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

Should you visit Essaouira or Santiago de Compostela?

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 Santiago de Compostela can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Essaouira or Santiago de Compostela?

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.

Santiago de Compostela

Santiago de Compostela is the capital city of northwest Spain's Galicia region. Its famous cathedral marks the culmination of the Way of Saint James pilgrimage route, and is the alleged burial site of the apostle himself. The pilgrimage route begins in the Pyrenees, 500 miles away, though travelers can decide to join the journey at certain points in between, depending on how far they want to walk and how much they want to see.

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 One Week (7-Day) Tours in Spain, and The Best 2-Week Tours in Spain.


Which place is cheaper, Santiago de Compostela or Essaouira?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

  • Essaouira Prices
    Morocco Prices
    Santiago de Compostela Prices
    Spain Prices
  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    Essaouira $62
    Santiago de Compostela $123

The average daily cost (per person) in Essaouira is $62, while the average daily cost in Santiago de Compostela is $123. 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 Santiago de Compostela in more detail.



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

Looking for a hotel in Essaouira or Santiago de Compostela? 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 Santiago de Compostela


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 Santiago de Compostela Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Essaouira $2.21
    Santiago de Compostela $45

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, Departure : Essaouira, Arrival : Agadir: $127
  • Essaouira Desert Quad and Sandboarding with Photos and Transfer: $71
  • Essaouira P5: Quad EN route DE la mer (free transfer): $38
  • Private Transfer from or to Essaouira Aéroport : $36
  • Private Transfer from or to Essaouira Airport : $40
  • Private Transfer Essaouira-Essaouira Airport: $23
  • Private Transfer from Marrakech to Essaouira 1 to 4 people: $109
  • Private transfer Essaouira to Marrakech or Marrakech / essaouira : $119
  • Private transfer Marrakech to Essaouira or Essaouira toMarrakech : $114
  • Transfer Airport Essaouira Mogador : $24
  • Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakech city or Marrakech airport: $127

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santiago de Compostela

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Santiago de Compostela:

  • Private Transfer from Santiago de Compostela to Porto with Tour: $209
  • Private Transfer from Santiago city hotels to La Coruna Port : $156
  • Santiago de Compostela Private Transfer to SCQ Airport by Van: $102
  • Airport Transfer Santiago de Compostela: $82
  • Santiago de Compostela Private Transfer from SCQ Airport to City centre: $68
  • Santiago de Compostela Private Transfer from the city centre to SCQ Airport: $68
  • Departure Private Transfer Santiago de Compostela to SCQ Airport by Business Car: $66
  • Santiago de Compostela Private Transfer from the city centre to SCQ Airport: $56

Is it cheaper to fly into Essaouira or Santiago de Compostela?

Prices for flights to both Santiago de Compostela 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
    Santiago de Compostela $39
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

Typical Food Prices in Santiago de Compostela

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Santiago de Compostela:


  • Raspberries
    $4.11
  • Ice Cream
    $2.35
  • Cookie
    $1.17
  • Kebab
    $8.51
  • Dinner & Tapas (for 2)
    $32
  • Tuna Empanada
    $4.11
  • Fruit Shake
    $4.11
  • Crepe
    $4.69

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santiago de Compostela

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Santiago de Compostela.

  • Santiago Food Tour Tapas Drinks and Delights with a Local: $106

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Essaouira $13
    Santiago de Compostela $45

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

Tours and Activities in Santiago de Compostela

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

  • Day Tour to the Vigo Christmas Lights from Santiago de Compostela: $54
  • Excursion to Finisterre, Muxia and Cabo Vilan With Boat Cruise : $65
  • Finisterre and Costa da Morte: The Most Complete Tour of Santiago: $58
  • Full-Day Excursion to Santiago from Vigo- Cruisers Only: $82
  • Guided Tour Cathedral tickets included with Optional Portico: $24
  • Guided Tour Santiago Cathedral, Museum and Old City: $31
  • Guided Tour of the Old Town with an Official Guide: $14
  • Guided tour of Bodegas Granbazán: $22
  • Land of Legends and Meigas Tour: $14
  • Private Gastronomical Tour in Santiago de Compostela: $286
  • Private Walking Tour in Santiago with Beer or Wine: $66
  • Private tour Santiago de Compostela with tickets: $78

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Essaouira $10
    Santiago de Compostela $26

Typical Alcohol Prices in Santiago de Compostela

Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Santiago de Compostela from other travelers:


  • 1 Pint Beer
    $2.35

Sample the Local Flavors in Santiago de Compostela

Also in Santiago de Compostela, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Cheese and Wine Tasting Experience: $35


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


Which is Bigger, Essaouira or Santiago de Compostela?

Santiago de Compostela has a larger population, and is about 31% larger than the population of Essaouira. When comparing the sizes of Essaouira and Santiago de Compostela, 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.