Which place is cheaper, Varanasi or Aswan?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Aswan or Varanasi?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Aswan or Varanasi? 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 Varanasi?
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.
Varanasi
Known to be one of India's holiest cities, many come to Varanasi on a spiritual pilgrimage looking to bathe in the sacred waters of the Ganges River. Dating back to the 11th Century BC, it is also one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Centuries old temples make up the backdrop, as many come and come again to perform their holy rights at the edge of the historic river.
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 Bicycle Tours in India, and Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in India.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAswan $16Varanasi $30
The average daily cost (per person) in Aswan is $16, while the average daily cost in Varanasi is $30. 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 Varanasi in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAswan $6.75Varanasi $16
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAswan $14Varanasi $32
Compare Hotels in Aswan and Varanasi
Looking for a hotel in Aswan or Varanasi? 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 Varanasi Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Aswan $4.34Varanasi $4.94
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Aswan
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Aswan:
- VIP Express Exclusive Aswan Airport Transfer: $50
- VIP Aswan Airport Transfer to Luxury Retreats: $35
- Transfer to Luxor from Aswan and visit Kom Ombo and Edfu Temples: $64
- Transfer from Aswan to Luxor: $140
- Transfer from Aswan to Luxor: $79
- Transfer from Aswan to Hurghada : $170
- Transfer from Aswan To Luxor: $114
- Transfer from Aswan Airport to Hotels or Nile Cruise in Aswan : $13
- Sunset Departure Evening Aswan Airport Transfer: $32
- Station Aswan Transfer To hotel: $8.00
- Shared Transfer from Aswan Airport to Hotels : $20
- Private transfer from aswan to luxor with visits: $93
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Varanasi
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Varanasi:
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Tuk Tuk Through Town$0.96
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Rickshaw Ride$0.60
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Varanasi
Also for Varanasi, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Varanasi Airport : Transfer To Hotel / To Airport: $12
- Private Transfer Varanasi Airport (VNS) To Varanasi Hotels Drop: $12
- Varanasi Airport to hotel private transfer: $18
- Varanasi Airport: Transfer to/from Varanasi Hotels & Airport: $18
- Varanasi Airport : Transfer to Hotel / To Airport: $21
- Private Varanasi Heritage Walk with Hotel Transfer: $28
- Varanasi Airport Transfer: $30
- Delhi Private Arrival Transfer From New Delhi Airport To Hotel In Delhi: $34
- From Varanasi Airport Transfer: $36
- Smooth transfer from Varanasi Airport to Hotel: $60
- Spiritual Varanasi - A Most Amazing Heritage Walk with Private Transfer: $108
- From Agra: Budget One Way Transfer Agra to Varanasi: $170
Is it cheaper to fly into Aswan or Varanasi?
Prices for flights to both Varanasi 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 $5.73Varanasi $7.14
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
- 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 Varanasi
For Varanasi, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Dinner In Town$4.13
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Varanasi
For Varanasi, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Tests of Best Varanasi Local Food Tour With Tourist Guide: $18
- Taste of Varanasi (2 Hour Guided Street Food Tour): $22
- Varanasi Cooking Classes with Indu and Shobha: $40
- From Street food tour with Evening Ganga Aarti: $42
- Private Evening Rooftop Dinner: $44
- 3-hour Shopping and Street Food Tour on a tuk-tuk ride: $46
- Evening Dinner with Private Transfer: $50
- Night Boat Ride, Aarati Ceremony and Dinner: $62
- Private Evening Street Food Tour: $63
- India: Evening Ganga Aarti With Dinner and Private Transfer: $65
- Private Evening Handicraft Market Tour with Dinner: $71
- Night Boat Ride, Aarti Ceremony and Dinner: $100
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Aswan $6.11Varanasi $10
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:
- 3 Hour Private Tour, Ancient Wonders in Philae Temple Tour : $55
- Abu Simbel Private Tour from Aswan : $110
- Abu Simbel Temples Full Day Tour From Aswan With Entry Tickets : $99
- Day Tour To Luxor From Aswan by Car: $60
- Exploration of Philae Temple and High Dam in Aswan Private Tour: $45
- Full-Day Private Tour of Aswan, Philae Temple and Obelisk: $95
- Guided Tour of Philae Temple in Aswan Egypt: $22
- Nubian Village Tour - Animalia : $84
- Nubian Village Tour in Aswan: $36
- Philae Temple Night Experience (Sound and Light show). : $65
- Private Day Tour to Luxor from Aswan: $65
- Private Luxor Day Tour from Aswan: $140
Typical Entertainment Prices in Varanasi
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Varanasi's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Boat Ride$0.84
Tours and Activities in Varanasi
For Varanasi, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Audio Guided Walking Tour of Banaras Ghats, Varanasi: $6.12
- Varanasi Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $6.63
- Sarnath Audio Tour on HopOn India App – Land of Buddha's First Sermon, Varanasi: $7.66
- Spiritual and Heritage Walking Tour in Varanasi: $8.60
- Varanasi's Spiritual & heritage walking tour: $11
- Varanasi:- Morning Varanasi Short Tour with Boat Ride: $11
- Varanasi Walking Tour : $12
- Spiritual Tour in Varanasi with a local- Experience true essence of spirituality: $12
- Temple Walk Tour Varanasi: $12
- Ghats of Varanasi Morning Walking Tour: $12
- Vibrant Markets of Varanasi (2 Hours Guided Walking Tour): $12
- Heritage Kashi Photography Tour (2 Hours guided walk): $13
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAswan $1.24Varanasi $7.85
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Aswan and Varanasi, we can see that Varanasi 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 Varanasi is in Asia, 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 Varanasi would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Varanasi 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 Varanasi Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Aswan or Varanasi?
Varanasi has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Aswan. When comparing the sizes of Aswan and Varanasi, 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.