Which place is cheaper, Cancun or Alexandria?
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 Alexandria or Cancun?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Alexandria and Cancun can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Alexandria or Cancun?
Alexandria
There are few cities in the world with a history as rich, deep, tragic and fascinating than Alexandria, Egypt. Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, Egypt's second largest city has seen the most extreme ups and extreme downs. The city watched the beautiful and iconic Alexandria Lighthouse crumble to the ground after several natural disasters. The Alexandria Library housed their most sacred and historical documents only to be burned to the ground. These structures may be physically gone, but the history remains. Alexandria is a city with an ancient allure that draws in visitors from all over the world. Alexandria is a survivor city ready for a comeback.
Cancun
In the northeast corner of the Mexican Caribbean, Cancun is one of Mexico's most popular destinations. The area that is now Cancun was actually selected specifically by the Mexican government for development as a tourist destination. The area was chosen because it has fourteen miles of beautiful white beaches, nearby Mayan ruins, and turquoise blue water with nearby snorkeling and scuba diving opportunities. Prior to its development as a tourist destination, there were few inhabitants in the area.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Luxury Tours to Egypt, The Best Budget Tours to Egypt, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Playa del Carmen, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Cancun.
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Alexandria Prices
Egypt PricesCancun Prices
Mexico Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAlexandria $27Cancun $162
The average daily cost (per person) in Alexandria is $27, while the average daily cost in Cancun is $162. 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 Alexandria and Cancun in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAlexandria $9.86Cancun $94
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAlexandria $20Cancun $188
Compare Hotels in Alexandria and Cancun
Looking for a hotel in Alexandria or Cancun? 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: Alexandria Hotel Prices and Cancun Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Alexandria $3.65Cancun $17
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Alexandria
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Alexandria:
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Taxi to Train Station$0.08
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Alexandria
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Alexandria:
- transfer from Alexandria to Cairo airport, Cairo & Giza hotels: $55
- Private Transfer from Borg El Arab Airport to Marsa Matrouh: $69
- Private Transfer from Borg El Arab Airport to El Alamein/Marassi: $47
- Private Transfer from Alexandria to El Alamein 1-Way & Round-Trip: $36
- Private Transfer from Alexandria to Cairo or vice versa: $134
- Private Transfer from Alexandria to Cairo in Egypt or vice versa: $121
- Private Transfer from Alexandria Port to Cairo Int Airport (CAI): $225
- Private Transfer from Alexandria Port to Alexandria City Hotels: $42
- Private Transfer from Alexandria Hotels to Cairo Airport: $50
- Private Transfer from Alexandria Hotels to Alexandria Airport: $20
- Private Transfer from Alexandria Cruise Port to Cairo City Hotels: $225
- Private Transfer from Alexandria Airport (HBE) to Alexandria Port: $42
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Cancun
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Cancun:
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Taxi Around Town$1.61
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Airport Shuttle (for 2)$13
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Ferry to Isla de Mujeres (for 2)$16
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Local Bus (for 2)$1.96
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cancun
Also for Cancun, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfer (Can-cun, Playa del Carmen & Tulum): $113
- Airport Transfer Cancun: $75
- Airport Transfer to Tulum: $160
- Airport Transfers to Puerto Juarez - Private van (ROUND TRIP) FLAT RATE: $208
- Airport Transfers to Puerto Morelos - Private van (ROUND TRIP) FLAT RATE: $196
- Akumal One Way or Roundtrip Private Luxury Transfer: $291
- Arrival Private Transfer from Cancun Airport CUN to Tulum by Minivan or Minibus: $155
- Best SpeedBoat and Snorkeling tour with Transfer from Cancun: $29
- Cancún Airport (CUN) Cancun hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $75
- Cancún Airport (CUN) to Akumal - Private Arrival Transfer: $105
- Cancún Airport (CUN) to Akumal - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $209
- Cancún Airport (CUN) to El Dorado Maroma - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $207
Is it cheaper to fly into Alexandria or Cancun?
Prices for flights to both Cancun and Alexandria 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 dayAlexandria $14Cancun $48
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Alexandria
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Alexandria.
- Half-Day Food Tour in Alexandria, Egypt: $20
- Alexandria Food Tour Top Rated: $40
- Food Tour in Alexandria for Lunch or Dinner in The Best Restaurants: $45
- Private Food Tour To The Famous Restaurant In Alexandria: $56
- From Giza: Sound&light show, Giza pyramids and Dinner on the Nile: $94
- GEM and Pyramids Tour with Cruise Dinner From Alexandria Port: $120
Typical Food Prices in Cancun
For Cancun, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Lunch for Two$20
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cancun
For Cancun, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Street Food Tour in Cancun with a Local Guide: $61
- Cancun Street Food Tour with Food Stalls, Local Market and Murals: $64
- Cancun Food Tour: Market 23, Local Flavors & Downtown Culture: $69
- Cancun Food Tour - Taco Attack: Street Food & Tequila Tasting: $69
- Salsa Streets Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $69
- Tortilla Trails Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $69
- Cancun Historic Downtown Food Tour with 7+ Authentic Tastings: $76
- Cancun Hands-On Mexican Cooking Class: $79
- Mexican Cooking Class with fresh Local Market ingredients selection and transpor: $79
- Cancun Taco & Mexican Food Tour with Tequila Tasting: $79
- Couples Special Price! Cancun Pirate Show with Dinner & Drinks: $80
- Pirate Night! Dinner, Fun and Show at Cancun Couples Special: $80
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Alexandria $5.09Cancun $34
Tours and Activities in Alexandria
Here are a few actual costs in Alexandria for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 10-Hour Historical Pyramids Tour from Alexandria Port: $130
- 2 Day Tour Visit the Top Attractions of Alexandria City: $196
- 2 Day Tour Visit the Top Attractions of Alexandria City: $155
- 8Days Egypt Tour package UltraLuxury Cairo,Alexandria&cruise: $4,190
- Alamein and Alexandria Private Day Tour with Lunch: $200
- Alamein full day tour from Alexandria: $95
- Alexandria : Rosetta Day Tour from Alexandria: $130
- Alexandria By Night Private Free Walking Tours & Horse Carriage Ride: $68
- Alexandria City Tour from Cairo Full Day: $85
- Alexandria Day Tour: $110
- Alexandria Day Tour Visit the Tob attractions of Alexandria City: $40
- Alexandria Day Tour from Alexandria Port or Hotels: $101
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cancun
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Cancun's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Seasick Pills$0.58
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Whale Shark Tour (for 2)$98
Tours and Activities in Cancun
For Cancun, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Cancun's Hidden Gems: A Self-Guided Tour: $1.15
- 7 Days Self Guided AI Audio Tours to Cancun and Yucatan: $12
- Speedboat and Snorkeling Adventure in Cancun: $14
- Cancun Beach Taco Tour Culinary Journey with Tequila Tasting: $15
- Shared Speedboat and Snorkeling Adventure in Cancun: $15
- Isla Mujeres Catamaran Adventure Snorkeling, Spinnaker and Lunch: $15
- Isla Mujeres tour from Cancún (open bar, lunch ): $15
- Speedboat and Snorkeling Adventure in Cancun: $16
- Tour in a Catamaran to Isla Mujeres with all included for the best price!: $16
- Cancun to Isla Mujeres Tour Experience: $16
- Chichen Itza Full-Day Tour with Cenote Swim and Valladolid Visit: $16
- Isla Mujeres, Catamaran tour in one day for one price: $16
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAlexandria $1.37Cancun $13
Sample the Local Flavors in Cancun
Also in Cancun, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Bar Crawl Madness Tour in Cancun: $115
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Alexandria and Cancun, we can see that Cancun is more expensive. And not only is Alexandria much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Alexandria is in Africa and Cancun is in North America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Alexandria would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Alexandria and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Cancun would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cancun than you might in Alexandria.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Alexandria Expensive? and Is Cancun Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Alexandria or Cancun?
Alexandria has a larger population, and is about 7 times larger than the population of Cancun. When comparing the sizes of Alexandria and Cancun, 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.