Which place is cheaper, Cairo or Addis Ababa?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Addis Ababa or Cairo?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Addis Ababa or Cairo, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Addis Ababa or Cairo?
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia and also the nation's largest when ranked by its population of over three million. There are also more than 120 international missions and embassies in Addis Ababa, making the city a hub for international diplomacy concerning Africa. Other draws include its thriving marketplaces, spicy food, and rich coffee.
Cairo
Cairo is the chaotic capital city of Egypt. With a population of more than 16 million, it is one of the largest cities in both Africa and the Middle East. As a traveler, you're likely to arrive and leave from here and you'll get your first orientation to the area during the chaotic and congestion filled taxi ride from the airport.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Egypt, and The Best Historical Tours in Egypt.
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Addis Ababa Prices
Ethiopia PricesCairo Prices
Egypt Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAddis Ababa $29Cairo $31
The average daily cost (per person) in Addis Ababa is $29, while the average daily cost in Cairo is $31. 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 Addis Ababa and Cairo in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAddis Ababa $16Cairo $10
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAddis Ababa $32Cairo $20
Compare Hotels in Addis Ababa and Cairo
Looking for a hotel in Addis Ababa or Cairo? 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: Addis Ababa Hotel Prices and Cairo Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Addis Ababa $2.80Cairo $3.53
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Addis Ababa
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Addis Ababa are as follows:
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Short Taxi Ride$0.19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Addis Ababa
Also for Addis Ababa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- 4 Hours Addis Airport Transfer with Ethiopian Cultural Tour: $299
- Addis Ababa Airport in/out transfer: $49
- Addis Ababa Airport pickup and Transfer: $29
- Addis Ababa Airport transfer and shuttle service(privet): $23
- Addis Ababa Layover Tour: Mercato Market & Airport Transfer: $77
- Airport Pickup and transfer: $18
- Cultural Show and Jazz Night with Transfers: $44
- Customizable Layover Tour with Transfers: $55
- Golf Club Experience with Hotel Transfer: $100
- Photography Tour with Guide & Transfer: $62
- Private Tour with Local Guide and Transfers: $65
- Bole Airport Transfer: $25
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Cairo
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Cairo are as follows:
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Metro Ride$0.08
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Taxi Ride$0.29
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cairo
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cairo:
- Cairo To Marsa Alam Private Transfer: $511
- From One-Way Private A/C Transfer To Luxor City.: $489
- 3 Private Full-Day Tours to Cairo Top Attractions+One Airport Transfer: $300
- Private Pickup Transfers From Cairo To Luxor By Bus: $295
- Private One-Way Transfer to/from Hurghada: $292
- Full-Day Private Trip to Fayoum from Cairo, with Transfer: $286
- Private Transfer from Cairo City Hotels to Ain Sokhna Cruise Port: $282
- Private Transfer from Cairo City Hotels to Suez Canal Cruise Port: $282
- Private Transfer from Cairo Airport (CAI) to Ain Sokhna Port: $282
- 2 Days Private Guided Tours of Cairo and Giza with Free Cairo Airport Transfers: $280
- 2-Day-One night Camping Tour in The Bahariya Oasis with Private Transfer: $274
- Private Transfer Cairo To Soma Bay: $267
Is it cheaper to fly into Addis Ababa or Cairo?
Prices for flights to both Cairo and Addis Ababa 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
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Food Meals for one dayAddis Ababa $11Cairo $16
Typical Food Prices in Addis Ababa
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Addis Ababa:
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Slice of Cake$0.04
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Addis Ababa
For Addis Ababa, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Authentic Ethiopian Cooking Class with a Local Host: $47
- Addis Eats Food Tour with 12+ Tastings: $49
- Addis Ababa Food Tour: Ethiopian Cuisine, Coffee & Drinks: $50
- Berbere Bites Food Tour with 14+ Tastings: $50
- Addis Eats Food Tour with 12+ Tastings: $50
- Flavors of Ethiopia: Hands-On Cooking Class in Addis Ababa: $55
- Food tour in Addis Ababa with airport pick-up.: $56
- Totot Cultural Feast & Rhythm Show With Dinner: $60
- Addis Ababa Ethiopian Food Cooking Class and Kitchen Tour: $60
- Addis Ababa Cooking, Coffee & Traditional Drink Tasting: $65
- Ethiopian Cooking Class with Coffee Ceremony: $70
- Guided Night Tour with Dinner & Live Music: $72
Typical Food Prices in Cairo
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Cairo:
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Juice$0.04
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cairo
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cairo.
- Dinner Nile cruise with belly dancer show on Nile river: $5.00
- 2 Hour Cairo Dinner Cruise on Nile river with live band: $7.00
- Quad Bike ATV ,Camel Ride ,Nile Dinner Cruise Belly dancer show: $7.00
- Giza Pyramids,Sphinx,Camel Ride,ATV Bike,Shopping, Dinner cruise: $7.00
- Private Nile Cruise with Dinner and Folk Show from Cairo: $7.50
- Cairo Dinner Cruise show with belly dancer show on Nile river: $8.00
- Cairo Dinner Cruise in Nile River With Belly Dancer & Tanora show: $8.00
- food tour private tour from cairo or giza hotel: $8.00
- night-tour Nile dinner cruise with open buffet and belly dancer: $8.00
- Cairo Food Tour – Discover Hidden Downtown Gems: $8.00
- 2-hours night dinner cruise show : Eat , Dance and Sing: $8.00
- 5 Star Dinner Nile Cruise in Cairo Night Tour: $8.00
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Addis Ababa $2.89Cairo $8.46
Tours and Activities in Addis Ababa
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Addis Ababa.
- Addis Ababa City Tour & Coffee Ceremony with Shopping areas: $18
- National Museum Guided Tour with Lucy Fossil: $28
- Guided Walking Tour with Coffee & Food: $28
- Traditional Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony Tour: $30
- Kebena to Entoto Green Corridor Discovery Tour: $30
- Guided City Tour with Coffee Break & Entry fee: $30
- Mercato Market Guided Tour with Hotel Pickup: $32
- Premium Addis Ababa Piassa Walking Tour with Coffee Ceremony: $32
- Best Addis Ababa Half-Day Tour: $32
- Flexible City tour Museum's,other layover vist: $35
- Red Terror Memorial Storytelling Experience: $35
- Discover Addis Ababa City Tour: History, Culture & Tradition: $36
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cairo
Here are a few typical costs in Cairo for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Entry to Camel Market for Two$0.78
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Egyptian Museum Entry for Two$6.02
Tours and Activities in Cairo
Here are a few actual costs in Cairo for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- “Cairo Private Tour: Giza Pyramids, Sphinx & GEM Museum”: $149
- ( Stopover Tour Of Cairo ) Private All Inc.Pyramids,Camel Ride,Museum& Lunch: $180
- (Egypt jewel) Day Tour To Giza Pyramids, Museum, Mosque &Felucca: $55
- 01 Day Cairo tour Islamic and Coptic Cairo: $143
- 1 Day Private Tour from Hurghada to Cairo: $219
- 1 Day Private Tour in Cairo and Giza: $90
- 1 Day Private Tour to Alexandria from Cairo: $100
- 1 Day tour to Alexandria from Cairo: $30
- 1 Day tour to Giza pyramids Memphis city Dahshur and Saqqara pyramids: $15
- 1 Hour ATV Quad Bike Private Tour Around Giza Pyramids: $30
- 1 Hour Adventure In The Nile River By Nile Taxi In Cairo: $60
- 1 Hour Adventure In The Nile River By Nile Taxi In Cairo: $60
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAddis Ababa $2.38Cairo $1.37
Sample the Local Flavors in Addis Ababa
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Addis Ababa:
- Pastry, Chocolate, and Wine Tour with Pickup: $60
Sample the Local Flavors in Cairo
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Cairo:
- Pub Crawl and Speakeasy Bar Tour with 2 Free Drinks: $69
When comparing the travel costs between Addis Ababa and Cairo, we can see that Cairo is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Africa, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Addis Ababa Expensive? and Is Cairo Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Addis Ababa or Cairo?
Cairo has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Addis Ababa. When comparing the sizes of Addis Ababa and Cairo, 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.