A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Aswan vs. Reykjavik for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Aswan or Reykjavik?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Aswan or Reykjavik? 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 Reykjavik?

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.

Reykjavik

Reykjavik is the capital and largest city in the country of Iceland. The city is where the vast majority of the country's population resides and the urban area has about 200,000 residents. The city is sprawling, with a large area covered in suburbs. The the city center is quite compact, with many interesting and colorful houses. There are a lot of things that attract tourists to this city, including an interesting culture and history as well as plenty of shopping and dining opportunities.

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 Budget Tours to Iceland, and The Best Tours for Seniors to Iceland.


Which place is cheaper, Reykjavik or Aswan?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Aswan is $29, while the average daily cost in Reykjavik is $304. 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 Reykjavik in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Aswan $9.66
    Reykjavik $158
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Aswan $19
    Reykjavik $316
Compare Hotels in Aswan and Reykjavik

Looking for a hotel in Aswan or Reykjavik? 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 Reykjavik


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 Reykjavik Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Aswan $5.30
    Reykjavik $52

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Aswan

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Aswan:

  • luxor Airport Private Transfer: $14
  • Transfer from Aswan Train Station to your hotel or the opposite: $30
  • Transfer from Aswan Airport to Hotels or Nile Cruise in Aswan: $8.00
  • Transfer Service to Luxor from Aswan: $160
  • Transfer From Aswan to Luxor with Kom Ombo & Edfu Visits: $68
  • Shared Transfer: Aswan Airport to Hotels: $5.00
  • Round-Trip Transfer from Aswan to Abu Simbel: $115
  • Private transfer from aswan to luxor with visits: $93
  • Private transfer from Aswan to Luxor: $90
  • Private transfer from Aswan to Luxor: $55
  • Private transfer from Aswan to Aswan Airport: $10
  • Private transfer from Aswan Airport to Aswan Hotels: $76

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Reykjavik

Also for Reykjavik, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • From Reykjavik/Keflavik Airport: 1-Way Blue Lagoon Transfer: $31
  • Private Transfer Between Keflavik Airport and Reykjavik locations: $35
  • Keflavik Airport (KEF): Bus Transfer to/from Reykjavik: $38
  • Airport Transfer: Keflavik Airport to Reykjavik Center in Iceland: $39
  • Iceland Airport Transfer from Reykjavík Hotels to KEF Airport: $52
  • Roundtrip Bus Transfer to the Blue Lagoon: $59
  • From Reykjavík: Private Transfer From OR To Blue Lagoon: $59
  • Keflavik Airport (KEF): Private Transfer to/from Reykjavik: $70
  • Reykjavik - Westman Islands (Bus transfer to Landeyjahöfn): $70
  • Reykjavik & Keflavik Blue Lagoon Transfer with Scenic Stops: $77
  • Private Airport Transfer Keflavík Reykjavík and Blue lagoon: $82
  • Reykjavik/Keflavik: Blue Lagoon Private Transfer: $84

Is it cheaper to fly into Aswan or Reykjavik?

Prices for flights to both Reykjavik 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 $15
    Reykjavik $59

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

Typical Food Prices in Reykjavik

For Reykjavik, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Dinner (Fish Market)
    $202

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Reykjavik

For Reykjavik, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Harbor Cruise with 3-Course Dinner: $137
  • Harbor Cruise with Three Course Dinner from Reykjavik: $139
  • Food Tour by locals: $140
  • Authentic Reykjavik Food Tour with Flea Market Delights: $146
  • Icelandic Food Tour: $147
  • Reykjavík Food Tour with 5 Authentic Local Tastings & Secret Dish: $153
  • Food Tour with 6+ Tastings of Icelandic Classics: $154
  • The Reykjavik Christmas Food Tour: $171
  • Christmas Food Tour with Tastings and Drinks: $171
  • Private Reykjavik Christmas Food Tour: $241
  • Private Vegetarian Reykjavik Food Tour: $241
  • Authentic Icelandic Cooking Class in a Local Reykjavik Home: $285

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Aswan $9.09
    Reykjavik $82
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
    $1.17

Tours and Activities in Aswan

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

  • 2 Day Aswan Tour+Hotel Includ:Abu Simbel, Philae& Nubian Village: $190
  • 2 Days Private Tour in Aswan and Abu Simbel: $85
  • 2 Hours Private Sound and Light Show Tour in Philae Temple: $85
  • 2 Hours Tour in Philae Temple: $19
  • 2 Night Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor: $270
  • 2-Day Luxor Small-Group Tour from Aswan with Felucca Ride: $120
  • 2-Night Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor – Including Abu Simbel: $250
  • 3 Days Private Tour to Abu Simble, Balloon Ride, Aswan and Luxor: $299
  • 3 Hours Private Tour in Nubian Village from Aswan: $33
  • 3-Day Tour Aswan, Abu Simbel , Luxor & Train ticket, Opt. Balloon: $280
  • 4 Days Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor including Abu Simbel and Hot Air Balloon: $249
  • 4 Days Nile Cruise; Aswan to Luxor with Abu Simbel & Hot Balloon: $296

Typical Entertainment Prices in Reykjavik

Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Reykjavik's activities, tours, and tickets:


  • Art Museum
    $12
  • Wine and Spa
    $33

Tours and Activities in Reykjavik

For Reykjavik, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Reykjavik Audio Guided Walking Tour 2h30 and 20 reviews: $6.94
  • Reykjavik Viking Roots to Modern Marvels Self Guided Walking Tour: $7.00
  • Reykjavík Walking Tour with Audioguide on your Smartphone: $9.39
  • A Self-Guided Thingvellir National Park Walking Tour: $9.99
  • TOP Iceland : Private Guided Tour with your mobile: $12
  • Self Guided Golden Circle Audio Driving Tour GPS APP Offline: $12
  • Reykjavík: National Museum of Iceland Entry Ticket: $21
  • Reykjavik Art Museum Entry Ticket: $21
  • Skip the Line: The National Museum of Iceland Ticket: $24
  • Volcano Express Entry Ticket at Harpa: $24
  • Mosfellsbæ: Authentic Icelandic Wool Yarn Factory Tour: $26
  • Icelandic Phallological Museum Entry Ticket: $29

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Aswan $1.04
    Reykjavik $32

Typical Alcohol Prices in Reykjavik

Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Reykjavik are as follows:


  • Beer
    $9.96

Sample the Local Flavors in Reykjavik

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Reykjavik:

  • Eimverk Distillery Guided Tour with Tasting: $48
  • Craft Beer and Brewery Tour in Iceland: $48
  • Reykjavík Pub Crawl Tour with Drinks and Games: $152
  • Icelandic Bar Crawl Experience: $162


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Aswan and Reykjavik, we can see that Reykjavik 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 Reykjavik 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 Reykjavik would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Reykjavik 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 Reykjavik Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Aswan or Reykjavik?

Aswan has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Reykjavik. When comparing the sizes of Aswan and Reykjavik, 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.