Which place is cheaper, Istanbul or Aswan?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Jump to 
Should you visit Aswan or Istanbul?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Aswan or Istanbul? 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 Istanbul?
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.
Istanbul
Istanbul is strategically located on the Bosphorus and is split between Europe and Asia. It truly is a city where east meets west. Istanbul is the cultural and financial hub of Turkey, and also the most populous city. The sites are countless and there's something for everybody, whether you're interested in art, music, food, or adventure. You can pass many days exploring both the residential and commercial pockets of this city. Much of the appeal is hidden away along back alleys or within corner shops.
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 Turkey, and Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Turkey.
-
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAswan $16Istanbul $125
The average daily cost (per person) in Aswan is $16, while the average daily cost in Istanbul is $125. 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 Istanbul in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAswan $6.67Istanbul $47
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAswan $13Istanbul $94
Compare Hotels in Aswan and Istanbul
Looking for a hotel in Aswan or Istanbul? 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 Istanbul Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Aswan $4.29Istanbul $55
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Aswan
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Aswan:
- luxor Airport Private Transfer: $6.00
- Transfer from Aswan Airport to Hotels or Nile Cruise in Aswan: $8.00
- Private transfer from Aswan to Aswan Airport: $8.00
- One way Private Transfer From/To Aswan Airport: $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 Transfer from Aswan Airport to Anywhere in Aswan: $10
- Arrival Transfer from Aswan Airport to Hotels or Nile Cruise: $12
- Private Transfer from Aswan Hotels to Aswan Airport: $13
- Private Transfer from Aswan Airport to Hotels or Nile Cruise : $13
- Private transfer from anywhere Aswan to Aswan Airport: $13
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Istanbul
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Istanbul are as follows:
-
Ferry$0.09
-
Local Bus$0.09
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Istanbul
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Istanbul:
- Istanbul Airport Departure Transfer : $5.00
- Private Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW) Transfer: $5.44
- Private; VIP VAN Istanbul Cruise Port Transfer(Galataport): $5.44
- Private; Istanbul Cruise Port Transfer (Galataport): $5.44
- Istanbul Airport Private Transfer: $9.99
- Princes' Islands Tour with Lunch and Transfers: $14
- Private Istanbul Airport (IST) Arrival or Departure Transfer: $20
- Private SAW Airport Arrival or Departure Transfer: $20
- Istanbul City to Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW)-Departure Private Transfer: $20
- Istanbul Airport (SAW) to Istanbul - Arrival Private Transfer: $22
- Princes' Islands Cruise with Lunch and Transfer Full-Day Tour: $23
- Princes' Islands Cruise w/Music, Lunch & Transfer: $24
Is it cheaper to fly into Aswan or Istanbul?
Prices for flights to both Istanbul 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 dayAswan $5.67Istanbul $31
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Aswan
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Aswan.
- Nubian Dinner in Nubian Village Of Aswan: $40
- Nubian Dinner at Nubian Village: $51
- Dinner on board a cruise on the Nile: $59
- Your Grandmothers Cooking Class In Aswan : $90
Typical Food Prices in Istanbul
Some typical examples of dining costs in Istanbul are as follows:
-
Juice$0.06
-
Turkish Delight$0.02
-
Dessert$0.26
-
Pastries$0.05
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Istanbul
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Istanbul.
- Dinner Cruise On The Bosphorus with Turkish night show: $15
- Turkish Night on the Bosphorus Dinner Cruise: $16
- Dinner Cruise and Entertainment with Private Table: $17
- Bosphorus Dinner Cruise , Unlimited Drinks, & Show: $22
- Bosphorus Luxury Catamaran Cruise with Dinner Show: $25
- Bosphorus Dinner Cruise and Turkish Night Show: $26
- Bosphorus Dinner Cruise & Show with Private Table: $27
- Bosphorus Boat Cruise with Dinner & Entertainment: $27
- Istanbul Bosphorus Dinner Cruise with Unlimited Drinks and Shows: $30
- Bosphorus Elite Dinner Cruise w/VIP Menu & Private Table Option: $31
- Bosphorus Dinner Cruise with Folklore Show & Belly Dancers: $32
- Pasha Istanbul Dinner Cruise: $33
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Aswan $6.04Istanbul $79
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$1.25
Tours and Activities in Aswan
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Aswan are as follows:
- Unfinished Obelisk Entry Ticket: $5.60
- Kom Ombo Temple Entry Ticket: $9.12
- Philae Temple Entry Ticket: $11
- High Dam Aswan Entry Tickets With Pickup And Drop Off: $13
- The High Dam In Aswan Entry Ticket With Pickup : $13
- Aswan High Dam Entry Tickets Included Pickup And Drop Off: $13
- Philae Temple Complex Skip the Line Entry Ticket: $13
- Unfinished Obelisk Entry Tickets Included Pickup And Drop Off: $18
- 2 Hours Tour in Philae Temple: $19
- Day Trip to Nubian Village with Camel Tour from Aswan: $20
- Adventure Felucca Ride in Aswan: $20
- Guided Tour of Philae Temple in Aswan Egypt: $22
Typical Entertainment Prices in Istanbul
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Istanbul are as follows:
-
Bosphurus Boat (for 2)$0.61
-
Yerebatan Cistern for Two$0.61
-
Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts for Two$0.31
-
Hagia Sofia entrance$0.92
Tours and Activities in Istanbul
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Istanbul are as follows:
- App self-guided tours Istanbul with multilingual audioguide: $2.18
- Perri Asian & Mediterranean Restaurant Discount Entry Ticket: $3.12
- Best of Turkish Bath:Historical Çeşme Hammam Discount Ticket: $3.12
- Abdi Bey Turkish Traditional Restaurant Discount Ticket: $3.12
- First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.26
- Private Guided Walking Tour in Istanbul: $5.00
- Private Guided Walking Tour: $5.44
- Hagia Sophia Exclusive Digital Audio Guided Tour: $5.44
- Highlights Self Guided Scavenger Hunt & Tour: $5.44
- City Tour with Audio Guide in your smartphone: $5.44
- Kadikoy's history, theatres and sweet shops: a self-guided audio tour: $5.99
- City Exploration Game and Tour: $6.53
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayAswan $1.23Istanbul $15
Sample the Local Flavors in Istanbul
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Istanbul:
- Famous Istanbul Pub Crawl #1 Nightlife Experience: $27
- Pub and Rooftop Bar Crawl: $27
- #1 Rated Istanbul Party Pub Crawl w Party Bus/Sultanahmet&Taksim: $29
- Party Pub Crawl with Party Bus: $30
- Wine Tasting Experience in Istanbul : $50
- Istanbul Wine Tasting at Home with Local Family: $90
- Istanbul Private Wine Tasting Tour Through 3 City Wineries : $251
- Istanbul Private and Guided, Food and Wine Tasting Tour: $430
- Luxury Wine Tasting on a Private Yacht: $859
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Aswan and Istanbul, we can see that Istanbul 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 Istanbul 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 Istanbul would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Istanbul 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 Istanbul Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Aswan or Istanbul?
Istanbul has a larger population, and is about 50 times larger than the population of Aswan. When comparing the sizes of Aswan and Istanbul, 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.