Which place is cheaper, Johannesburg or Cairo?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Cairo or Johannesburg?
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 Johannesburg 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 Johannesburg?
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Egypt, The Best Historical Tours in Egypt, The Best Adventure Tours to South Africa, and The Best Eco Tours in South Africa.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCairo $17Johannesburg $94
The average daily cost (per person) in Cairo is $17, while the average daily cost in Johannesburg 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 destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Cairo and Johannesburg in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCairo $9.36Johannesburg $54
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCairo $19Johannesburg $108
Compare Hotels in Cairo and Johannesburg
Looking for a hotel in Cairo or Johannesburg? 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 Johannesburg Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cairo $2.99Johannesburg $16
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$0.32
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cairo
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cairo:
- Private Departure Transfer from Cairo or Giza Hotels to Cairo Airport: $5.00
- Private transfer from Cairo Airport to the hotel in Cairo or Giza: $9.00
- Private Pickup transfer from Royal Maxim Palace Kempinski to Cairo airport: $9.60
- Private transfer from Cairo Airport to Cairo Pyramids Hotel: $9.60
- Private transfer from Sonesta Hotel, Tower& Casino Cairo to Cairo airport: $9.60
- Private transfer from Cairo Airport to Sonesta Hotel Tower : $9.60
- Private Pickup transfer from Golden Hotel to Cairo airport: $9.60
- Private transfer from Cairo Airport to Golden Hotel in Cairo: $9.60
- Private Pickup transfer from Marriott Mena House, Cairo to Cairo airport: $9.60
- Private Pickup transfer from Cairo Paradise Hotel to Cairo airport: $9.60
- Private Pickup transfer from Windsor Hotel Cairo to Cairo airport: $9.60
- Private Pickup transfer from Osiris Hotel to Cairo airport: $9.60
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Johannesburg
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Johannesburg:
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Taxi Ride$3.19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Johannesburg
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Johannesburg:
- Airport To Suncity Transfer And Return: $398
- Apartheid Museum Private Transfers: $43
- Arrival Private Transfer: Tambo Airport JNB to Johannesburg in Luxury Van: $71
- Comfort Private Airport Transfer: OR Tambo Airport (JNB): $38
- Departure Private Transfer Johanesburg Pretoria or SunCity to JNB Airport by Van: $73
- Departure Private Transfer: Johannesburg to Tambo Airport JNB in Luxury Van: $71
- Executive Airport Transfers - OR Tambo to Sandton : $175
- From Johannesburg Airport: 1-Way Transfer with Pretoria Tour: $107
- Johannesburg Airport (JNB) to Johannesburg Round-Trip Transfer: $70
- Johannesburg Airport (JNB): Transfer to Johannesburg hotels: $193
- Johannesburg Airport (JNB): Transfer to Pretoria hotels: $276
- Johannesburg Airport JNB to Johannesburg Hotels Arrival Transfer: $35
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.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayCairo $4.75Johannesburg $17
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 Cruise on the Nile River: $12
- Cairo Night Dinner With Belly Dancer Show With Pickup & Drop Off: $13
- Nile Sunset, Dinner Cruise, Show and Private Transfer: $16
- Super Safari Quad Bike Jeep Safari Buggy and Dinner in Hurghada: $18
- Cairo Food Tour with Nile Felucca Ride : $18
- VIP tour Giza pyramids ,Sphinx, Quad bike ,Camel, Dinner cruise : $19
- Private Expert tour Giza Pyramids ,Sphinx ,Nile Dinner Cruise & Belly Dancer: $19
- Giza Pyramids, Camel Ride, Quad Bike, Night and Dinner Cruise on Nile: $19
- All inclusive Tour to Giza Pyramids, Sphinx & ATV &Dinner cruise : $20
- Private tour Giza pyramids and Nile dinner cruise from Giza and Cairo hotels: $23
- Food Tour in Local Cairo Life with Egyptian tea: $23
- Private Giza Pyramids and Egyptian Museum Tour with Dinner at Nile Cruise: $24
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Johannesburg
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Johannesburg.
- Maboneng Street Art and Street Food Tour: $40
- Unique street food tour from at least 6 different cultures!: $48
- Taste of Africa Food Tour: $50
- A Private Traditional Cape Malay Cooking Class, with a MKR Finalist: $95
- Johannesburg Culture and food tour: $97
- Pan-African Cooking & Dinning Experience: $191
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cairo $5.75Johannesburg $21
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$0.84
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Egyptian Museum Entry for Two$6.49
Tours and Activities in Cairo
Here are a few actual costs in Cairo for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Cheapest Tour to Wonders Pyramids of Giza and Great Sphinx : $4.00
- Dahshur Pyramids Entry Tickets: $4.26
- Baron Palace Entry Tickets : $4.60
- The Baron Empain Palace Entry Ticket: $4.60
- Cairo Shopping tour Private Papyrus Perfume, Bazar Cotton Shop : $4.70
- New Grand Egyptian Museum Tour with optional the pyramids tour..: $5.00
- All Inclusive Tour to Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Memphis, and Saqqara: $5.00
- Baron Empain Palace Entry Tickets: $5.16
- Entry Ticket to the Prince Mohamed Ali Palace : $5.39
- Skip The Line with Memphis Museum Entry Ticket: $6.53
- Cairo Shopping Tour.: $7.00
- Baron Palace Skip the line Access Entry Tickets: $7.02
Tours and Activities in Johannesburg
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Johannesburg are as follows:
- Johannesburg Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.00
- Jo'burg Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour with Apartheid Museum & Soweto: $16
- Hop-On Hop-Off Bus with Optional Soweto Tour: $16
- Architectural Walking Tour: $19
- Soweto: Hector Pieterson Memorial, to Orlando Towers Tour: $24
- Braamfontein Street Art & Hidden Gems Tour: $24
- Maboneng Street Art & Culture Tour: $27
- Ponte Experience: $27
- Colours of A Graffiti & Street Art Tour: $29
- Soweto: Bike Tour with a Local Tour Guide: $29
- Johannesburg Street Art & Museum Walking or E-scooter Tour : $30
- A Day Of Soweto Food & Beer Tour: $32
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCairo $1.17Johannesburg $4.65
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: $59
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: $8.08
- Experience Johannesburg Wine Tour Views and Luxury: $224
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.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Cairo Expensive? and Is Johannesburg Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Cairo or Johannesburg?
Cairo has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Johannesburg. When comparing the sizes of Cairo and Johannesburg, 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.