Which place is cheaper, Ouarzazate or Thessaloniki?
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 Thessaloniki or Ouarzazate?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Thessaloniki or Ouarzazate? 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 Ouarzazate?
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.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Tours for Seniors to Greece, The Best Contiki Tours to Greece, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Morocco, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Morocco.
-
Thessaloniki Prices
Greece PricesOuarzazate Prices
Morocco Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayThessaloniki €165Ouarzazate €51
The average daily cost (per person) in Thessaloniki is €165, while the average daily cost in Ouarzazate is €51. 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 Ouarzazate in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personThessaloniki €79Ouarzazate €20
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomThessaloniki €158Ouarzazate €40
Compare Hotels in Thessaloniki and Ouarzazate
Looking for a hotel in Thessaloniki or Ouarzazate? 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 Ouarzazate Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Thessaloniki €13Ouarzazate €3.20
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Thessaloniki
Also for Thessaloniki, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Athens to/from Thessaloniki : Private Transfer: $1,006
- From Private Day Trip to Meteora with Transfer: $493
- Thessaloniki Airport Private Transfer Service: $35
- Bus Transfer to/from Kavala: $25
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Ouarzazate
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Ouarzazate are as follows:
-
Taxi Ride€1.89
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
Is it cheaper to fly into Thessaloniki or Ouarzazate?
Prices for flights to both Ouarzazate 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
-
Food Meals for one dayThessaloniki €72Ouarzazate €26
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
Typical Food Prices in Ouarzazate
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Ouarzazate:
-
Dinner for Two€10
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
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Thessaloniki €26Ouarzazate €9.97
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 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
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayThessaloniki €15Ouarzazate -
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 Ouarzazate, we can see that Thessaloniki is more expensive. And not only is Ouarzazate much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Thessaloniki is in Europe and Ouarzazate 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 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 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 Ouarzazate.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Thessaloniki Expensive? and Is Ouarzazate Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Thessaloniki or Ouarzazate?
Thessaloniki has a larger population, and is about 6 times larger than the population of Ouarzazate. When comparing the sizes of Thessaloniki and Ouarzazate, 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.