Which place is cheaper, Cairo or Aswan?
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 Aswan or Cairo?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Aswan or Cairo? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Aswan or Cairo?
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.
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 10-Day Tours in Egypt, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Egypt, The Best 2-Week Tours in Egypt, and The Best River Cruises in Egypt.
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Aswan Prices
Egypt PricesCairo Prices
Egypt Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAswan $29Cairo $31
The average daily cost (per person) in Aswan 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 Aswan and Cairo in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAswan $9.66Cairo $10
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAswan $19Cairo $20
Compare Hotels in Aswan and Cairo
Looking for a hotel in Aswan 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: Aswan Hotel Prices and Cairo Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Aswan $5.30Cairo $3.53
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Aswan
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Aswan:
- A transfer to Luxor from Aswan by car: $75
- Abu Simbel Shared Transfer: $37
- Arrival Transfer from Aswan Airport to Hotels or Nile Cruise: $26
- Aswan Airport Transfers: $32
- Aswan Airport Transfers inside city & to Luxor, Hurghada- One Way: $18
- Aswan Airport VIP Transfer – Private,Comfortable &On-Time Service: $35
- Aswan Airport private arrival transfer: $19
- Aswan Port Private Arrival Transfer: $24
- Aswan Port Private Departure Transfer: $24
- Aswan Private Transfer To Luxor city: $130
- Aswan to Hurghada Private Door to Door Transfer: $140
- Aswan to Luxor Private Transfer: $65
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:
- Arrival transfer from Cairo airport: $5.00
- Private Transfer: Cairo Airport Arrival Any Hotel in Cairo Giza: $7.00
- Cairo CAI Airport Private Transfer to/from Cairo/El Omraniya: $8.82
- Cairo Airport (CAI) Private Transfer From or To All Cairo Hotells: $9.43
- Private Transfer from Cairo Airport to Hotels in Cairo: $10
- Private Cairo Airport Transfers & Limousine to Anywhere in Cairo or vice versa: $10
- Private Transfer To/From Cairo Airport: $10
- Private Cairo International or Sphinx Airport Transfer: $10
- Grand museum Tour with Egyptologist, Lunch & Private Transfers: $11
- Private Departure Transfer from Cairo City to Cairo Airport: $12
- Private Transfer from Cairo Airport: $12
- Private transfer from Cairo Airport to Cairo Pyramids Hotel: $12
Is it cheaper to fly into Aswan or Cairo?
Prices for flights to both Cairo and Aswan 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 dayAswan $15Cairo $16
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
- Dinner on board a cruise on the Nile: $59
- Nubian Dinner at Nubian Village: $60
- Cairo Nile Dinner Cruise with Entertainment: $66
- Experience the Magic of Aswan in One Day Food Tour with Guide: $177
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.Aswan $9.09Cairo $8.46
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
- Aswan full day tour phile temple unfinished obelisk high dam: $20
- Aswan Engineering Marvels Private High Dam & Obelisk Tour: $20
- Private Tour Sail on the Nile Aswan Felucca Ride: $20
- Felucca Nile Cruise in Aswan: $20
- Nubian Village Day Tour In Aswan: $25
- Philae Temple private tour or Sound and light show evining: $25
- 3 or 2 or 1 Nights Mighty Nile Felucca Adventure: $25
- Full Day Tour to Abu Simbel Temples from Aswan: $25
- Nubian Village Tour: $25
- Shared Half-Day Tour to the Nubian Village: $25
- Aswan Highlights Tour Philae Temple High Dam Unfinished Obelisk: $25
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:
- Top Luxury PrivateTour Giza Pyramids,Grand Egyptian MuseumFelucca: $2.00
- Best-Selling Giza Pyramids Tour: Camel Ride, Lunch &Private Guide: $2.50
- ViP Private Tour Giza Pyramids,camel ride , inside 3rd Pyramid: $4.50
- Private Tour in Pyramids of Giza with Lunch and Camel Ride: $4.50
- Private Tour in Pyramids of Giza with Lunch and Camel Ride: $4.50
- Chep Full Day tour Giza Pyramids and Sphinx Camel Ride &Quad Bike: $4.50
- Luxury Private Tour Giza Pyramids and Grand Egyptian Museum: $4.74
- Private Tour to Pyramids with Professional Photographer: $5.00
- Cairo shopping advisor tour papyrus ,perfume ,golden cartouche , Egyptian cotton: $5.00
- Day tour to Giza pyramids & sphinx, saqqara and Memphis: $5.00
- Budget-Friendly Giza Pyramids & Sphinx Tour: $5.00
- Ancient Egypt Journey: Giza, Saqqara & Dahshur Private Experience: $5.00
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAswan $1.04Cairo $1.37
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 Aswan 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 Aswan Expensive? and Is Cairo Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Aswan or Cairo?
Cairo has a larger population, and is about 30 times larger than the population of Aswan. When comparing the sizes of Aswan 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.