Which place is cheaper, Cairo or Ankara?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Ankara or Cairo?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Ankara and Cairo. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Ankara or Cairo?
Ankara
Located at the heart of Turkey near Central Anatolia, Ankara is the capital city and second largest city in the country after Istanbul. Formerly known for its long-haired goats and textiles, the city has since developed into a metropolitan mix of modern cultures with historic landmarks.
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 Budget Tours to Turkey, The Best Tours for Seniors to Turkey, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Egypt, and The Best Historical Tours in Egypt.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAnkara $115Cairo $17
The average daily cost (per person) in Ankara is $115, while the average daily cost in Cairo is $17. 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 Ankara and Cairo in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAnkara $56Cairo $9.27
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAnkara $112Cairo $19
Compare Hotels in Ankara and Cairo
Looking for a hotel in Ankara 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: Ankara Hotel Prices and Cairo Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Ankara $37Cairo $2.96
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Ankara
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Ankara:
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Metro Ride$0.04
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Short Taxi Ride$0.15
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ankara
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Ankara:
- Ankara - Cappadocia Private Transfer (Mercedes Vito): $370
- Ankara City Center (Cankaya,Kizilay) Hotels to Ankara Esenboga Airport transfers: $78
- Ankara Esenboga Airport transfers to Ankara City Center (Cankaya,Kizilay) Hotels: $72
- Ankara Esenboğa Airport From/To City Center Private Transfer: $63
- Ankara Private Departure Transfer from City hotels to Airport: $60
- Ankara Private Transfer from central Ankara hotels to Ankara Airport (ESB): $111
- Private Transfer from Ankara Esenboga Airport (ESB) to Central Ankara: $111
- Private Transfers Ankara City or Esenboga Airport to/from Beypazari Town: $185
- Private Transfers Ankara City or Esenboga Airport to/from Gordion Ancient City: $185
- Private Transfers Ankara City or Esenboga Airport to/from Kizilcahamam Town: $185
- Private Transfers Between Ankara Esenboga Airport - Ankara City Centre: $75
- Private transfer: Ankara Airport (ESB) to Ankara: $40
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$0.31
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cairo
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cairo:
- Cairo Airport Arrival Transfer: $20
- Cairo Airport Departure Transfer : $25
- Cairo Airport Transfer to Hotel: $20
- Private Pickup transfer from Windsor Hotel Cairo to Cairo airport: $12
- Private Tour Giza Pyramids and Great Sphinx With Transfers : $55
- Private airport Transfer: $15
- Private transfer from The Nile Ritz-Carlton, Cairo to Cairo airport: $12
- Pyramids of Giza and Great Sphinx Half Day Tour With Private Guide & Transfers : $135
- Round-Trip Airport Transfer in Cairo or Giza: $46
- Skip-the-line to Great Sphinx and Pyramids of Giza with Transfer: $24
- 01 way Private Transfer from your Hotel in Cairo to Cairo Airport: $13
- 01 way Transfer from Cairo airport to your Hotel in Giza: $13
Is it cheaper to fly into Ankara or Cairo?
Prices for flights to both Cairo and Ankara 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 dayAnkara $32Cairo $4.70
Typical Food Prices in Ankara
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Ankara:
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A Quick Lunch$0.35
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.
- Cairo Nile dinner cruise night show with belly dancer: $8.00
- Dinner Nile Cruise belly dancer open buffer tanora show sailing on Nile: $8.80
- Private Nile Cruise with Dinner and Folk Show from Cairo: $10
- night-tour Nile dinner cruise with open buffet and belly dancer: $10
- Food Tour in Local Cairo Life with Egyptian tea: $11
- Dinner evening in the heart of the Nile for 3 hours: $11
- Dinner Cruise on the Nile River with Buffet belly dancer performance: $12
- Private Dinner Cruise on the Nile River in Cairo with Pickup: $12
- dance, sing and eat on Cairo Dinner Nile Cruise on Nile river: $12
- 5 Star Dinner Nile Cruise in Cairo Night Tour : $13
- 2-hours night dinner cruise show : Eat , Dance and Sing : $13
- food tour private tour from cairo or giza hotel: $14
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Ankara $34Cairo $5.69
Typical Entertainment Prices in Ankara
Here are a few typical costs in Ankara for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Underground City$0.25
Tours and Activities in Ankara
Here are a few actual costs in Ankara for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Private Walking tour With A Guide (Private Tour): $33
- Ankara : Private Walking Tour With A Guide ( Private Tour ) : $33
- Private Tour with a Local: $38
- Ankara : Highlights Walking Tour: $49
- Istanbul: Half-Day Tour with Topkapi Palace: $145
- Istanbul: Golden Horn & Bosphorus Day Cruise: $165
- Half Day Private Tour in Ankara: $215
- Ankara Private Walking Tour with a Professional Guide: $223
- Private Tour: Ankara Sightseeing: $235
- Ankara Private Walking Tour: $272
- Private Ankara City Tours by an Archaeologist Tour Guide : $280
- Konya and Cappdocia Tour (3 Days-2 Nights): $447
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$0.83
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Egyptian Museum Entry for Two$6.43
Tours and Activities in Cairo
Here are a few actual costs in Cairo for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Dahshur Pyramids Entry Tickets: $4.37
- El Sultan Hassan Mosque Entry Ticket : $4.56
- Baron Palace Entry Tickets : $4.60
- The Baron Empain Palace Entry Ticket: $4.60
- Prince Mohamed Ali Palace Entry Ticket: $4.80
- Full Day Tour to Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Memphis, and Saqqara: $5.00
- Entry Ticket to the Prince Mohamed Ali Palace : $5.54
- Wonder Tour To Khufu, Khafre, Menkaure Pyramids and Great Sphinx : $5.76
- Private Tour to Giza Pyramids, Sphinx : $6.00
- Skip The Line To Coptic Museum of Cairo Entry Ticket: $6.01
- Skip The Line with Memphis Museum Entry Ticket: $6.77
- Museum of Islamic Arts Cairo Entry Ticket: $7.00
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAnkara $15Cairo $1.16
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ankara and Cairo, we can see that Ankara is more expensive. And not only is Cairo much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Ankara is in Europe and Cairo is in Africa, 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 Cairo would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Cairo 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 Ankara would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Ankara than you might in Cairo.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Ankara Expensive? and Is Cairo Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Ankara or Cairo?
Cairo has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Ankara. When comparing the sizes of Ankara 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.