A Travel Price Comparison for Egypt Aswan vs. Cairo for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

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.


Which place is cheaper, Cairo or Aswan?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Aswan is $17, while the average daily cost in Cairo is $18. 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
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Aswan $6.87
    Cairo $9.54
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Aswan $14
    Cairo $19
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.

Hotels in Aswan


Hotels in Cairo


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
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Aswan $4.42
    Cairo $3.04

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Aswan

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Aswan:

  • Private transfer from Aswan to Luxor: $35
  • Transfer Service to Luxor from Aswan: $55
  • 3-Days Travel Into The History to Aswan, Abu Simbel & Luxor with all Transfers: $299
  • Abu Simbel Shared Transfer: $20
  • Abu Simbel from Aswan in Egypt - Private Tour (guide and transfers Included): $209
  • Arrival Transfer from Aswan Airport to Hotels or Nile Cruise: $12
  • Arrival Transfer from Aswan Airport to Hotels or Nile Cruise in Aswan: $6.40
  • Aswan Airport Private Arrival Transfer: $19
  • Aswan Airport Private Arrival Transfer: $28
  • Aswan Airport Private Departure Transfer: $19
  • Aswan Airport Private Transfer: $6.00
  • Aswan Airport Private Transfer: $24

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Cairo

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Cairo are as follows:


  • Metro Ride
    $0.09
  • Taxi Ride
    $0.32

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cairo

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cairo:

  • Private Departure Transfer from Cairo or Giza Hotels to Cairo Airport: $5.00
  • Private Transfer from Hotels in Cairo to Cairo Airport : $8.00
  • Airport and Hotel Private Transfer in Cairo & Giza: $9.00
  • Private Pickup transfer from Cairo Pyramids Hotel to Cairo airport: $9.60
  • Private Pickup transfer from Marriott Mena House, Cairo to Cairo airport: $9.60
  • Cairo Airport Transfer by private car: $10
  • Private Transfer from Cairo Airport to Hotels in Cairo: $10
  • Cairo Airport Private Arrival Transfer to Anywhere in Cairo: $10
  • Private Transfer from Cairo City to Cairo Airport: $10
  • Private Transfer from Cairo airport to Pyramids area: $10
  • Private transfer from Cairo Airport to Marriott Mena House, Cairo: $10
  • 01 way Transfer from Cairo airport to your Hotel in Giza: $10

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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Aswan $5.84
    Cairo $4.84

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Aswan

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Aswan.

  • Private Aswan Nubian Cooking Class and Market Tour: $30
  • Dinner at Soleih restaurant by vehicle: $33
  • Nubian Dinner in Nubian Village Of Aswan: $40
  • Dinner on board a cruise on the Nile: $59
  • Private 3-Hour Nubian Party with Dinner and Pickup in Aswan: $77
  • Your Grandmothers Cooking Class In Aswan : $90
  • Dinner In Nile Cruise in Aswan: $150

Typical Food Prices in Cairo

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Cairo:


  • Juice
    $0.04

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cairo

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cairo.

  • Unusual Cairo Food Tour : $12
  • Dinner Cruise on the Nile River: $13
  • Nile Sunset, Dinner Cruise, Show and Private Transfer: $16
  • Dinner Cruise on the Nile with Private Transfer from Cairo: $16
  • Cairo Dinner Cruise On The Nile River With Private Transfer: $16
  • Super Safari ATV , Drive Buggy Car, Camel Ride, Dinner, Show-Hurghada: $19
  • Giza pyramids ,Sphinx ,Valley temple and Nile Dinner cruise tours: $20
  • Dinner Cruise Cairo With Belly Dancer Show in The Nile River: $20
  • Private Tour Giza pyramids, Camel Ride, Lunch, Nile Dinner Cruise & Shopping: $20
  • local oriental food tour from Cairo or Giza hotels: $22
  • Private tour Giza pyramids and Nile dinner cruise from Giza and Cairo hotels: $23
  • Quad Bike ATV Camel Ride Nile Dinner Cruise Belly dancer show: $23

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Aswan $6.23
    Cairo $5.86
Typical Entertainment Prices in Aswan

Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Aswan are as follows:


  • Temple Kom Ombo for Two
    $1.29

Tours and Activities in Aswan

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Aswan are as follows:

  • The High Dam In Aswan Entry Ticket: $2.53
  • Temple Of Kalabsha Entry Tickets: $3.80
  • Unfinished Obelisk in Aswan Entry Ticket: $6.41
  • Aswan High Dam Entry Tickets Included Pickup And Drop Off: $13
  • Day Trip to Nubian Village with Camel Tour: $15
  • Unfinished Obelisk Entry Tickets Included Pickup And Drop Off: $16
  • Philae temple entry ticket: $16
  • City Tour in Aswan by Bicycle : $17
  • 2 Hours Tour in Philae Temple: $19
  • Horse Carriage Ride with a Private Tour in Aswan: $20
  • 6-Hour Private Tour Aswan , High Dam , Obelisk , Philae Temple : $20
  • Tour Elephantine Island Agha Khan and Botanic Garden by Felucca : $20

Typical Entertainment Prices in Cairo

Here are a few typical costs in Cairo for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:


  • Entry to Camel Market for Two
    $0.86
  • Egyptian Museum Entry for Two
    $6.62

Tours and Activities in Cairo

Here are a few actual costs in Cairo for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • 3-Hour Private Tour of Papyrus and Perfumes in Ancient Egypt: $4.00
  • Dahshur Pyramids Entry Tickets: $4.32
  • The Baron Empain Palace Entry Ticket: $4.60
  • Shopping tour Private Papyrus Perfume, Bazar Cotton Shop in Cairo: $5.00
  • Coptic Museum Entry Ticket : $5.20
  • Skip The Line with Memphis Museum Entry Ticket: $6.87
  • Private Tour Cairo Shopping Papyrus Perfume Bazar Cotton Shop: $7.00
  • Giza Pyramids and Sphinx Day Tour : $8.00
  • Private Day tour to Giza pyramids and Sphinx : $8.00
  • Best cairo tours visit to Giza Pyramids and Sphinx: $8.00
  • Half Day Private Tour to Giza Pyramids Sphinx: $8.00
  • Private Tour to old Islamic Cairo and the old famous arts: $9.00

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Aswan $1.27
    Cairo $1.20

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: $57


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.