedary and Overnight Stay Near Essaouira Morocco: $298
- Discovery Tour around Essaouira by Electric Motorcycle: $115
- Essaouira Dar Sultan Palace Horseback Tour Experience: $54
- Essaouira Donkey Tours : $30
Tours and Activities in Cape Town
For Cape Town, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 2 Days Private Guided Tour in Cape Town: $295
- 3 Wineries Private Tour in Stellenbosch, Paarl Tasting Included: $148
- Cape Agulhas Full Day Private Tour: $208
- Cape Agulhas, Hermanus Stony Point Penguins Colony Tour : $230
- Cape Point Full Day Tour: $206
- Cape Point, Cape of Good Hope, Penguins Experience: $88
- Cape Town - Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens and City Tour: $300
- Cape Town Central wine and cheese pairing private Tour Drive : $224
- Cape Town Woodstock Street Art Walking Tour: $33
- Cape Town, Destination for Wine and galery Lovers Private Tour: $283
- Cape Winelands From Cape Town Private Day Tour: $175
- Cape Winelands Tour to Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl: $104
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayEssaouira $10Cape Town $22
Sample the Local Flavors in Cape Town
Also in Cape Town, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Stellenbosch Small Group Wine Tasting Tour From Cape Town: $2.65
- Distillery Tour, rum and gin tasting: $12
- Experience South African Craft Rum tasting and distillery tour in Cape Town: $14
- Craft Gin Tasting Experience and Distillery Tour: $14
- Indigenous Food and Wine Tasting: $26
- Drumstruck at Silvermist. Live African Drum Show & Wine tasting: $28
- Urban Wine Tasting: $30
- Wine Tasting & Storytelling with SA Tapas add-on: $30
- Cape Town Hop- On Hop -Off Tour and Groot Constantia Wine Tasting: $31
- Franschhoek, Stellenbosch and Babylonstoren Wine Tour: $38
- Wine Tour at Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, and Paarl: $46
- Wine Tour: Paarl, Franschhoek & Stellenbosch incl 3 wineries: $47
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Essaouira and Cape Town, we can see that Cape Town is more expensive. And not only is Essaouira much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. 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 Cape Town would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cape Town 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 Cape Town Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Essaouira or Cape Town?
Cape Town has a larger population, and is about 50 times larger than the population of Essaouira. When comparing the sizes of Essaouira and Cape Town, 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.