Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Ouarzazate?
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 Ouarzazate or Cape Town?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Ouarzazate and Cape Town can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Ouarzazate or Cape Town?
Ouarzazate
Morocco can be quite an energetic country, but if you're looking for more of a quiet getaway, consider Ouarzazate. Small by Moroccan standards, this town is built up mostly around a main street – the Avenue Mohammad V. Ouarzazate. The name "Ouarzazate" comes from the Berber language meaning "without noise" or "without confusion." It was once a crossroad for a African traders traveling to northern cities in Morocco and Europe. Today, Ouarzazate is the largest town in the Moroccan Sahara, and its central location serves as a good home base touring the rest of Morocco.
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 Family-Friendly Tours to Morocco, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Morocco, The Best Camping Tours in South Africa, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in South Africa.
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Ouarzazate Prices
Morocco PricesCape Town Prices
South Africa Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayOuarzazate $60Cape Town $179
The average daily cost (per person) in Ouarzazate is $60, 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 Ouarzazate and Cape Town in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personOuarzazate $24Cape Town $83
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomOuarzazate $48Cape Town $166
Compare Hotels in Ouarzazate and Cape Town
Looking for a hotel in Ouarzazate 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: Ouarzazate Hotel Prices and Cape Town Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Ouarzazate $3.76Cape Town $18
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Ouarzazate
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Ouarzazate are as follows:
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Taxi Ride$2.21
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ouarzazate
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Ouarzazate:
- Private Ouarzazate Airport Transfer: $30
- Ouarzazate Airport Transfer: $30
- "Ouarzazate to Marrakech: Your Comfortable Private Transfer": $115
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cape Town
Also for Cape Town, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfers To Hermanus: $237
- Airport transfers: $24
- Retun Transfer - Cape Agulhas - Where Two Oceans Meet Cape Town : $143
- 1-3 Passenger Private Arrival & Departure Cape Town - Airport Transfers: $57
- 1-3 Passenger Private Cape Town - Airport Transfer: $29
- 4-7 Passenger Private Cape Town - Airport Transfer: $41
- AIRPORT Transfer to and from Cape Town City: $29
- Airport Transfer (Cape Town ) Bus: $46
- Airport Transfer (Cape Town ) Bus: $19
- Airport Transfer: Airport CPT to Cape Town by Luxury Car: $118
- Airport Transfer: Cape Town to Cape Town Airport CPT in Luxury Car: $106
- Airport and day tour transfers to Cape Town International Airport: $33
Is it cheaper to fly into Ouarzazate or Cape Town?
Prices for flights to both Cape Town and Ouarzazate 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 dayOuarzazate $31Cape Town $77
Typical Food Prices in Ouarzazate
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Ouarzazate:
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Dinner for Two$12
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ouarzazate
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Ouarzazate.
- Private Berber Cooking Class at Fint Oasis with Lunch: $48
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
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Ouarzazate $12Cape Town $25
Tours and Activities in Ouarzazate
Here are a few actual costs in Ouarzazate for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 1 Hour Horse Riding Adventure in Ait Ben Haddou: $26
- 3 Days Group Tour from Marrakech to Merzouga Desert: $119
- Ait-Ben-Haddou - City Tour: $24
- Guided tour of the Palmerie de Skoura by electric mountain bike : $54
- Marrakech Half-Day Guided City Tour : $72
- Marrakech Palm Grove 2-Hour Quad Biking Adventure.: $54
- Ouarzazate ‘Hollywood of Morocco’ Private Full-Day Tour with Ait Ben Haddou: $227
- Ouzoud Waterfall Day Tour from Marrakech: $32
- Private Full-Day Tour of Ouarzazate and Oasis Fint: $173
- Private One Day Tour AIT BENHADDOU and TELOUET via Ouarzazate: $119
- Private Quad Experience in the Ouarzazate Desert: $54
- Private half-day mountain bike tour discover Palmeraie Skoura: $33
Tours and Activities in Cape Town
For Cape Town, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Cape Peninsula Sightseeing Small Group Tour from Cape Town: $2.65
- Skip the Line: District Six Museum Admission Ticket: $3.53
- Half Hour Seal and Harbour Cruise from Cape Town: $4.15
- Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Ticket (One way Up): $4.70
- Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Ticket (One way Down): $4.70
- Sea Point Promenade: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.13
- Muizenberg to Kalk Bay: Amble along the amazing False Bay Coast on an audio tour: $5.20
- Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens: A Self-guided Audio Tour: $5.34
- The Village in the City: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Bo-Kaap: $5.34
- Slavery in the Cape: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Cape Town's Slave History: $5.40
- Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Return Ticket : $5.68
- Cape Town Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $5.81
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayOuarzazate -Cape 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 Ouarzazate and Cape Town, we can see that Cape Town is more expensive. And not only is Ouarzazate much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Ouarzazate would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Ouarzazate 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 Ouarzazate.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Ouarzazate Expensive? and Is Cape Town Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Ouarzazate or Cape Town?
Cape Town has a larger population, and is about 60 times larger than the population of Ouarzazate. When comparing the sizes of Ouarzazate 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.