Which place is cheaper, Santillana 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 Santillana?
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 Santillana can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Essaouira or Santillana?
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.
Santillana
A quaint town outside of Santander in northern Spain, Santillana de Mar is renowned for its medieval architecture. One of Spain's prettiest villages, Santillana del Mar and its cobbled streets are lined with palaces, churches, and balconies full of flowers. There are plenty of traditional shops selling local specialties, and it is nearby the UNESCO world heritage site of the Altamira Caves for something a little different.
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.
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Essaouira Prices
Morocco PricesSantillana Prices
Spain Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayEssaouira $62Santillana $149
The average daily cost (per person) in Essaouira is $62, while the average daily cost in Santillana is $149. 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 Santillana in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personEssaouira $29Santillana $70
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomEssaouira $58Santillana $140
Compare Hotels in Essaouira and Santillana
Looking for a hotel in Essaouira or Santillana? 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 Santillana Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Essaouira $2.21Santillana $20
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
Is it cheaper to fly into Essaouira or Santillana?
Prices for flights to both Santillana 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 $26Santillana $62
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
- 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
Typical Food Prices in Santillana
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Santillana:
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Breakfast$8.21
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Essaouira $13Santillana $27
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 Santillana
Here are a few actual costs in Santillana for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Private Guided Walking Tour of Santillana del Mar: $215
- Private Walking Tour of Altamira and Neocave Museum: $239
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayEssaouira $10Santillana $5.03
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Essaouira and Santillana, we can see that Santillana 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 Santillana 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 Santillana would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Santillana 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 Santillana Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Essaouira or Santillana?
Essaouira has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Santillana. When comparing the sizes of Essaouira and Santillana, 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.