A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Cairo vs. Cape Town for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

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Should you visit Cairo or Cape Town?

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 Cape Town 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 Cape 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.

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 $21, while the average daily cost in Cape Town is $84. 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. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Cairo and Cape Town in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Cairo $11
    Cape Town $32
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Cairo $22
    Cape Town $64
Compare Hotels in Cairo and Cape Town

Looking for a hotel in Cairo or Cape Town? 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 Cairo


Hotels in Cape Town


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 Cape Town Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Cairo $3.79
    Cape Town $15
Typical Local Transportation prices in Cairo

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Cairo are as follows:


  • Metro Ride
    $0.13
  • Taxi Ride
    $0.50

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cairo

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cairo:

  • 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
  • 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
  • Transfers from Cairo to Marsa alam Airport: $332
  • Transfers From Cairo Airport To Giza City: $30
  • 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:

  • AIRPORT Transfer to Cape town city CBD: $18
  • Airport Transfer (Cape Town ) Bus: $26
  • Airport Transfer from Cape Town City (CBD) to Airport: $13
  • Airport Transfer in Cape Town: $34
  • 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
  • Arrival Private Transfer: Cape Town Cruise Port to Cape Town by Business Car: $69
  • Arrival Private Transfer: Cape Town Cruise Port to Cape Town by Minivan: $73
  • Cape Point Tours,Airport transfers,wine testing, garden route tours and safari: $168
  • Cape Town Airport 1-Way Private Transfers: $49

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.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Cairo $6.03
    Cape Town $36
Typical Food prices in Cairo

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Cairo:


  • Juice
    $0.07

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cairo

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cairo.

  • Delicious food tour in Cairo: $15
  • Enjoy a dinner on the boat in the River Nile.: $19
  • Enjoy a dinner on the boat in the River Nile: $19
  • Cairo 2-Hour Nile River Cruise with Dinner and Pickup: $20
  • Cairo dinner cruise includes dinner belly dancing show pickup & all transfers: $21
  • Dinner on a boat in Luxor Nile Cruise with oriental dance: $21
  • Dinner on the river nile and party: $23
  • Nile Cruise Dinner at the Nile with Oriental Show: $24
  • Dinner on the river nile: $25
  • Dinner on the River Nile with Pick-up: $25
  • Special Bedouin Dinner+ watching oriental show: $26
  • Cairo Food Tour: $27

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:

  • Private Virtual Cooking Class Live from Cape Town: $23
  • Cape Malay Cooking with a Chef Founder: $34
  • African Cooking with a Chef Founder: $34
  • Cruise and Dine Dinner / Sunset Champagne Cruise and 3-Course Dinner: $53
  • Withlocals The 10 Tastings: Cape Town Private Food Tour: $54
  • Sunset Champagne Cruise and 3-Course Dinner: $57
  • Your Tailored Cape Town Private Food Tour: $65
  • Private Authentic Cape Malay Cooking Class in Manenberg with Locals: $67
  • The Cape Town Essentials Food Tour: $67
  • African Dinner and Drumming Experience: $70
  • African cooking experience: $91
  • Private South African Cape Malay Cooking Class: $98

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Cairo $7.30
    Cape Town $20
Typical Entertainment prices in Cairo

Here are a few typical costs in Cairo for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:


  • Entry to Camel Market for Two
    $1.34
  • Egyptian Museum Entry for Two
    $10

Tours and Activities in Cairo

Here are a few actual costs in Cairo for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • (Memphis Sakkara, Dahshur Pyramids, Imhotep Museum) Private Tour - From Cairo: $90
  • 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
  • 01 Day Tour to Pyramids Of Giza Memphis And Sakkara: $86
  • 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
  • 05 Days Egypt Budget Tour Cairo & Alexandria: $860
  • 06 Days Egypt Classic Tour Cairo and Sharm El Sheikh: $1,543
  • 06 Nights cruise on The Oberoi Philae (Aswan to Luxor): $5,965
  • 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:

  • District Six Museum Skip-the-Line Entrance Ticket: $3.07
  • Hop-On Hop-Off Cape Town Canal Cruise: $4.02
  • Cape Town 30-minute V&A Harbour Cruise: $4.02
  • Slavery in the Cape: Rediscover Cape Town's slave history on an audio tour: $5.00
  • Muizenberg to Kalk Bay: Amble along the amazing False Bay Coast on an audio tour: $5.00
  • Cape Town's original shoreline: Rediscover its history on an audio tour: $5.00
  • Cape Town on Foot: An audio tour from the city's Castle to the Slave Lodge: $5.00
  • Kalk Bay: Take in the sea breeze and eclectic shops on this audio tour: $5.00
  • Sea Point Promenade Walking Audio Tour by VoiceMap: $5.13
  • Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens Self-guided Audio Tour by VoiceMap: $5.13
  • The Village in the City: An Audio Walking Tour of Bo-Kaap: $5.13
  • Muizenberg Like a Local: Explore this quirky village with an audio walking tour: $5.20

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Cairo $1.49
    Cape Town $18

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:

  • Experience South African Craft Rum tasting and distillery tour in Cape Town: $10
  • Cape Town's Only Craft Rum Tasting and Distillery Tour: $15
  • Wine Tasting & Storytelling with SA Tapas add-on: $34
  • The Fringe Secret Bar Crawl: $34
  • Franschhoek and Stellenbosch Wine Tour from Cape Town: $39
  • Cape Point Full Day Tour With Wine Tasting: $41
  • Cape Town Pub Crawl: $44
  • Cape Winelands and Wine Tasting Full Day Tour: $57
  • Nightlife Experience Pub Crawl: $58
  • Vintage Kombi Wine Tour & Local BBQ: $77
  • Cape Point/Boulders Beach/Wine Tasting- Best Of Cape Town In A Day: $86
  • Tour to Cape Town Peninsula with Wine Tasting: $94

About these numbers

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.


When is the best time to visit Cairo or Cape Town?

Cape Town has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Cairo experiences a tropical climate with fairly warm weather most of the year.

Should I visit Cairo or Cape Town in the Summer?

The summer brings many poeple to Cairo as well as Cape Town. Plenty of visitors come to Cairo because of the warm tropical climate that lasts throughout the year.

In the summer, Cairo is a little warmer than Cape Town. Typically, the summer temperatures in Cairo in July are around 28°C (82°F), and Cape Town is about 21°C (70°F)in January.

The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Cape Town. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Cairo this time of the year. In the summer, Cairo often gets around the same amount of sunshine as Cape Townin January. Cairo gets 350 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cape Town receives 338 hours of full sun.

Cairo usually gets less rain in July than Cape Townin January. Cairo gets 1 mm (0 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 14 mm (0.6 in) of rain this time of the year.


  • Summer Average Temperatures July and January
    Cairo 28°C (82°F) 
    Cape Town 21°C (70°F)

Should I visit Cairo or Cape Town in the Autumn?

Both Cape Town and Cairo are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. Cairo attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and tropical climate.

In October, Cairo is generally a little warmer than Cape Townin April. Temperatures in Cairo average around 23°C (73°F), and Cape Town stays around 18°C (64°F).

It's quite sunny in Cape Town. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Cairo. Cairo usually receives more sunshine than Cape Town during autumn. Cairo gets 290 hours of sunny skies, while Cape Town receives 233 hours of full sun in the autumn.

In October, Cairo usually receives less rain than Cape Townin April. Cairo gets 5 mm (0.2 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 41 mm (1.6 in) of rain each month for the autumn.


  • Autumn Average Temperatures October and April
    Cairo 23°C (73°F) 
    Cape Town 18°C (64°F)

Should I visit Cairo or Cape Town in the Winter?

Both Cape Town and Cairo during the winter are popular places to visit. The warm tropical climate attracts visitors to Cairo throughout the year.

Cairo is a little warmer than Cape Town in the winter. The temperature in Cairo is usually 14°C (57°F) in January, and Cape Town stays around 13°C (55°F)in July.

It's quite sunny in Cairo. In the winter, Cairo often gets more sunshine than Cape Townin July. Cairo gets 221 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Cape Town receives 193 hours of full sun.

Cairo usually gets less rain in January than Cape Townin July. Cairo gets 15 mm (0.6 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 83 mm (3.3 in) of rain this time of the year.


  • Winter Average Temperatures January and July
    Cairo 14°C (57°F) 
    Cape Town 13°C (55°F)

Should I visit Cairo or Cape Town in the Spring?

The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Cairo and Cape Town. Plenty of visitors come to Cairo because of the warm tropical climate that lasts throughout the year.

In the spring, Cairo is a little warmer than Cape Town. Typically, the spring temperatures in Cairo in April are around 21°C (70°F), and Cape Town is about 16°C (61°F)in October.

People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Cape Town this time of the year. In Cairo, it's very sunny this time of the year. Cairo usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Cape Town during spring. Cairo gets 276 hours of sunny skies, while Cape Town receives 278 hours of full sun in the spring.

In April, Cairo usually receives less rain than Cape Townin October. Cairo gets 7 mm (0.3 in) of rain, while Cape Town receives 33 mm (1.3 in) of rain each month for the spring.


  • Spring Average Temperatures April and October
    Cairo 21°C (70°F) 
    Cape Town 16°C (61°F)

Typical Weather for Cape Town and Cairo

Cairo Cape Town
Temp (°C) Rain (mm) Temp (°C) Rain (mm)
Jan 14°C (57°F) 15 mm (0.6 in) 21°C (70°F) 14 mm (0.6 in)
Feb 14°C (57°F) 4 mm (0.2 in) 21°C (70°F) 16 mm (0.6 in)
Mar 17°C (63°F) 8 mm (0.3 in) 20°C (68°F) 21 mm (0.8 in)
Apr 21°C (70°F) 7 mm (0.3 in) 18°C (64°F) 41 mm (1.6 in)
May 25°C (77°F) 0 mm (0 in) 15°C (59°F) 68 mm (2.7 in)
Jun 27°C (81°F) 0 mm (0 in) 13°C (56°F) 93 mm (3.7 in)
Jul 28°C (82°F) 1 mm (0 in) 13°C (55°F) 83 mm (3.3 in)
Aug 28°C (82°F) 0 mm (0 in) 13°C (55°F) 77 mm (3 in)
Sep 26°C (79°F) 5 mm (0.2 in) 14°C (58°F) 41 mm (1.6 in)
Oct 23°C (73°F) 5 mm (0.2 in) 16°C (61°F) 33 mm (1.3 in)
Nov 19°C (66°F) 1 mm (0 in) 19°C (65°F) 16 mm (0.6 in)
Dec 15°C (59°F) 3 mm (0.1 in) 20°C (68°F) 17 mm (0.7 in)


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Cairo vs. Cape Town Travel Comparison

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