Should you visit Cairo or Madrid?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel cost comparison between Cairo and Madrid 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.
Madrid
Madrid, the capital of Spain, overs visitors countless opportunities to experience Spain's culture, art, cuisine, and nightlife. It is the largest city in Spain, and as such has much to explore. The city is situated on the Iberian Peninsula on the Spanish central Castillian plateau. If you're flying into Spain, you'll likely fly into the Madrid airport as it's one of the largest airports in Europe. Madrid is well connected to the rest of Spain with planes, trains and buses, making it a popular place to visit for many travelers doing a European tour.
Which city is cheaper, Madrid or Cairo?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Cairo is $34, while the average daily cost in Madrid is $113. 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 Madrid in more detail.
Accommodation
The average price for accommodation for two people in Cairo is $36. This is for two people sharing a typical double occupancy hotel room.
Travelers usually pay around $124 for a double occupancy room in Madrid If you want to be in a premiere location or have high end amenities, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Local Transportation
The cost of a taxi ride in Cairo is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $6.13 per person, per day, on local transportation in Cairo.
To get around in Madrid, the average visitor spends $16 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Cairo
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Cairo are as follows:
-
Metro Ride
$0.22
-
Taxi Ride
$0.81
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cairo
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cairo:
-
One Way Transfer from Cairo to Safaga - 25 Seater:
$754
-
One Way Transfer from Cairo to Makadi Bay - 25 Seater:
$644
-
Private transfer: Cairo to Borg El Arab International Airport (HBE):
$622
-
One Way Transfer from Cairo to Safaga - 15 Seater:
$585
-
One Way Transfer from Cairo to Hurghada – 25 Seater:
$555
-
One Way Transfer from Cairo to Safaga - Premium:
$535
-
4 Day Nile Cruise with Train Transfer from Cairo:
$514
-
One Way Transfer from Cairo to Makadi Bay - 15 Seater:
$439
-
5 days guided trip in Giza and Cairo , all airport transfer in Egypt:
$432
-
Day Trip to Cairo from Luxor by flight with sightseeing lunch airport transfers:
$424
-
Day trip to Luxor from Cairo by plane with sightseeing lunch airport transfers:
$424
-
One Way Transfer from Cairo to Makadi Bay - Premium:
$407
Typical Local Transportation prices in Madrid
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Madrid are as follows:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Madrid
Also for Madrid, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Airport Transfer Chauffeur Drive:
$122
-
Arrival Private Transfer Business Car MAD to Madrid:
$51
-
Arrival Private Transfer Luxury Car MAD to Madrid:
$78
-
Arrival Private Transfer MAD to Madrid in a Minibus:
$140
-
Arrival Private Transfer Madrid Airport MAD to Avila City by Business Car:
$247
-
Arrival Private Transfer Madrid Airport MAD to Madrid City by Luxury Van:
$70
-
Arrival Private Transfer Madrid Airport MAD to Madrid City by Standard Minibus:
$126
-
Arrival Private Transfer Madrid MAD to Madrid, Toledo or Avila Luxury Van:
$69
-
Arrival Transfer from Madrid Airport MAD to Madrid in Private Car:
$58
-
Arrival Transfer from Madrid Airport MAD to Madrid in Private Van:
$56
-
DUCA - Hassle-Free transfer from Madrid to Vicentine Coast:
$743
-
Departure Private Transfer Luxury Car Madrid to MAD:
$80
Is it cheaper to fly into Cairo or Madrid?
Prices for flights to both Madrid 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 in Cairo costs travelers about $9.75 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 price of a meal in Madrid can vary widely. However, the average price for food per day is $29 per person, and a typical meal will cost around $12 based on the spending of previous visitors. Less expensive dining options can be found by eating street food or at fast food restaurants.
-
Food
Meals for one day
Cairo $9.75
Madrid $29
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.
-
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
Typical Food prices in Madrid
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Madrid:
-
Coffee
$2.11
-
Ice Cream
$3.16
-
Kebabs (for 2)
$17
-
Croissant
$1.58
-
Lunch at Airport (for 2)
$17
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Madrid
For Madrid, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Virtual Cooking Class: The Spanish Paella Experience:
$24
-
Florida Retiro Dinner Show:
$38
-
Murder Mystery Dinner Experience:
$49
-
Virtual cooking - spanish "tortilla de patatas":
$50
-
Murder Mystery Dinner Experience:
$50
-
Flamenco Workshop and Show with Dinner and Drinks:
$51
-
Skip the Line: Flamenco Show with Dinner and Workshop in Madrid Ticket:
$52
-
Homemade pasta cooking class and lunch in the heart of Madrid:
$58
-
Mamaz Social Italian Dinner in Madrid:
$60
-
3-hour Virtual Spanish Cooking Class in Madrid:
$62
-
Iberico Ham and Spanish Wine Small-Group Food Tour:
$67
-
Authentic Italian Dinner in Madrid:
$68
Entertainment
Entertainment and activities in Cairo typically cost an average of $12 per person, per day. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
In Madrid, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $28 per person, per day.
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:
-
(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 Madrid
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Madrid.
-
Prado Museum Self-Guided Audio Tour App:
$3.97
-
Madrid's Private Tour with your Family: Highlights & Hidden Gems:
$4.04
-
A local's Tuck into the city's history and some tapas on an audio tour:
$5.00
-
History Tour of The Town Too High To Die Walking Audio Tour by VoiceMap:
$5.13
-
Let's Tapear! The Madrid Tapas Route Walking Audio Tour by VoiceMap:
$5.43
-
Madrid from the Inquisition to Multiculturalism Walking Audio Tour by VoiceMap:
$5.43
-
Madrid Private Tour: Fun Old Town Exploration Game:
$7.45
-
Skip the Line: Museo Lázaro Galdiano Admission Ticket:
$8.71
-
Madrid 90 Minutes Kickstart Private Tour:
$9.95
-
Skip the Line: Ticket for the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid:
$9.95
-
Tours from Home: Intro to Madrid:
$10
-
2 Hours Secrets of Madrid Retiro Park Tour:
$11
Alcohol
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Cairo may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $2.41 per day on alcoholic beverages.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Madrid, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $17.
Typical Alcohol prices in Madrid
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Madrid are as follows:
-
Beer
$5.27
-
Drinks and Tapas (for 2)
$14
Sample the Local Flavors in Madrid
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Madrid:
-
Pub Crawl in Madrid:
$15
-
Pub Crawl Madrid by Madpartycrew:
$19
-
Wine Tasting near Plaza Mayor:
$20
-
Wine Tasting Experience:
$32
-
Wine Tasting Experience:
$43
-
Madrid Tapas and Mysteries Walking Tour with Private Option and Pub Crawl:
$47
-
Wine Tasting and Flamenco Master Class in Madrid:
$58
-
Segovia and Spanish Versailles Full-Day Tour with Wine Tasting:
$62
-
Old Town Madrid Gourmet Tapas and Wine Tasting Walking Tour:
$82
-
Gourmet Tapas & Wine Tasting Experience In Madrid:
$91
-
Madrid Tapas and Wine Tasting Tour:
$93
-
Madrid Tapas Diaries- A Premium Food & Wine Tour in the old city of Madrid:
$123
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cairo and Madrid, we can see that Madrid 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 Madrid is in Europe, 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 Madrid would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Madrid than you might in Cairo.
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