Which place is cheaper, Merzouga or Thessaloniki?
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 Thessaloniki or Merzouga?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Thessaloniki or Merzouga? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Thessaloniki or Merzouga?
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece and serves as the capital city of the Central Macedonia region. It also has a rich history dating back more than 3,000 years. As a visitor, you'll find that the city has been touched by the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman empires, all of which left their mark. In particular, the many Byzantine churches are quite impressive, with some of them listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Merzouga
Let's say you want to truly get away. I don't mean putting your ear buds in on some beach with a stronger on the next chair over. I mean really get away, and find yourself deserted. Merzouga, Morocco lets you do just that. This land of sand dune after sand dune is ideal for anyone yearning to ride a camel to the ends of civilization. And you'll find plenty of options to get here with a tour, or even on your own.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Tours for Seniors to Greece, The Best Contiki Tours to Greece, The Best Budget Tours to Morocco, and The Best Luxury Tours to Morocco.
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Thessaloniki Prices
Greece PricesMerzouga Prices
Morocco Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayThessaloniki €165Merzouga €20
The average daily cost (per person) in Thessaloniki is €165, while the average daily cost in Merzouga is €20. 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 Thessaloniki and Merzouga in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personThessaloniki €79Merzouga €9.66
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomThessaloniki €158Merzouga €19
Compare Hotels in Thessaloniki and Merzouga
Looking for a hotel in Thessaloniki or Merzouga? 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: Thessaloniki Hotel Prices and Merzouga Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Thessaloniki €13Merzouga -
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Thessaloniki
Also for Thessaloniki, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Bus Transfer to/from Kavala: $25
- Thessaloniki Airport Private Transfer Service: $35
- From Private Day Trip to Meteora with Transfer: $493
- Athens to/from Thessaloniki : Private Transfer: $1,006
Is it cheaper to fly into Thessaloniki or Merzouga?
Prices for flights to both Merzouga and Thessaloniki 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 dayThessaloniki €72Merzouga €9.68
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Thessaloniki
For Thessaloniki, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Open Market Food Tour with Tasting: $53
- Cooking & Dining Experience with Greek Family: $69
- Guided Food Tour: $76
- Greek Ouzo and Meze Food Tour With A Local: $93
- Traditional Greek Food Tour With A Local: $94
- Kavala Food Tour and Cooking Workshop: $95
- Get a Taste of Thessaloniki - Food Tour & Lunch: $103
- Greek Cooking Class, Market Visit and Lunch: $104
- Guided Walking and Food Tour with Drinks: $117
- Thessaloniki Food Tour with a Local Chef: $129
- Cooking & Wine Tasting with Dockside Views: $141
- Cooking classes for Foodies, Discover Greek cuisine.: $158
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Merzouga
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Merzouga.
- Exclusive Merzouga Desert Safari: Camel Ride, Sandsurf & Dinner: $47
- From 1 Night in the luxury camp. Camel ride and dinner: $60
- Cooking class in Merzouga Make Berber Madfouna in Sand: $60
- Merzouga Luxury AC Camp: Camel Ride, Dinner & breakfast: $66
- Sunset With Dinner And Berber Music in Merzouga Desert With 4WD : $66
- Private Trip By Jeep In Merzouga Desert, Lunch with Berber Pizza: $90
- Magical Dinner and Camel Trek with 1 Night In Merzouga Luxury Desert Camp: $105
- 2 Nights Private Camp in Merzouga with Dinner and Camel Ride: $200
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Thessaloniki €26Merzouga -
Tours and Activities in Thessaloniki
For Thessaloniki, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- White Tower Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.37
- Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour & Narrative: $9.37
- Thessaloniki:Selfie Museum, a 60-minute immersive experience: $13
- Museum of Illusions Admission Ticket: $13
- Ticket for Frida Kahlo Beyond the Icon Immersive Experience: $18
- Cretan Olive Oil Tasting Experience: $18
- Thessaloniki Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing Bus Tour: $19
- City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $19
- OTE Tower Rotating Experience with Light Meal: $21
- Byzantine Museum E-Ticket with Audio Tour: $21
- Byzantine Museum E-Ticket & Audio City Tour: $25
- Polycentric Museum & Aigai Royal Graves E-ticket with Audio Guide: $36
Tours and Activities in Merzouga
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Merzouga are as follows:
- 3 hour Jeep Tour in Merzouga Desert : $119
- Overnight Sahara Tours luxury camp : $72
- Private Desert Tour and Visit to Nomadic Families: $108
- 1 Hour Merzouga Buggy Desert Tour: $143
- 1 Hour Merzouga Desert Buggy Experience: $153
- 1 Night Camel Trekking Tour in Merzouga Desert Camp : $66
- 1 hour Quad in the Sahara: Merzouga Off Roading Experience: Nature & Wildlife: $82
- 2 days tour in Merzouga Erg Chabbi with 4WD Jeep and Camel Treck : $179
- 2 hours Merzouga Dunes ATV Rental - Desert Quad Biking Tour: $116
- 2-Days Merzouga tour from Errachidia: $200
- 2-Night Desert Camp Experience with Jeep Tour in Merzouga: $140
- 3 Days Tour From Marrakech To Sahara Desert Of Merzouga: $118
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayThessaloniki €15Merzouga -
Sample the Local Flavors in Thessaloniki
Also in Thessaloniki, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- From Pella-Edessa-Naousa wine tasting: $76
- Small-Group Wine Tasting Tour with Appetizers: $89
- Wine Tasting & Farm tour in Thessaloniki: $95
- Winery Visit with Wine Tasting Experience: $111
- Northern Greece Wine Tasting Tour in Kavala: $155
- Small Group Kavala Tour: Pangaion Mountain & Wine Tasting: $274
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Thessaloniki and Merzouga, we can see that Thessaloniki is more expensive. And not only is Merzouga much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Thessaloniki is in Europe and Merzouga is in Africa, 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 Merzouga would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Merzouga 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 Thessaloniki would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Thessaloniki than you might in Merzouga.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Thessaloniki Expensive? and Is Merzouga Expensive?.
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.