Which place is cheaper, Cairo or Beirut?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Beirut or Cairo?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Beirut and Cairo. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Beirut or Cairo?
Beirut
Some travelers are seeking the hustle, bustle and posh atmosphere that only comes from a big city. Those travelers should have Beirut, Lebanon at the top of their list. The capital city is jam packed with 2.1 million people that are constantly on the go. As the commercial and financial hub of Lebanon, this city is fast-paced, fashion conscious and always ready for a night on the town.
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 Family-Friendly Tours to Egypt, and The Best Historical Tours in Egypt.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayBeirut $2.26Cairo $17
The average daily cost (per person) in Beirut is $2.26, while the average daily cost in Cairo is $17. 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 Beirut and Cairo in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personBeirut $1.26Cairo $9.27
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomBeirut $2.52Cairo $19
Compare Hotels in Beirut and Cairo
Looking for a hotel in Beirut 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.
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: Beirut Hotel Prices and Cairo Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Beirut $0.44Cairo $2.96
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Beirut
Also for Beirut, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Arrival Transfer to Your Beirut Hotel: $10
- Airport Departure Transfer From Your Beirut Hotel: $10
- BEY Airport to Hotel, Private Arrival Transfer: $10
- Beirut Arrival Airport Transfer Pickup: $9.89
- Departure Transfer:From Hotel To Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport (BEY): $10
- Private Arrival Transfer: Beirut International Airport to Hotel: $18
- Private Departure Transfer: From your hotel in Beirut to Airport: $10
- Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Beirut International Airport: $18
- Private Transfer from Beirut Hotels to the Beirut Airport: $10
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Cairo
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Cairo are as follows:
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Metro Ride$0.08
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Taxi Ride$0.31
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cairo
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cairo:
- transfer from Cairo airport, Cairo & Giza hotels to Alexandria: $50
- transfer from Cairo airport to the hotel in Cairo or Giza: $20
- private transfer from Cairo to Alexandria: $70
- private tour to Abusimble transfer to Luxor and visiting Edfu : $175
- one transfer from airport to Cairo Giza hotels or hotels to Cairo airport: $22
- VIP Meet and Greet Private Hotel Transfer from Cairo Airport: $38
- Two-Day Private City Tour of Cairo, Giza Pyramids and Saqqara+Airport Transfer: $220
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Cairo HTL-APT (CAI): $33
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Cairo APT-HTL (CAI): $33
- Transfer to Cairo & Giza Hotels From Cairo Airport: $35
- Transfer from Luxor to Hurghada : $226
- Transfer from Hurghada to Luxor city by private Cars : $170
Is it cheaper to fly into Beirut or Cairo?
Prices for flights to both Cairo and Beirut 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 dayBeirut $0.71Cairo $4.70
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Beirut
For Beirut, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Authentic Lebanese Virtual Cooking Class Live from Lebanon: $30
- Traveling Spoon Lebanese Mezze Private Online Cooking Class : $40
- Private, Traditional Lebanese Cooking Class with a Contemporary Twist: $72
- Private Lebanese Home Cooking Class in Byblos with a Local Family: $86
- Authentic Lebanese Cooking Lesson and Meal with Tania's Family in Beirut: $100
- Private Lebanese Cooking Class in Beirut with Amal + Transfers: $142
Typical Food Prices in Cairo
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Cairo:
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Juice$0.04
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cairo
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cairo.
- Cairo Dinner Cruise With Belly Dancer Show: $10
- Giza Dinner Cruise With Belly Dancer Show: $10
- Cairo Nile dinner cruise night show with belly dancer: $10
- Dinner Nile Cruise belly dancer open buffer tanora show sailing on Nile: $11
- Food Tour in Local Cairo Life with Egyptian tea: $11
- 2-hours night dinner cruise show : Eat , Dance and Sing : $13
- night-tour Nile dinner cruise with open buffet and belly dancer: $13
- Private "Cairo Sunset Dinner Cruise on the Nile" with Pickup: $13
- Private Cairo food tour and Egyptian tea: $14
- food tour private tour from cairo or giza hotel: $14
- Experience Magic A 4Star Cairo Dinner Cruise with Belly Dancer: $15
- Local Oriental Food Tour from Cairo or Giza hotels: $15
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Beirut $0.26Cairo $5.69
Tours and Activities in Beirut
For Beirut, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Small Group Tour to Jeita Grotto, Harisa & Byblos with Hotel pickup: $10
- Discovering Lebanon: Jeita Grotto, Harissa, and Byblos Tour: $15
- Beirut Walking Tour - Discover Beirut by foot: $25
- City Sightseeing Beirut Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $25
- Beirut Like a Local: Customized Private Tour: $35
- Downtown Beirut Walking Tour Including Lunch: $35
- Lebanon's Treasures: Jeita Grotto and Harissa Private Tour: $35
- Private Tour - Explore Anjar Lebanon: $35
- Lebanon's Historic Gems: Private Tour of Jeita, Byblos & Harissa: $40
- Enchanting Lebanon: Jeita, Harissa & saint Charbel Private Tour: $50
- Historical Beirut Tour (AM) Half Day - (4G on Board): $50
- Discover Lebanon's Finest Wine: Full Day Tour of the Bekaa Valley: $50
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cairo
Here are a few typical costs in Cairo for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Entry to Camel Market for Two$0.83
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Egyptian Museum Entry for Two$6.43
Tours and Activities in Cairo
Here are a few actual costs in Cairo for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 2-Day Cairo Giza Highlights Guided Tour including Camel Ride All inclusive : $40
- 2-Day Tours at Cairo & Giza: $145
- 2-Days tour at Cairo & Giza: $80
- 3-Day Tour at Cairo & Giza : $200
- 3-Days Tour at Cairo (Customized Package): $229
- 3-Days Tour in Siwa Oasis from Cairo : $217
- 8 Hours Private Cairo Tour: A Journey Back in Time: $45
- 8-Hour Private Tour to Giza Pyramids, Memphis and Sakkara: $67
- All Inclusive Private Tour to Giza pyramids With Tickets and Camel Ride : $80
- Antiquities in the Egyptian Museum with Private Guided Tour : $35
- Bedouin Desert Safari Tours By Jeep 4x4 In Hurghada: $55
- Cairo 2-Day Private Tours Pyramids Museum Citadel Khan El Khalili With Lunch: $100
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayBeirut $0.23Cairo $1.16
Sample the Local Flavors in Beirut
Also in Beirut, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Private Wine Tasting Day Tour from Beirut: $50
- Bekaa Valley Wine Tour: Savour Lebanon's Finest: $50
- Full-Day Private Wine Tasting Tour: $56
- Uncorking Splendor: A Journey Through Private Wine Tasting Tours: $60
- Byblos & Chateau Musar: History and Wine Tour: $65
- Wine Tasting and Culture : $69
- Wine Tasting and Hiking in the Cedars forest : $69
- Private Full-Day Wine Tasting Tour with Lunch from Beirut: $82
- Fabulous Wine Tour in Central Bekaa Valley: $88
- Lebanon Wine Tasting Tour From Beirut: $91
- Private tour to Jeita Grotto with Wine Tasting in Faqra Ruins: $110
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Beirut and Cairo, we can see that Cairo is more expensive. And not only is Beirut much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Beirut is in Middle East and Cairo is in Africa, 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 Beirut would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Beirut 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 Cairo would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cairo than you might in Beirut.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Beirut Expensive? and Is Cairo Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Beirut or Cairo?
Cairo has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Beirut. When comparing the sizes of Beirut 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.
When is the best time to visit Beirut or Cairo?
Both destinations experience a warmer climate most of the year. Instead of summer and winter seasons, they usually have a rainy season and a dry season. Although in the rainy season, it doesn't necessarily rain every day.
Should I visit Beirut or Cairo in the Summer?
Both Cairo and Beirut during the summer are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to Beirut because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Cairo year-round.
Beirut usually gets more rain in July than Cairo. Beirut gets 10 mm (0.4 in) of rain, while Cairo receives 1 mm (0 in) of rain this time of the year.
In Cairo, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Beirut. In the summer, Beirut often gets around the same amount of sunshine as Cairo. Beirut gets 369 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cairo receives 350 hours of full sun.
In July, Beirut is generally around the same temperature as Cairo. Daily temperatures in Beirut average around 27°C (81°F), and Cairo fluctuates around 28°C (82°F).
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyBeirut 27°C (81°F)Cairo 28°C (82°F)
Should I visit Beirut or Cairo in the Autumn?
The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Beirut and Cairo. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Beirut year-round. Cairo attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
In October, Beirut usually receives more rain than Cairo. Beirut gets 60 mm (2.4 in) of rain, while Cairo receives 5 mm (0.2 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Cairo this time of the year. In Beirut, it's very sunny this time of the year. Beirut usually receives less sunshine than Cairo during autumn. Beirut gets 254 hours of sunny skies, while Cairo receives 290 hours of full sun in the autumn.
Beirut is around the same temperature as Cairo in the autumn. The daily temperature in Beirut averages around 25°C (77°F) in October, and Cairo fluctuates around 23°C (73°F).
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberBeirut 25°C (77°F)Cairo 23°C (73°F)
Should I visit Beirut or Cairo in the Winter?
The winter brings many poeple to Beirut as well as Cairo. Beirut attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate. The warm climate attracts visitors to Cairo throughout the year.
Beirut receives a lot of rain in the winter. Beirut usually gets more rain in January than Cairo. Beirut gets 130 mm (5.1 in) of rain, while Cairo receives 15 mm (0.6 in) of rain this time of the year.
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Cairo. In the winter, Beirut often gets less sunshine than Cairo. Beirut gets 149 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cairo receives 221 hours of full sun.
In the winter, Beirut is around the same temperature as Cairo. Typically, the winter temperatures in Beirut in January average around 13°C (55°F), and Cairo averages at about 14°C (57°F).
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryBeirut 13°C (55°F)Cairo 14°C (57°F)
Should I visit Beirut or Cairo in the Spring?
Both Cairo and Beirut are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Beirut throughout the year. Plenty of visitors come to Cairo because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
In April, Beirut usually receives more rain than Cairo. Beirut gets 50 mm (2 in) of rain, while Cairo receives 7 mm (0.3 in) of rain each month for the spring.
It's quite sunny in Cairo. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Beirut. Beirut usually receives less sunshine than Cairo during spring. Beirut gets 225 hours of sunny skies, while Cairo receives 276 hours of full sun in the spring.
In April, Beirut is generally cooler than Cairo. Daily temperatures in Beirut average around 17°C (63°F), and Cairo fluctuates around 21°C (70°F).
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilBeirut 17°C (63°F)Cairo 21°C (70°F)
Typical Weather for Cairo and Beirut
| Beirut | Cairo | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 13°C (55°F) | 130 mm (5.1 in) | 14°C (57°F) | 15 mm (0.6 in) |
| Feb | 13°C (55°F) | 110 mm (4.3 in) | 14°C (57°F) | 4 mm (0.2 in) |
| Mar | 15°C (59°F) | 60 mm (2.4 in) | 17°C (63°F) | 8 mm (0.3 in) |
| Apr | 17°C (63°F) | 50 mm (2 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 7 mm (0.3 in) |
| May | 22°C (72°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 25°C (77°F) | 0 mm (0 in) |
| Jun | 25°C (77°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 0 mm (0 in) |
| Jul | 27°C (81°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 1 mm (0 in) |
| Aug | 28°C (82°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 0 mm (0 in) |
| Sep | 27°C (81°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 26°C (79°F) | 5 mm (0.2 in) |
| Oct | 25°C (77°F) | 60 mm (2.4 in) | 23°C (73°F) | 5 mm (0.2 in) |
| Nov | 19°C (66°F) | 50 mm (2 in) | 19°C (66°F) | 1 mm (0 in) |
| Dec | 15°C (59°F) | 130 mm (5.1 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) |
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.