"How much should we budget?" is the question we are asked most before a stay in Marrakech. The honest answer: the city works on 40 € a day and on 300 € a day. Here are concrete benchmarks, in dirhams and euros, as we give them to travellers at Riad Mylaya, with our own prices for everything that depends on us.
These figures are orders of magnitude checked in September 2026: they move with the season, the exchange rate and each operator's own pricing. Only the Riad Mylaya prices are fixed; for everything else, check before you book — we are happy to do it for you.
Currency, exchange and payments
The currency is the Moroccan dirham (MAD, or DH), around 10.8 MAD to 1 €. Dirhams cannot be taken out of the country: change on arrival or withdraw from an ATM. Cards work in hotels, larger restaurants and Guéliz shops, but souks, taxis, museum ticket offices and small restaurants run on cash. Always keep small notes.
What the sights cost
Monuments and museums range from 30 to 170 MAD (4 to 16 €) per person. A full day of sightseeing comes to 250-350 MAD, or 25 to 35 € per person. The site-by-site detail is in our guide to the museums, monuments and gardens of Marrakech.
Getting around
- Petit taxi in town: a short ride is usually 20 to 50 MAD. Ask for the meter or agree the price before you get in.
- Horse-drawn carriage: from about 100 MAD for half an hour, with rates displayed at the ranks.
- Private airport transfer: with us, 20 € per vehicle for up to 4 people, 25 to 35 € above that, with a meet-and-greet on arrival. It is often cheaper than a taxi negotiated outside the terminal, and far simpler with luggage. See our transfers page.
- Marrakech-Casablanca train: a few dozen dirhams in second class; the station is 10 minutes from the riad by car.
Eating, from street food to the riad table
- Street food and snacks: 20 to 50 MAD for a sandwich or a bowl of soup on Jemaa el-Fna.
- Medina restaurant: 80 to 150 MAD for a tagine with a drink.
- Riad or rooftop restaurant: 200 to 400 MAD per person.
- Moroccan dinner at Riad Mylaya: 15 € for a main course, 20 € for two courses, 25 € for the full menu, cooked the same day and served in the patio.
- Cooking class: 45 € per person with us, market, preparation and tasting included.
Hammams, spas and wellbeing
A neighbourhood public hammam costs a few dirhams; a traditional hammam with a scrub in a riad is around 450 to 550 MAD; hotel spas start near 900 MAD. At Riad Mylaya the beldi hammam is 450 MAD, a one-hour relaxing massage 470 MAD, and hammam + massage rituals run from 770 to 1,130 MAD depending on length. Everything is listed on our hammam & spa page.
Activities and day trips
Two approaches, depending on your budget and how private you want it to be:
- Private, with a driver: the Ourika valley from 45 € per person for four, the Ouzoud waterfalls from 60 €, Ouarzazate and Aït Ben Haddou from 80 €. The price drops sharply as soon as you are several.
- In a group, through our selection of partner excursions: often cheaper for a couple or a solo traveller, with daily departures. See our group activities.
Rarer experiences — a sunrise hot-air balloon flight, a dinner show in the Agafay desert, quad biking — sit between 60 and 200 € per person.
Crafts and shopping: the fair price
In the souks the first price is rarely the real one. The rule we give: offer about a third, smile, and stop as soon as the price feels fair — to you and to the craftsman. Some benchmarks: leather babouches 100-250 MAD, a pierced metal lantern 150-400 MAD, culinary argan oil 100-200 MAD a bottle, a small Berber rug from 800 MAD, a large knotted carpet several thousand. In Sidi Ghanem, the designers' district, prices are displayed and quality is consistent — a good alternative if haggling tires you.
Three daily budgets per person
| Style | Per day | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | 400-550 MAD (≈ 40-50 €) | Simple riad room, street food and small restaurants, two sights, walking everywhere |
| Comfort | 800-1,200 MAD (≈ 75-110 €) | Charming riad, one good restaurant a day, two or three sights, a taxi, a hammam |
| Premium | 2,000 MAD and up (≈ 185 € and up) | Suite, private excursion with driver, spa, fine dining |
Flights and transfers come on top. Four nights in "comfort" style, excluding flights, works out at roughly 400 to 500 € per person.
Tipping, small costs and good habits
- Tips: 10 MAD for a porter, 20 to 50 MAD for a half-day guide, 5 to 10 % in a restaurant if you enjoyed the service. None of it is compulsory.
- Photos: on Jemaa el-Fna you pay a few dirhams to photograph musicians or snake charmers. Ask first.
- Water: 5 to 10 MAD a bottle.
- Paying on site: our services (transfer, dinner, cooking class, excursions, hammam) are paid in cash at the riad, with no deposit and no booking fee.
Frequently asked questions
What budget for 3 days in Marrakech?
Excluding flights, allow around 150 € per person travelling simply, or 250 to 350 € in comfort style with a charming riad, a few good restaurants and a hammam. Our 3-day itinerary sets out the matching programme.
Should you change money before leaving?
No. The dirham does not circulate outside Morocco: change on arrival or use an ATM — rates in town are fair.
Is Marrakech an expensive destination?
Not if you choose. Accommodation, food and transport are markedly cheaper than in Europe; it is hotel spas, private excursions and fine dining that push the bill up.
