Which place is cheaper, Catania or Aswan?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Aswan or Catania?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Aswan or Catania? 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 Catania?
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.
Catania
Located on the east coast of Sicily, Catania is at the base of Mount Etna, which is the largest volcano in Europe. It's also the island's second largest city and a major transportation center for the area. With almost one million residents in the metropolitan area, the city serves as an important economic base and university town for Sicily. It's a vibrant city with a young population, a lively downtown, and an excellent nightlife. The city has an abundance of Sicilian Baroque architecture and the downtown area, where much of it is this architecture is concentrated, has been declared a World Heritage Site.
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 Romantic Tours for Couples in Italy, and The Best Walking Tours in Italy.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAswan $16Catania $129
The average daily cost (per person) in Aswan is $16, while the average daily cost in Catania is $129. 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 Catania in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAswan $6.75Catania $69
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAswan $14Catania $138
Compare Hotels in Aswan and Catania
Looking for a hotel in Aswan or Catania? 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 Catania Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Aswan $4.34Catania $22
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Aswan
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Aswan:
- Private Transfer from Aswan Airport to Aswan: $5.00
- Aswan Airport Private Transfer: $6.00
- Private transfer from Aswan to Aswan Airport: $6.40
- Transfer from Aswan Airport to Hotels or Nile Cruise in Aswan: $8.00
- Station Aswan Transfer To hotel: $8.00
- Private Aswan Airport Arrival/Departure One Way Transfer: $10
- Private transfer from Aswan to Aswan Airport: $10
- Private Aswan Airport Transfer To Hotel : $10
- Private transfer from Aswan to Aswan Airport: $10
- Private Transfer from Aswan Airport to Anywhere in Aswan: $10
- Airport Arrival/Departure One Way Private Transfer: $10
- Private Airport Arrival/Departure One Way Transfer: $10
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Catania
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Catania:
- Sicily: Catania Airport Bus Transfer to Giardini Naxos: $5.99
- Catania International Airport: Bus Transfer to/from Syracuse: $6.63
- Catania International Airport: Bus Transfer to/from Taormina: $7.49
- Sicily: Catania Airport Bus Transfer to Licata: $9.84
- Private Transfer from Catania Airport (CTA) to Siracusa Port: $44
- Catania Airport: Private Transfer to Catania and Acireale: $52
- Mt Etna: Winter Trekking Tour with Optional Catania Transfer: $52
- Private Transfer from Catania Airport (CTA) to Messina Port: $61
- From Catania Airport: 1-Way Private Transfer to Catania: $63
- PRIVATE TRANSFER from CATANIA to TAORMINA (and VICEVERSA): $69
- Catania Private Transfer (Taormina, Siracusa, Noto, Messina, Naxos, Etna, etc): $71
- Taxi Catania Airport with transfer to Syracuse or Taormina: $76
Is it cheaper to fly into Aswan or Catania?
Prices for flights to both Catania 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 $5.73Catania $44
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Aswan
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Aswan.
- Dinner at Soleih restaurant by vehicle: $33
- Nubian Dinner in Nubian Village Of Aswan: $40
- Nubian lunch Or Dinner at Nubian village : $75
- 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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Catania
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Catania.
- Catania Street Food Tour: Fish Market & City Centre: $38
- Catania Street Food Tour: $52
- Cooking class & visit to the Catania Historical market: $59
- Patisserie Food tour: $60
- Guided Street Food Tour with Tastings: $63
- Food tour of Catania by night: $64
- Catania Street Food Tour: $67
- Guided Street Food Tour with Tastings: $73
- Aci Trezza boat tour with dinner on board: $85
- Cooking Class Tiramisù: $95
- Cooking Class Arancini in Catania: $96
- Cooking class Pizza: $96
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Aswan $6.11Catania $21
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$1.26
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
- Unfinished Obelisk Entry Ticket: $5.60
- Philae Temple Entry Ticket: $11
- Aswan High Dam Entry Tickets Included Pickup And Drop Off: $13
- Philae Temple Complex Skip the Line Entry Ticket: $13
- Temple Of Kalabsha Entry Tickets Included Pickup And Drop Off: $14
- Day Trip to Nubian Village with Camel Tour: $15
- Philae temple entry ticket: $16
- City Tour in Aswan by Bicycle : $16
- Private Day Tour to Phalie Temple, High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk: $17
- Unfinished Obelisk Entry Tickets Included Pickup And Drop Off: $17
- Kom Ombo Entry Tickets Included Pickup And Drop Off From Aswan: $19
Tours and Activities in Catania
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Catania are as follows:
- One-way tickets to travel between airport and city: $2.69
- Benedictine Monastery of Guided tour in English: $11
- Heart of the City Guided Walking Tour: $21
- The heart of the City - Guided tour in Italian: $21
- Underground Catania Tickets and Guided Tour: $21
- the heart of the City - Guided Walking Tour: $21
- City Highlights Walking Tour: $24
- City Highlights Tour with Guide: $27
- Food Tasting Tour in an ancient church: $35
- Tasting tour in the ancient church of Piazza Scammacca: $35
- Pozzo di Gaspare Farm Guided Tour with Tastings: $37
- 2 hours guided tour of Catania: $40
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAswan $1.24Catania $19
Sample the Local Flavors in Catania
Also in Catania, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Volcanic Wine Tasting in a Metropolitan Market: $48
- Wine Tasting in the South Slope of Etna: $50
- Etna: Urban Winery, Vineyards Walk & Wine Tasting at Sunset: $62
- Wine tour in Catania: $102
- Mt Etna and Wine tasting tour from Catania: $116
- Full-Day Etna and Wine Tour from Catania: $126
- From Mt.Etna picnic and wine tasting: $128
- Guided Tour of Etna with Wine Tasting & Appetizers: $139
- Etna trekking and wine tasting: $147
- Tour Etna & Wine Tasting: $158
- Etna Tour and Lunch in a Winery with Wine Tasting: $265
- From Catania/Taormina: Mount Etna Private Wine Tasting Tour: $433
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Aswan and Catania, we can see that Catania is more expensive. And not only is Aswan much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Aswan is in Africa and Catania is in Europe, 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 Catania would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Catania 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 Aswan Expensive? and Is Catania Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Aswan or Catania?
Catania has a larger population, and is about 30% larger than the population of Aswan. When comparing the sizes of Aswan and Catania, 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.