Which place is cheaper, Siena 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 Siena?
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 Siena can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Essaouira or Siena?
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.
Siena
Located in Tuscany, Siena is a medieval city that is about 70 kilometers south of Florence. One of its most famous events is the horse race, Il Palio, which occurs twice a year during the summer. The race puts a lot of emphasis on neighborhood pride and competition. It is a local tradition that is of great importance to the residence, so it is not an event that is held specifically for tourists. It dates back to the Medieval times and is associated with the area's religion, pageantry and rivalry. In addition to the city's strong neighborhood pride, rich history, and impressive architecture, Siena was also the home of many famous artists including Duccio, Simone Martini, and Ambrogio and Pietro Lorenzetti.
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 Italy, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Italy.
-
Essaouira Prices
Morocco PricesSiena Prices
Italy Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayEssaouira $62Siena $199
The average daily cost (per person) in Essaouira is $62, while the average daily cost in Siena is $199. 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 Siena in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personEssaouira $29Siena $81
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomEssaouira $58Siena $162
Compare Hotels in Essaouira and Siena
Looking for a hotel in Essaouira or Siena? 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 Siena Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Essaouira $2.21Siena $23
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
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Siena
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Siena:
- Transfer Siena - Pisa with stop in San Gimignano & Lunch: $275
- Private transfer from Siena to Florence: $221
- Siena or Sovicille to Florence Airport (FLR) - Departure Private Transfer: $188
- PRIVATE TRANSFER from Siena to Florence with stop in S Gimignano & Monteriggioni: $180
- Arrival transfer Siena Airport SAY to Siena City by Van or Sedan: $174
Is it cheaper to fly into Essaouira or Siena?
Prices for flights to both Siena 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 $26Siena $103
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 Siena
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Siena.
- Pasta and Tiramisu Small Group Cooking Class with Wine: $83
- Small-group Cooking Class in a Chianti Farm: $95
- Chianti Dinner with Wine Tasting at Poggio ai Laghi Winery : $96
- Siena : Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $100
- Dining Experience at a local's Home in Grosseto with Show Cooking: $102
- Small-group Street food tour in Siena: $106
- Tuscan, Italian, tiramisu cooking class and tasting 3 wines: $107
- Siena’s Ultimate Food Tour: Full Tuscan Meal by Do Eat Better: $109
- Siena Small group Cooking Class in a Chianti Farm: $120
- Cooking Class: Italian Authentic Recipes with Lunch: $132
- Small Group Cooking Class in Chianti Farmhouse: $136
- Family Cooking Class: Pizza and Tiramisù from Siena: $136
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Essaouira $13Siena $4.40
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 Siena
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Siena are as follows:
- Mysterious Siena City Bike Tour: $149
- 500 Vintage Tour: Chianti Roads Experience from Florence: $197
- Accademia Gallery Guided Tour from Siena with Train Tickets: $138
- Birdwatching and Photo Tour in Diaccia Botrona: $245
- Chianti Adventures: ATV Excursion through Tuscan Landscapes: $180
- Chianti Classic Vintage Fiat 500 Tour : $154
- Chianti Classico Bike Tour from Siena: $215
- Chianti E-Bike Tour from Siena: $228
- Chianti Hills: Wine & Food Tasting Experience in Tuscany: $66
- Chianti Vespa Tour: $130
- Chianti Wild Safari Adventure through Tuscan Vineyards: $130
- Chianti and Castles Tour from Siena Small Group: $102
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayEssaouira $10Siena $2.57
Sample the Local Flavors in Siena
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Siena:
- "CLASSIC" Wine Tasting and Typical Tuscan Products: $33
- Montalcino: Brunello Wine Tasting Experience: $39
- Exclusive Wine Tasting in the Historic Center of Siena: $42
- Classic: Tuscan Wine Tasting and Local Cheeses: $43
- Winery tour and wine tasting in Maremma - Grosseto: $48
- Tour and Wine Tasting in a Tuscan Private Castle: $51
- Brunello di Montalcino Wine Tasting with Tuscan appetizer in ancient residence: $53
- Chianti Half Day Wine Tasting Tour from Siena: $59
- Tuscany Hiking Tour from Siena Including Wine Tasting: $66
- Siena wine tasting & Gelato tasting: $66
- Montalcino: Brunello Wine Tasting & Lunch in a Tuscan Castle: $70
- Chianti Classico wine Tour and Tasting: $71
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Essaouira and Siena, we can see that Siena 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 Siena 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 Siena would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Siena 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 Siena Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Essaouira or Siena?
Essaouira has a larger population, and is about 34% larger than the population of Siena. When comparing the sizes of Essaouira and Siena, 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.