Morocco
How much does a trip to Morocco cost? Daily budget and prices
Plan on US$35–55 a day as a backpacker, US$95–195 mid-range and US$340+ for comfort, per person, sharing a room. The desert crossing (US$150–400) and riad nights drive the total; cash still rules in souks, taxis and tips.
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GuideMorocco
Key facts
- Currency
- Moroccan dirham (MAD); cards work in hotels and larger restaurants, cash everywhere else
- Backpacker day
- US$31–58: hostel, street food, buses and 2nd-class trains
- Mid-range day
- US$95–195: riad with breakfast, restaurant dinners, 1st-class trains
- Comfort day
- US$340–780: boutique riad or palace hotel, private driver and guide
- Biggest single add-on
- US$150–400 per person for a 3-day one-way desert crossing
- Mint tea in a café
- MAD 10–20
- Tagine lunch, local restaurant
- MAD 50–90
- Petit taxi across Marrakech
- MAD 15–30
- Train Casablanca–Marrakech, 2nd class
- MAD 110–160
- Night in a desert camp with camel ride
- MAD 400–1,500
- Licensed medina guide, half day
- MAD 300–500
- Cash necessity
- High: souks, taxis, small cafés, guides and tips are cash only
- Tippingcheck
- Small coins add up fast; keep MAD 5–20 notes ready
Daily budget by travel style
Morocco is cheap by US or Western European standards, but the spread between styles is wide. The figures below are per person per day, assuming two people share a room at mid-range and comfort level. Flights and the desert tour are not included.
Backpackers sleep in hostels or simple riad rooms, eat street food and café tagines, and move by bus or 2nd-class train. Mid-range travellers get a riad with breakfast, sit-down dinners and 1st-class train seats. Comfort means a boutique riad or palace hotel, a private driver and guide, and a private desert camp.
| Tier | Bed | Food | Transport | Sights | Extras | Total per day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backpacker | US$10–20 | US$10–15 | US$5–10 | US$3–8 | US$3–5 | US$31–58 |
| Mid-range | US$40–90 | US$25–40 | US$15–30 | US$10–20 | US$5–15 | US$95–195 |
| Comfort | US$150–400 | US$60–120 | US$80–150 | US$30–60 | US$20–50 | US$340–780 |
2026 estimate, per person per day, sharing a room at mid and comfort level. Flights and the desert tour not included.
What individual things cost
These are the prices you will actually pay on the ground. Souk prices are negotiable; café and restaurant prices are not. Taxis in cities should run the meter, and grand taxis between towns are shared and priced per seat, so agree the fare before you get in.
The desert is the one line item that can double a short trip. A 3-day one-way crossing between Marrakech and Fes, with a night in a camp and a camel ride, runs US$150–400 per person depending on whether you join a shared group or book privately.
| Item | Price (2026 estimate) |
|---|---|
| Mint tea in a café | MAD 10–20 |
| Tagine lunch in a local restaurant | MAD 50–90 |
| Petit taxi across Marrakech | MAD 15–30 |
| Train Casablanca–Marrakech, 2nd class | MAD 110–160 |
| Night in a desert camp with camel ride | MAD 400–1,500 |
| Licensed medina guide, half day | MAD 300–500 |
| Domestic flight Marrakech–Tangier or Fes, one way | from about US$80 (check) |
Prices are 2026 estimates in Moroccan dirham (MAD).
Cash, cards and tipping
The dirham is a closed currency: you cannot reliably buy it before you arrive, and you cannot take large amounts out. Hotels, larger restaurants and chain shops take cards. Souks, taxis, small cafés, guides and tips are cash only, so keep a float of small notes and coins.
Withdraw at bank ATMs inside banks or malls during daylight, and take enough for a few days at a time. Petit taxis in cities should use the meter; if the driver refuses, agree a price first or walk to the next one. Grand taxis are shared and priced per seat.
Tipping is expected rather than optional in tourist areas: a few dirhams for a bathroom attendant, MAD 10–20 for a café server, more for guides and drivers. Haggling in souks is normal — decide your top price before you ask, and walk away politely if it is not met.
- Carry MAD 5–20 notes and coins for tips, bathrooms and taxis.
- Use bank ATMs in daylight; avoid standalone machines in quiet streets.
- Agree grand taxi fares per seat before departure.
- Cards are fine in riads and larger restaurants, not in the medina.
How to keep costs down
Travel in the shoulder months and avoid the Christmas and New Year peak, when riad rates in Marrakech and Fes jump. Book the first night or two ahead and then negotiate on arrival in low season, when riads have empty rooms.
Use the train for the Tangier–Rabat–Casablanca–Marrakech line instead of private transfers, and take the bus or shared grand taxi for shorter hops. Eat where Moroccans eat: a tagine or sandwich lunch at a local place costs a fraction of a medina restaurant facing the square.
Do the Sahara as a one-way crossing between Marrakech and Fes rather than a round trip, which saves a day of driving and the cost of returning. Group desert tours are much cheaper per person than private ones.
- Shoulder season beats peak for riad prices.
- Train and bus beat private transfers on the main line.
- One-way desert crossing saves a return leg.
- Shared tours cost far less than private departures.
A worked 10-day budget
A realistic 10-day first trip for two people, mid-range, flying into Marrakech and out of Fes: about US$95–195 per person per day for 10 days, plus US$150–400 each for the desert crossing, plus flights. That lands around US$1,100–2,350 per person on the ground before airfare.
Backpackers doing the same route on buses and street food can hold it near US$500–700 each, and comfort travellers with a private driver should budget US$3,500 or more per person.
| Style | 10 days on the ground, per person |
|---|---|
| Backpacker | US$310–580, plus desert US$150–400 |
| Mid-range | US$950–1,950, plus desert US$150–400 |
| Comfort | US$3,400–7,800, plus private desert camp |
Excludes international flights. 2026 estimate.
Questions people ask
How much money do you need per day in Morocco?
Backpackers manage on US$31–58 a day; mid-range travellers spend US$95–195; comfort travel runs US$340–780 per person per day, sharing a room. Add US$150–400 each for a 3-day desert crossing. These are 2026 estimates.
Is Morocco expensive for tourists?
No. Morocco is cheap by US, UK or Australian standards. The costs that surprise people are the desert tour, riad nights in peak season, and tips, which are expected in tourist areas and add up over a trip.
What do meals, hotels and transport cost in Morocco?
A tagine lunch at a local restaurant is MAD 50–90 and mint tea MAD 10–20. Hostel beds start around US$10–20; mid-range riads run US$40–90. A petit taxi across Marrakech is MAD 15–30, and a 2nd-class train from Casablanca to Marrakech is MAD 110–160.
Can I use cards in Morocco?
Hotels, larger restaurants and chain shops take cards. Souks, taxis, small cafés, guides and tips are cash only, so keep small dirham notes and coins. Withdraw at bank ATMs inside banks or malls during daylight.
How much should I tip in Morocco?
Tipping is expected in tourist areas. A few dirhams for bathroom attendants, MAD 10–20 for café servers, and more for guides and drivers. Keep a supply of small notes and coins, since change is often short.
How much does the Sahara desert tour cost?
A 3-day one-way crossing between Marrakech and Fes, with a night in a camp and a camel ride, costs US$150–400 per person. Shared group tours sit at the low end; private departures with a driver cost more.
Deep dive
Every source; changeable facts are marked check
Sources
- officialMoroccan National Tourist Office
- officialONCF (Moroccan railways)
- officialBank Al-Maghrib (currency)
- secondaryWikivoyage – Morocco