Which place is cheaper, Merzouga or Cairo?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Cairo or Merzouga?
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 Merzouga 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 Merzouga?
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.
Merzouga
Let's say you want to truly get away. I don't mean putting your ear buds in on some beach with a stronger on the next chair over. I mean really get away, and find yourself deserted. Merzouga, Morocco lets you do just that. This land of sand dune after sand dune is ideal for anyone yearning to ride a camel to the ends of civilization. And you'll find plenty of options to get here with a tour, or even on your own.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Egypt, The Best Historical Tours in Egypt, The Best Budget Tours to Morocco, and The Best Luxury Tours to Morocco.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCairo $17Merzouga $17
The average daily cost (per person) in Cairo is $17, while the average daily cost in Merzouga is $17. 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 Merzouga in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCairo $9.36Merzouga $10
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCairo $19Merzouga $20
Compare Hotels in Cairo and Merzouga
Looking for a hotel in Cairo or Merzouga? 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 Merzouga Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cairo $2.99Merzouga -
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 Transfer to Cairo and Giza from Cairo Airport: $9.00
- Private Arrival or Departure Cairo Airport Transfer: $9.50
- Private transfer from Cairo Airport to Hotel Royal: $9.60
- Private transfer from Cairo Airport to Novotel Cairo El Borg: $9.60
- Private Pickup transfer from InterContinental Cairo Citystars to Cairo airport: $9.60
- Private Pickup transfer from Marriott Mena House, Cairo to Cairo airport: $9.60
- Private transfer from Cairo Airport to InterContinental Cairo Citystars: $9.60
- Private Pickup transfer from Royal Maxim Palace Kempinski to Cairo airport: $9.60
- Private Pickup transfer from Novotel Cairo El Borg to Cairo airport: $9.60
- Pickup transfer from Radisson Blu Hotel, Cairo Heliopolis to Cairo airport: $9.60
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Merzouga
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Merzouga:
- 1 way transfer: $62
Is it cheaper to fly into Cairo or Merzouga?
Prices for flights to both Merzouga 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 $4.75Merzouga $5.92
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.
- Cairo/Giza: Nile Sunset, Dinner Cruise, Show & Private Transfer : $9.63
- Cairo Dinner Cruise, Belly Dancer Show With Pickup Service: $11
- Dinner Cruise on the Nile River: $12
- Nile Sunset, Dinner Cruise, Show and Private Transfer: $16
- VIP tour Giza pyramids ,Sphinx, Quad bike ,Camel, Dinner cruise : $19
- Private Expert tour Giza Pyramids ,Sphinx ,Nile Dinner Cruise & Belly Dancer: $19
- food tour private tour from cairo or giza hotel: $19
- Giza Pyramids, Camel Ride, Quad Bike, Night and Dinner Cruise on Nile: $19
- Private Cairo Food Tour : $20
- All inclusive Tour to Giza Pyramids, Sphinx & ATV &Dinner cruise : $20
- Giza pyramids and Nile dinner cruise private tour from Cairo Giza hotels: $22
- Private Cairo food tour and Egyptian tea: $22
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Merzouga
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Merzouga.
- One Night in Private Camp in the Sahara Desert in Merzouga with Dinner: $65
- Sunset With Dinner And Berber Music in Merzouga Desert With 4WD : $65
- Day Trip By Camels In Erg Chebbi Dunes, Lunch With Berber Pizza: $76
- Merzouga Orange Dunes ATV Sandsurf Camels with 5 Stars Dinner: $85
- Camel trek with 1 Night in Luxury camp with Dinner+ Sundbording: $87
- 5 Hour Sunset Tour with Camel Ride and Dinner In Desert: $87
- Visit The Nomads, Gnawa Music, Rally In Dunes, Berber Pizza : $104
- Magical Dinner and Camel Trek with 1 Night In Merzouga Luxury Desert Camp: $105
- Overnight in Luxury Camp With camel Trek & Dinner: $107
- From Fes: 2-Day Merzouga Desert Trip(Luxury Tent & Dinner): $124
- From Fes: 2-Day Merzouga Desert Trip w/Luxury Tent & Dinner: $127
- 2 Nights Private Camp in Merzouga with Dinner and Camel Ride: $200
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cairo $5.75Merzouga -
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:
- Dahshur Pyramids Entry Tickets: $4.25
- Baron Palace Entry Tickets : $4.60
- Cairo Shopping tour Private Papyrus Essential oils Bazar Cotton : $4.70
- Prince Mohamed Ali Palace Entry Ticket: $4.80
- 3-Hour Private Tour of Papyrus and Perfumes in Ancient Egypt: $5.00
- All Inclusive Tour to Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Memphis, and Saqqara: $5.00
- New Grand Egyptian Museum Tour with optional the pyramids tour..: $5.00
- Mosque and Madrasa of Sultan Hasan Entry Ticket: $5.10
- Baron Empain Palace Entry Tickets: $5.15
- Serapeum Of Saqqara Entry Tickets: $7.00
- Cairo Shopping Tour.: $7.00
- Baron Palace Skip the line Access Entry Tickets: $7.08
Tours and Activities in Merzouga
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Merzouga are as follows:
- Camel Ride Experience: $27
- Merzouga Desert Quad bike Adventure with Sand boarding: $38
- Merzouga 4x4 Desert Excursion - Sahara 4WD Adventure: $43
- Merzouga 4x4 Desert Tours & Excursions: $46
- Extreme Adventure with Harness Zorbing in Merzouga dunes: $48
- Merzouga one hour Adventure Tour: $54
- Merzouga 4x4 tour - Excursion around dunes: $54
- Merzouga Experience -1.5h Quad buggy : $55
- Merzouga 4X4 Half-Day Tour with Lunch: $55
- 1 Night Camel Trekking Tour in Merzouga Desert Camp : $60
- From Quad bike tour to the peak of Erg Chebbi dune: $62
- One Hour Sahara Desert Quad Biking tour: $62
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCairo $1.17Merzouga -
When comparing the travel costs between Cairo and Merzouga, we can see that Cairo is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Africa, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Cairo Expensive? and Is Merzouga Expensive?.
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.