Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Essaouira is easier to travel (3.0 vs 3.4). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Essaouira 3 vs Tangier 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Essaouira | Tangier | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | MAD 70$7.37 | MAD 50$5.26 | Tangier โ29% |
| Street food1 item | MAD 30$3.16 | MAD 20$2.11 | Tangier โ33% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | MAD 150$15.8 | MAD 150$15.8 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | MAD 15$1.58 | MAD 17$1.79 | Essaouira โ12% |
| Beerone bottle | MAD 40$4.21 | MAD 40$4.21 | similar |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | MAD 80$8.42 | MAD 70$7.37 | Tangier โ12% |
| Bottled water | MAD 5$0.53 | MAD 4$0.42 | Tangier โ20% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | MAD 7$0.74 | MAD 6$0.63 | Tangier โ14% |
| Taxi5 km in town | MAD 25$2.63 | MAD 20$2.11 | Tangier โ20% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | MAD 15$1.58 | MAD 12$1.26 | Tangier โ20% |
| Transitone ride | MAD 7$0.74 | MAD 4$0.42 | Tangier โ43% |
| Scooter rentalper day | MAD 100$10.5 | MAD 200$21.1 | Essaouira โ50% |
| Hotel night3-star | MAD 700$73.7 | MAD 550$57.9 | Tangier โ21% |
| Studio rent (month) | MAD 3,000$316 | MAD 3,500$368 | Essaouira โ14% |
| Laundry | MAD 25$2.63 | MAD 25$2.63 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | MAD 50$5.26 | MAD 120$12.6 | Essaouira โ58% |
| Haircutcut | MAD 40$4.21 | MAD 40$4.21 | similar |
| Massage1 hour | MAD 300$31.6 | MAD 200$21.1 | Tangier โ33% |
| Half-day tourper person | MAD 300$31.6 | MAD 250$26.3 | Tangier โ17% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | MAD 60$6.32 | MAD 50$5.26 | Tangier โ17% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
Tangier is 8% cheaper than Essaouira. Daily budget $124 vs $101; a month $1,645 vs $1,697.
Essaouira is easier: Essaouira 3.0/5 vs Tangier 3.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Essaouira is about $1,645 and Tangier about $1,697 per month.
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.