Which place is cheaper, Cancun or Cairo?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Cairo or Cancun?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Cairo and Cancun can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Cairo or Cancun?
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.
Cancun
In the northeast corner of the Mexican Caribbean, Cancun is one of Mexico's most popular destinations. The area that is now Cancun was actually selected specifically by the Mexican government for development as a tourist destination. The area was chosen because it has fourteen miles of beautiful white beaches, nearby Mayan ruins, and turquoise blue water with nearby snorkeling and scuba diving opportunities. Prior to its development as a tourist destination, there were few inhabitants in the area.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Egypt, The Best Historical Tours in Egypt, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Playa del Carmen, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Cancun.
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Cairo Prices
Egypt PricesCancun Prices
Mexico Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCairo $31Cancun $162
The average daily cost (per person) in Cairo is $31, while the average daily cost in Cancun is $162. 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 Cairo and Cancun in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCairo $10Cancun $94
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCairo $20Cancun $188
Compare Hotels in Cairo and Cancun
Looking for a hotel in Cairo or Cancun? 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: Cairo Hotel Prices and Cancun Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cairo $3.53Cancun $17
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$0.29
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cairo
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cairo:
- private Airport Transfer from any destination in Cairo or Giza: $35
- one transfer from airport to Cairo Giza hotels or hotels to Cairo airport: $20
- Welcome to Private Airport Pickup & Transfer: $30
- Visit Mall of Egypt with Hotel Transfer: $47
- VIP Private Cairo Airport Transfer To Or From Cairo , Giza Hotels: $13
- VIP Meet and assist with transfer from Cairo and SPX Airport: $12
- VIP Meet and Assist in Cairo Airport with Private Transfer to Cairo Hotels: $49
- VIP Meet and Assist at Cairo Airport with Private Hotel Transfer: $35
- VIP Luxury Airport Transfer: Mercedes E-Class Meet & Greet: $50
- Transfer your private departure from your hotel to Cairo Airport: $20
- Transfer to Cairo & Giza Hotels From Cairo Airport: $35
- Transfer from Luxor to Hurghada: $226
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Cancun
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Cancun:
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Taxi Around Town$1.61
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Airport Shuttle (for 2)$13
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Ferry to Isla de Mujeres (for 2)$16
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Local Bus (for 2)$1.96
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cancun
Also for Cancun, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfer (Can-cun, Playa del Carmen & Tulum): $113
- Airport Transfer Cancun: $75
- Airport Transfer to Tulum: $160
- Airport Transfers to Puerto Juarez - Private van (ROUND TRIP) FLAT RATE: $208
- Airport Transfers to Puerto Morelos - Private van (ROUND TRIP) FLAT RATE: $196
- Akumal One Way or Roundtrip Private Luxury Transfer: $291
- Arrival Private Transfer from Cancun Airport CUN to Tulum by Minivan or Minibus: $155
- Best SpeedBoat and Snorkeling tour with Transfer from Cancun: $29
- Cancún Airport (CUN) Cancun hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $75
- Cancún Airport (CUN) to Akumal - Private Arrival Transfer: $105
- Cancún Airport (CUN) to Akumal - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $209
- Cancún Airport (CUN) to El Dorado Maroma - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $207
Is it cheaper to fly into Cairo or Cancun?
Prices for flights to both Cancun and Cairo 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 dayCairo $16Cancun $48
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.
- Dinner Nile cruise with belly dancer show on Nile river: $5.00
- 2 Hour Cairo Dinner Cruise on Nile river with live band: $7.00
- Quad Bike ATV ,Camel Ride ,Nile Dinner Cruise Belly dancer show: $7.00
- Giza Pyramids,Sphinx,Camel Ride,ATV Bike,Shopping, Dinner cruise: $7.00
- Private Nile Cruise with Dinner and Folk Show from Cairo: $7.50
- Cairo Dinner Cruise show with belly dancer show on Nile river: $8.00
- Cairo Dinner Cruise in Nile River With Belly Dancer & Tanora show: $8.00
- food tour private tour from cairo or giza hotel: $8.00
- night-tour Nile dinner cruise with open buffet and belly dancer: $8.00
- Cairo Food Tour – Discover Hidden Downtown Gems: $8.00
- 2-hours night dinner cruise show : Eat , Dance and Sing: $8.00
- 5 Star Dinner Nile Cruise in Cairo Night Tour: $8.00
Typical Food Prices in Cancun
For Cancun, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Lunch for Two$20
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cancun
For Cancun, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Street Food Tour in Cancun with a Local Guide: $61
- Cancun Street Food Tour with Food Stalls, Local Market and Murals: $64
- Tortilla Trails Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $69
- Cancun Food Tour: Market 23, Local Flavors & Downtown Culture: $69
- Salsa Streets Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $69
- Cancun Food Tour - Taco Attack: Street Food & Tequila Tasting: $69
- Cancun Historic Downtown Food Tour with 7+ Authentic Tastings: $76
- Mexican Cooking Class with fresh Local Market ingredients selection and transpor: $79
- Cancun Taco & Mexican Food Tour with Tequila Tasting: $79
- Cancun Hands-On Mexican Cooking Class: $79
- Pirate Night! Dinner, Fun and Show at Cancun Couples Special: $80
- Couples Special Price! Cancun Pirate Show with Dinner & Drinks: $80
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cairo $8.46Cancun $34
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$0.78
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Egyptian Museum Entry for Two$6.02
Tours and Activities in Cairo
Here are a few actual costs in Cairo for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- “Cairo Private Tour: Giza Pyramids, Sphinx & GEM Museum”: $149
- ( Stopover Tour Of Cairo ) Private All Inc.Pyramids,Camel Ride,Museum& Lunch: $180
- (Egypt jewel) Day Tour To Giza Pyramids, Museum, Mosque &Felucca: $55
- 01 Day Cairo tour Islamic and Coptic Cairo: $143
- 1 Day Private Tour from Hurghada to Cairo: $219
- 1 Day Private Tour in Cairo and Giza: $90
- 1 Day Private Tour to Alexandria from Cairo: $100
- 1 Day tour to Alexandria from Cairo: $30
- 1 Day tour to Giza pyramids Memphis city Dahshur and Saqqara pyramids: $15
- 1 Hour ATV Quad Bike Private Tour Around Giza Pyramids: $30
- 1 Hour Adventure In The Nile River By Nile Taxi In Cairo: $60
- 1 Hour Adventure In The Nile River By Nile Taxi In Cairo: $60
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cancun
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Cancun's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Seasick Pills$0.58
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Whale Shark Tour (for 2)$98
Tours and Activities in Cancun
For Cancun, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Cancun's Hidden Gems: A Self-Guided Tour: $1.15
- 7 Days Self Guided AI Audio Tours to Cancun and Yucatan: $12
- Speedboat and Snorkeling Adventure in Cancun: $14
- Cancun Beach Taco Tour Culinary Journey with Tequila Tasting: $15
- Shared Speedboat and Snorkeling Adventure in Cancun: $15
- Isla Mujeres Catamaran Adventure Snorkeling, Spinnaker and Lunch: $15
- Isla Mujeres tour from Cancún (open bar, lunch ): $15
- Cancun to Isla Mujeres Tour Experience: $16
- Tour in a Catamaran to Isla Mujeres with all included for the best price!: $16
- Speedboat and Snorkeling Adventure in Cancun: $16
- Chichen Itza Full-Day Tour with Cenote Swim and Valladolid Visit: $16
- Isla Mujeres, Catamaran tour in one day for one price: $16
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCairo $1.37Cancun $13
Sample the Local Flavors in Cairo
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Cairo:
- Pub Crawl and Speakeasy Bar Tour with 2 Free Drinks: $69
Sample the Local Flavors in Cancun
Also in Cancun, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Bar Crawl Madness Tour in Cancun: $115
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cairo and Cancun, we can see that Cancun is more expensive. And not only is Cairo much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Cairo is in Africa and Cancun is in North America, 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 Cairo would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Cairo 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 Cancun would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cancun than you might in Cairo.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Cairo Expensive? and Is Cancun Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Cairo or Cancun?
Cairo has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Cancun. When comparing the sizes of Cairo and Cancun, 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.