Which place is cheaper, Aswan or Aqaba?
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 Aqaba or Aswan?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Aqaba or Aswan, 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: Aqaba or Aswan?
Aqaba
Aqaba is a port city in Jordan, in fact, it is the only port city in the country. This city is located on the Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea, which is in the southern part of Jordan. The city is still being developed; many of its facilities and infrastructures are being improved. The population of Aqaba is about 190,000 and the city has been key in developing Jordan's economy via trade and tourism.
Aswan
Lounging along the Nile like Egyptian royalty is a fantasy for most world travelers. If you want to do it without the hustle and bustle of Cairo, there's always Aswan. This city in the south of Egypt is the smallest of the three major cities on the Nile. Located just below the Aswan Dam and Lake Nasser, Aswan's 275,00 people include a large portion of Nubians – mostly resettled from their flooded homeland.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Luxury Tours to Jordan, The Best Budget Tours to Jordan, The Best 10-Day Tours in Egypt, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Egypt.
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Aqaba Prices
Jordan PricesAswan Prices
Egypt Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAqaba $157Aswan $29
The average daily cost (per person) in Aqaba is $157, while the average daily cost in Aswan is $29. 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 Aqaba and Aswan in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAqaba $59Aswan $9.66
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAqaba $118Aswan $19
Compare Hotels in Aqaba and Aswan
Looking for a hotel in Aqaba or Aswan? 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: Aqaba Hotel Prices and Aswan Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Aqaba $24Aswan $5.30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Aqaba
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Aqaba:
- Transfer From Aqaba Airport to Aqaba City Or TalaBay: $25
- King Hussein Int Airport Transfers One Way to Aqaba: $25
- Private Transfer: Aqaba Hotels to Aqaba Airport: $27
- Aqaba Hussein Airport (AQJ) to Aqaba - Arrival Private Transfer: $31
- Aqaba Airport Private Transfer To Aqaba: $35
- Private Transfer from Aqaba Cruise Port to Aqaba hotels: $48
- Private Transfer from Aqaba Cruise Port to Petra hotels: $48
- Private Transfer from Aqaba Hotels to Aqaba Cruise Port: $48
- Private Transfer from Aqaba city hotels to Aqaba Cruise Port: $55
- Private Transfer from Aqaba Cruise Port to Aqaba City Hotels: $55
- Transfer from Aqaba City Or TalaBay to Petra: $59
- Transfer from Aqaba Airport to Petra: $60
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Aswan
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Aswan:
- Abu Simbel Shared Transfer: $37
- Arrival Transfer from Aswan Airport to Hotels or Nile Cruise: $26
- Aswan Airport Private Arrival Transfer: $28
- Aswan Airport Transfer: $24
- Aswan Airport Transfers inside city & to Luxor, Hurghada- One Way: $18
- Aswan Airport VIP Transfer – Private,Comfortable &On-Time Service: $35
- Aswan City Tour With Private Transfer and Live Guide: $45
- Aswan Port Private Arrival Transfer: $24
- Aswan To Luxor Transfer Or Luxor To Aswan{Private}Reliable Driver: $55
- Aswan to Luxor Private Transfers: $55
- Edfu and Kom Ombo Day Tour with Luxor Transfer: $132
- Edfu and Kom Ombo Day Tour with Luxor Transfer: $80
Is it cheaper to fly into Aqaba or Aswan?
Prices for flights to both Aswan and Aqaba 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 dayAqaba $73Aswan $15
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Aqaba
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Aqaba.
- Suhaila (connecting through cooking): $50
- Traditional Bedouin Cooking Experience in the Desert: $50
- "Wadi Rum Jeep Tour + Bedouin Camp & Dinner Under the Stars: $80
- Explore Wadi Rum: Jeep Tour, Bed and Breakfast, and Dinner: $82
- Wadi Rum Full Day Jeep Tour + Overnight in Bedouin Camp & Dinner: $90
- Wadi Rum Full Day Jeep Tour + Overnight & Dinner in Bedouin Camp: $109
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Aswan
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Aswan.
- Night Dinner Cruise in Cairo: $42
- Nubian Dinner at Nubian Village: $60
- Your Grandmothers Cooking Class In Aswan: $90
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Aqaba $54Aswan $9.09
Tours and Activities in Aqaba
Here are a few actual costs in Aqaba for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Sightseeing Bike Rental in Aqaba: $7.00
- Turgut camp with tour: $15
- Join Us Before Sunset – Aqaba Walking Tour Let's Go!: $27
- Private Walking Tour in Aqaba City with Free Meal: $30
- Glass-Bottom Boat 2-hours Tour and Coral-Reef Viewing from Aqaba: $30
- Wadi Rum Half-day Jeep Tour incl. sandboard, water & Bedouin tea: $30
- Aqaba Walking Tour : History ,Culture & Food: $30
- 2 Hours Morning or Sunset Jeep Tour in Wadi Rum Desert Highlights: $32
- Wadi Rum: Premium English Speaking Guide 4WD Desert Tour: $33
- 2 Hour Jeep Tour - Wadi Rum Desert & Canyon: $35
- 4 Hour Jeep Tour Morning or Sunset Wadi Rum Desert Highlights: $35
- Camel Tours in Wadi Rum Desert | Magic Bedouin Star: $37
Typical Entertainment Prices in Aswan
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Aswan are as follows:
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Temple Kom Ombo for Two$1.17
Tours and Activities in Aswan
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Aswan are as follows:
- 2 Hours Tour in Philae Temple: $19
- Private Tour Sail on the Nile Aswan Felucca Ride: $20
- Aswan Engineering Marvels Private High Dam & Obelisk Tour: $20
- Felucca Nile Cruise in Aswan: $20
- Philae Temple private tour or Sound and light show evining: $25
- Aswan Highlights Tour Philae Temple High Dam Unfinished Obelisk: $25
- Full Day Tour to Abu Simbel Temples from Aswan: $25
- Nubian Village Tour: $25
- Shared Half-Day Tour to the Nubian Village: $25
- Explore Philae Temple and High-Dam on Half-day Tour: $26
- Nubian Village Tour by Motorboat: $28
- Aswan City Private Tour By Horse Carriage: $29
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAqaba $9.07Aswan $1.04
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Aqaba and Aswan, we can see that Aqaba is more expensive. And not only is Aswan much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Aqaba is in Middle East and Aswan 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 Aswan would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Aswan 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 Aqaba would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Aqaba than you might in Aswan.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Aqaba Expensive? and Is Aswan Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Aqaba or Aswan?
Aswan has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Aqaba. When comparing the sizes of Aqaba and Aswan, 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.