Should you visit Cairo or Johannesburg?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel cost comparison between Cairo and Johannesburg 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.
Johannesburg
Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa with a population of over 3 million people. Most of the population is made up of South Africa's black residents, who predominately reside in the Soweto area. There are approximately half a million white residents and 300,000 residents of other descent. Half of the population live in the Soweto area as well as the nearby suburbs.
Which city is cheaper, Johannesburg 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 Johannesburg is $99. 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 Johannesburg 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.
The average price for accommodation for two people in Johannesburg is $114. This is for two people sharing a typical double occupancy hotel room.
Food
Food in Cairo costs travelers about $12 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.
Johannesburg food costs typically run travelers around $18 per day. Eating every meal in a nicer restaurant will drive the cost up, and grabbing fast food or casual meals will help you save money.
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Food
Meals for one day
Cairo $12
Johannesburg $18
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.
-
From Dinner & Show at a Nile cruiser:
$12
-
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
-
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
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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 Johannesburg
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Johannesburg.
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JoburgPlaces Secret Underground Storytelling Dinner:
$57
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JoburgPlaces Migrant Cuisine Storytelling Dinner:
$57
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Johannesburg Cooking Class:
$60
-
A Private Traditional Cape Malay Cooking Class, with a MKR Finalist:
$95
-
3-Day Kruger National Park Safari including Breakfast and Dinner:
$672
-
4-Day Kruger National Park Safari including Breakfast and Dinner:
$850
-
4-Day Kruger Park Safari & Panoramic Tour Combo including Breakfast and Dinner:
$903
-
5-Day Kruger National Park Safari including Breakfast and Dinner:
$1,115
-
5-Day Kruger Park Safari & Panoramic Tour Combo including Breakfast and Dinner:
$1,119
Local Transportation
The cost of a taxi ride in Cairo is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $7.24 per person, per day, on local transportation in Cairo.
While taxis and private drivers typically cost much more than public transportation, people usually spend around $17 per day to get around in Johannesburg.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Cairo
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Cairo are as follows:
-
Metro Ride
$0.26
-
Taxi Ride
$0.96
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cairo
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cairo:
-
Private Transfer between Cairo Airport & Cairo/Giza:
$6.00
-
Ultra - Private Airport Transfer from Cairo city centre to Cairo Airport CAI:
$8.73
-
Cairo Airport Arrival or Departure Transfers:
$8.75
-
Private Transfer from Cairo Airport:
$11
-
Private Transfer from Cairo Airport to Your Hotel:
$11
-
Transfer from Cairo or Giza Hotels to Cairo Airport:
$11
-
Cairo International Airport Transfer:
$12
-
Cairo Airport Transfers:
$13
-
Cairo Airport Transfer to Hotel:
$13
-
Private pickup & Transfer from & to cairo Airport:
$13
-
Private Transfer from Cairo and Giza to Cairo Airport:
$14
-
Private Transfer Cairo Airport to the Hotel in Cairo or Giza:
$14
Typical Local Transportation prices in Johannesburg
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Johannesburg:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Johannesburg
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Johannesburg:
-
1-3 Passenger Private Johannesburg Airport Transfer:
$42
-
3 Day All Incl. Private Kruger Park Safari Incl. Transfer From Johannesburg:
$979
-
Arrival Private Transfer: Tambo Airport JNB to Johannesburg in Business Car:
$58
-
Arrival Private Transfer: Tambo Airport JNB to Johannesburg in Luxury Van:
$70
-
Business Private Transfer: JNB Airport to Johannesburg, Pretoria or Sun City:
$76
-
Business Private Transfer: Johannesburg, Pretoria or Sun City to JNB Airport:
$76
-
Business Travel - Individual Airport Transfers - Johannesburg:
$54
-
Departure Private Transfer: Johannesburg to Tambo Airport JNB in Business Car:
$58
-
Departure Private Transfer: Johannesburg to Tambo Airport JNB in Luxury Van:
$73
-
Direct Transfer to Sun City:
$105
-
Flexi Airport Transfer with Meet And Greet:
$38
-
Johannesburg Airport One-Way Private Transfer:
$72
Is it cheaper to fly into Cairo or Johannesburg?
Prices for flights to both Johannesburg 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.
Activities, things to do, and other forms of entertainment usually cost around $22 per person, per day in Johannesburg. This cost includes the price of admission tickets to attractions and museums as well as daily tours.
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:
-
Giza Pyramid, Sakkara & Memphis Full-Day Private Tour:
$6.24
-
Giza Pyramids and Sphinx: Half-Day Private Tour:
$7.00
-
Giza Pyramids and Solar Boat Museum Half Day Private Tour:
$7.48
-
Cairo City Tour:
$8.58
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Private Tour of the Pyramids:
$9.71
-
Pyramids Day Tour:
$10
-
Day_tour :Pyramids of Giza & Great Sphinx:
$11
-
Virtual Tour of Giza Pyramids and Egyptian Museum:
$12
-
Egypt Virtual Tour of Tomb of King Tut:
$12
-
Private Day Tour at Pyramids, Sakkara And Dahshur:
$13
-
Giza Pyramids & Sphinx with Camel Ride Private Tour:
$13
-
Papyrus Manufacturing Tour and learn Papyrus making in Egypt:
$13
Tours and Activities in Johannesburg
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Johannesburg are as follows:
-
Johannesburg Free Walking tours:
$3.35
-
The Windybrow Heritage Tour:
$13
-
motsoaledi walking tours:
$14
-
1 or 2 Day Johannesburg Hop-On, Hop-Off Tour:
$14
-
City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Johannesburg:
$17
-
Maboneng Precinct Walking Tour:
$19
-
City Sightseeing Johannesburg Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour:
$21
-
Taste of Africa (Food & Beer tasting Experience):
$23
-
East City Cycle Tour:
$24
-
City Skate Tours - Exploring Cities on Skateboards:
$27
-
Innercity Walking Tour:
$27
-
Ponte Experience:
$27
Alcohol
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Cairo may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $2.84 per day on alcoholic beverages.
The average person spends about $4.93 on alcoholic beverages in Johannesburg per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Sample the Local Flavors in Johannesburg
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Johannesburg:
-
Wine Tasting Experience in Johannesburg:
$10
-
Johannesburg Pub Crawl:
$57
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cairo and Johannesburg, we can see that Johannesburg 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 Johannesburg would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Johannesburg than you might in Cairo.
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