Should you visit Cairo or Cape Town?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel cost comparison between Cairo and Cape Town can help. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
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.
Cape Town
Picture your travel bucket list. Is Cape Town on it? Yes, most people dream of visiting the "Mother City" of South Africa. As one of the most iconic places in the world, Cape Town is a world-class cosmopolitan city full of bustling nightlife, historical backdrops and a large gay community.
Cape Town is the most southern city in Africa with seasons turned upside down. In the southern hemisphere they experience the summer from December to February. During these months days can be hot and dry so be sure to gather in the shade and wear plenty of sunscreen. The winter from June to August is full of rainy days and cold nights.
Which city is cheaper, Cape Town or Cairo?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Cairo is $40, while the average daily cost in Cape Town is $94. 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 city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Cairo and Cape Town in more detail.
Accommodation
The average price for accommodation for two people in Cairo is $42. This is for two people sharing a typical double occupancy hotel room.
An average hotel room with basic furnishings costs about $72 in Cape Town For the most convenient locations and nicer amenities you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
Food in Cairo costs travelers about $11 per day on average. Restaurants can vary significantly in price, so choose wisely if you're trying to save money. Fast food and street stalls are typically your cheapest options, which sit down restaurants can be significantly more expensive.
The average traveler spends about $40 per day in Cape Town for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
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Food
Meals for one day
Cairo $11
Cape Town $40
Typical Food prices in Cairo
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Cairo:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cairo
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cairo.
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From Dinner & Show at a Nile cruiser:
$12
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Dinner Cruise into the History:
$13
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Delicious food tour in Cairo:
$15
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From Dinner Cruise on the Nile River:
$16
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Enjoy a dinner on the boat in the River Nile.:
$19
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Enjoy a dinner on the boat in the River Nile:
$19
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Cairo 2-Hour Nile River Cruise with Dinner and Pickup:
$20
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Cairo dinner cruise includes dinner belly dancing show pickup & all transfers:
$21
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Dinner on a boat in Luxor Nile Cruise with oriental dance:
$21
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Dinner on the river nile and party:
$23
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Nile Cruise Dinner at the Nile with Oriental Show:
$24
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Dinner on the River Nile with Pick-up:
$25
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cape Town
For Cape Town, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Private Virtual Cooking Class Live from Cape Town:
$23
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Drumming and African Dinner Experience:
$33
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Cape Malay Cooking with a Chef Founder:
$34
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African Cooking with a Chef Founder:
$34
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Cruise and Dine Dinner / Sunset Champagne Cruise and 3-Course Dinner:
$53
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Withlocals The 10 Tastings: Cape Town Private Food Tour:
$54
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Your Tailored Cape Town Private Food Tour:
$65
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Private Authentic Cape Malay Cooking Class in Manenberg with Locals:
$67
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The Cape Town Essentials Food Tour:
$67
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African Dinner and Drumming Experience:
$70
-
African cooking experience:
$91
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Private South African Cape Malay Cooking Class:
$98
Local Transportation
The cost of a taxi ride in Cairo is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $7.20 per person, per day, on local transportation in Cairo.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Cape Town than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $17 on transportation in Cape Town on average per day.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Cairo
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Cairo are as follows:
-
Metro Ride
$0.25
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Taxi Ride
$0.95
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cairo
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cairo:
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private transfer from Cairo Airport:
$15
-
private pick up or drop off Transfer from Cairo airport to hotel in Cairo or Giza by private ac vechile:
$35
-
pick up from Cairo airport transfer to your request hotel or return:
$44
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one private transfer from Cairo airport to Cairo or Giza hotel:
$35
-
cairo airport transfer:
$15
-
VIP Meet and Assist upon arrival at Cairo Airport- (with Hotel Private Transfer):
$32
-
Ultra - Private Airport Transfer from Cairo city centre to Cairo Airport CAI:
$8.73
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Transfers from Cairo to Marsa alam Airport:
$332
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Transfers From Cairo Airport To Giza City:
$30
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Transfer your private departure from your hotel to Cairo Airport:
$15
-
Transfer to Cairo Int. Airport:
$21
-
Transfer from hotel in Cairo to Alexandria:
$65
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cape Town
Also for Cape Town, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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AIRPORT Transfer to Cape town city CBD:
$18
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Airport Transfer (Cape Town ) Bus:
$26
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Airport Transfer from Cape Town City (CBD) to Airport:
$13
-
Airport Transfer in Cape Town:
$34
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Airport Transfers:
$57
-
Airport Transfers To Hermanus:
$137
-
Airport transfers and tours:
$22
-
Arrival Private Transfer: Cape Town Airport CPT to Cape Town by Business Car:
$114
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Arrival Private Transfer: Cape Town Cruise Port to Cape Town by Business Car:
$69
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Arrival Private Transfer: Cape Town Cruise Port to Cape Town by Minivan:
$73
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Cape Point Tours,Airport transfers,wine testing, garden route tours and safari:
$168
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Cape Town Airport Private Arrival Transfer:
$46
Is it cheaper to fly into Cairo or Cape Town?
Prices for flights to both Cape Town 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.
Entertainment
Entertainment and activities in Cairo typically cost an average of $14 per person, per day. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
Sightseeing expenses in Cape Town, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $22 per day, per person.
Typical Entertainment prices in Cairo
Here are a few typical costs in Cairo for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
Tours and Activities in Cairo
Here are a few actual costs in Cairo for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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(Memphis Sakkara, Dahshur Pyramids, Imhotep Museum) Private Tour - From Cairo:
$90
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01 Day Cairo tour Islamic and Coptic Cairo:
$143
-
01 Day Tour To Giza Pyramids Egyptian Museum And Bazaar:
$217
-
01 Day Tour to Alexandria from Cairo:
$246
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01 Day Tour to Pyramids Of Giza Memphis And Sakkara:
$86
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01 Day Tour to the Giza Pyramids & Great Sphinx:
$69
-
03 Days Budget tours Cairo Giza Alexandria:
$290
-
04 Days Egypt Royal Tour in Cairo:
$674
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05 Days Egypt Budget Tour Cairo & Alexandria:
$860
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06 Days Egypt Classic Tour Cairo and Sharm El Sheikh:
$1,543
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06 Nights cruise on The Oberoi Philae (Aswan to Luxor):
$5,965
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07 Days Egypt Classic Tour Cairo, Luxor, Alexandria:
$1,486
Tours and Activities in Cape Town
For Cape Town, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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V&A Waterfront: Seal & Harbour Cruise:
$3.30
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Cape Town 30-minute V&A Harbour Cruise:
$4.02
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Hop-On Hop-Off Cape Town Canal Cruise:
$4.02
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Kalk Bay: Take in the sea breeze and eclectic shops on this audio tour:
$5.00
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Slavery in the Cape: Rediscover Cape Town's slave history on an audio tour:
$5.00
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Cape Town on Foot: An audio tour from the city's Castle to the Slave Lodge:
$5.00
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Cape Town's original shoreline: Rediscover its history on an audio tour:
$5.00
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Muizenberg to Kalk Bay: Amble along the amazing False Bay Coast on an audio tour:
$5.00
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The Village in the City: An Audio Walking Tour of Bo-Kaap:
$5.13
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Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens Self-guided Audio Tour by VoiceMap:
$5.13
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Sea Point Promenade Walking Audio Tour by VoiceMap:
$5.13
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Muizenberg Like a Local: Explore this quirky village with an audio walking tour:
$5.20
Alcohol
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Cairo may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $2.83 per day on alcoholic beverages.
Typically, people visiting Cape Town spend on average $20 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Sample the Local Flavors in Cape Town
Also in Cape Town, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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Experience South African Craft Rum tasting and distillery tour in Cape Town:
$10
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Cape Town's Only Craft Rum Tasting and Distillery Tour:
$15
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Wine Tasting & Storytelling with SA Tapas add-on:
$34
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The Fringe Secret Bar Crawl:
$34
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Franschhoek and Stellenbosch Wine Tour from Cape Town:
$39
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Cape Point Full Day Tour With Wine Tasting:
$41
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Cape Town Pub Crawl:
$44
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Cape Winelands and Wine Tasting Full Day Tour:
$57
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Full Day Wine Tasting Tour:
$76
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Vintage Kombi Wine Tour & Local BBQ:
$77
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Cape Point/Boulders Beach/Wine Tasting- Best Of Cape Town In A Day:
$86
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Constantia Half-day Wine Tour from Cape Town:
$86
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cairo and Cape Town, we can see that Cape Town is more expensive. And not only is Cairo much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. 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 Cape Town would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cape Town than you might in Cairo.
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