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Merzouga vs Zanzibar cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฒ๐ฆ Merzouga
๐น๐ฟ Zanzibar
At a glance
- Where Zanzibar is clearly cheaper: Transit (88%โ), Beer (57%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (55%โ)
- Where Merzouga is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (44%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: language โ Merzouga 3 vs Zanzibar 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Merzouga | Zanzibar | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | MAD 70$7.37 | TSh 12,000$4.55 | Zanzibar โ38% |
| Street food1 item | MAD 30$3.16 | TSh 6,000$2.27 | Zanzibar โ28% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | MAD 130$13.7 | TSh 40,000$15.2 | Merzouga โ10% |
| Coffeeone cup | MAD 20$2.11 | TSh 5,500$2.08 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | MAD 50$5.26 | TSh 6,000$2.27 | Zanzibar โ57% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | MAD 60$6.32 | TSh 18,000$6.82 | Merzouga โ7% |
| Bottled water | MAD 5$0.53 | TSh 700$0.27 | Zanzibar โ50% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | MAD 8$0.84 | TSh 1,500$0.57 | Zanzibar โ33% |
| Taxi5 km in town | MAD 50$5.26 | TSh 15,000$5.68 | Merzouga โ7% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | MAD 40$4.21 | TSh 5,000$1.89 | Zanzibar โ55% |
| Transitone ride | MAD 15$1.58 | TSh 500$0.19 | Zanzibar โ88% |
| Scooter rentalper day | MAD 100$10.5 | TSh 50,000$18.9 | Merzouga โ44% |
| Hotel night3-star | MAD 700$73.7 | TSh 200,000$75.8 | similar |
| Studio rent (month) | MAD 1,800$189 | TSh 550,000$208 | Merzouga โ9% |
| Laundry | MAD 20$2.11 | TSh 6,000$2.27 | Merzouga โ7% |
| SIM card1 week data | MAD 60$6.32 | TSh 15,000$5.68 | Zanzibar โ10% |
| Haircutcut | MAD 30$3.16 | TSh 5,000$1.89 | Zanzibar โ40% |
| Massage1 hour | MAD 250$26.3 | TSh 70,000$26.5 | similar |
| Half-day tourper person | MAD 500$52.6 | TSh 65,000$24.6 | Zanzibar โ53% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | MAD 60$6.32 | TSh 10,000$3.79 | Zanzibar โ40% |
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%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Merzouga or Zanzibar?
Zanzibar is 6% cheaper than Merzouga. Daily budget $129 vs $127; a month $1,392 vs $1,263.
Which is easier to travel, Merzouga or Zanzibar?
About the same: Merzouga 3.4/5, Zanzibar 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Merzouga and Zanzibar?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Merzouga is about $1,392 and Zanzibar about $1,263 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
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.