Which place is cheaper, Rome or Cairo?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Cairo or Rome?
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 Rome 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 Rome?
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.
Rome
Rome is the capital and largest city in Italy. It is also a common entry point for most visitors flying into the country. Rome has been a center of power, culture, and religion for the last millenium, making it one of the most famous and popular destinations in not only Europe, but the world. The influence of the Roman Empire can be seen across continents.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Egypt, The Best Historical Tours in Egypt, The Best Luxury Tours to Italy, and The Best Budget Tours to Italy.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCairo $17Rome $185
The average daily cost (per person) in Cairo is $17, while the average daily cost in Rome is $185. 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 Rome in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCairo $9.27Rome $96
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCairo $19Rome $192
Compare Hotels in Cairo and Rome
Looking for a hotel in Cairo or Rome? 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 Rome Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cairo $2.96Rome $23
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$0.31
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cairo
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cairo:
- Airport and excursion in Hurghada , Luxor or Cairo Transfer: $17
- Cairo Airport Arrival Transfer: $20
- Cairo Airport Transfer to Hotel: $16
- Private Pickup transfer from Cairo Paradise Hotel to Cairo airport: $12
- Private Pickup transfer from Windsor Hotel Cairo to Cairo airport: $12
- Private Transfer from Cairo to Sharm El Sheikh : $290
- Private airport Transfer: $15
- Private transfer from Sonesta Hotel, Tower& Casino Cairo to Cairo airport: $12
- Private transfer from The Nile Ritz-Carlton, Cairo to Cairo airport: $12
- Pyramids of Giza and Great Sphinx Half Day Tour With Private Guide & Transfers : $135
- Skip-the-line to Great Sphinx and Pyramids of Giza with Transfer: $24
- 01 way Private Transfer from your Hotel in Cairo to Cairo Airport: $13
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Rome
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Rome:
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Metro Ride (for Two)$2.18
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Train to the Airport$16
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Taxi to Airport$49
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Bicycle Rental (Full Day)$11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Rome
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Rome:
- Fiumicino Airport Rome (FCO) to Florence - Arrival Private Transfer: $227
- Rome Private Transfer To Civitavecchia Sea port: $97
- Transfer from Civitavecchia port to Fco Rome airport or Rome : $265
- Airport Transfer from or to Rome and Civitavecchia port: $141
- Airport to Hotel in Rome Private Transfer: $232
- Airport to Rome Private Transfer: $232
- Airport transfer: $122
- All Italy: Private Premium Transfers in Rome: $88
- Appian Catacombs Guided Tour with Transfere: $70
- Archeological Area of Ostia Antica with Audio guide and Transfer: $75
- Arrival Private Transfer: Fiumicino Airport FCO to Rome City in Luxury Car: $154
- Arrival in Airport Transfer & Exclusive City Introduction: $248
Is it cheaper to fly into Cairo or Rome?
Prices for flights to both Rome 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 $4.70Rome $52
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 Dinner Cruise With Belly Dancer Show: $10
- Giza Dinner Cruise With Belly Dancer Show: $10
- Cairo Nile dinner cruise night show with belly dancer: $10
- Dinner Nile Cruise belly dancer open buffer tanora show sailing on Nile: $11
- Food Tour in Local Cairo Life with Egyptian tea: $11
- 2-hours night dinner cruise show : Eat , Dance and Sing : $13
- night-tour Nile dinner cruise with open buffet and belly dancer: $13
- Private "Cairo Sunset Dinner Cruise on the Nile" with Pickup: $13
- Private Cairo food tour and Egyptian tea: $14
- food tour private tour from cairo or giza hotel: $14
- Experience Magic A 4Star Cairo Dinner Cruise with Belly Dancer: $15
- Local Oriental Food Tour from Cairo or Giza hotels: $15
Typical Food Prices in Rome
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Rome:
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$15
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4 Ice Cream Sandwiches$3.26
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Cafe e doce$4.36
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Pizza (Fast Food)$2.89
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Sitdown Lunch (for Two)$34
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Cheese and bread$11
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Espresso$2.18
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Dinner$63
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Rome
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Rome.
- Dinner in Carbonara,Amatriciana,Cacio&Pepe e wine tasting : $35
- Tasty Trionfale Farmers Market Food Tour and Local Wines Tasting: $39
- Vatican Street Food Tour and Wine Experience with Local Guide: $43
- Rome Food Tour : Street Food Testings with Local Guide: $43
- Wine Tasting and Food Tour at Vatican and Trionfale Farmers: $43
- Tiber River Urban Rafting Tour with Roman Pizza: $44
- Pub Crawl and Ultimate Party with Open Bar and Pizza: $44
- Pasta Making with Wine Tasting and Dinner in Frascati: $46
- Piazza Navona Gnocchi Cooking Class: $49
- Castel Gandolfo Kayak & Swimming Lake Tour with Pizza: $49
- Tasty Rome Street Food Tour around Campo de' Fiori Market & Jewish Ghetto: $50
- Roman Street Food Tour around the Jewish Ghetto with Local Guide: $50
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cairo $5.69Rome $39
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$0.83
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Egyptian Museum Entry for Two$6.43
Tours and Activities in Cairo
Here are a few actual costs in Cairo for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Dahshur Pyramids Entry Tickets: $4.37
- Baron Palace Entry Tickets : $4.60
- Prince Mohamed Ali Palace Entry Ticket: $4.80
- 3-Hour Private Tour of Papyrus and Perfumes in Ancient Egypt: $5.00
- Full Day Tour to Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Memphis, and Saqqara: $5.00
- Coptic Museum Entry Ticket : $5.20
- Entry Ticket to the Prince Mohamed Ali Palace : $5.57
- Private Tour to Giza Pyramids, Sphinx : $6.00
- Cairo Museum of Islamic Arts Entry Ticket: $7.00
- Baron Palace Skip the line Access Entry Tickets: $7.11
- Museum of Islamic Art Entry Ticket : $7.35
- Day Tour to Giza Pyramids Memphis, Dahshur and Saqqara Pyramids: $8.00
Typical Entertainment Prices in Rome
Here are a few typical costs in Rome for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Rome Museum Vaticano (for 2)$75
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Coliseum Tickets (for Two)$36
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Roma Pass$33
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Hop on Hop Off Bus (All Day)$22
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Segway Tour$82
Tours and Activities in Rome
Here are a few actual costs in Rome for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Bergamo Old Town: Discovery Walk & Reading Walking Tour: $3.26
- Cambridge: Discovery Walk & Reading Walking Tour: $3.26
- Piazza del Popolo and Historical Sights Walking Tour in Rome: $3.31
- Tour of Rome to Visit the Most Iconic Monuments: $4.00
- Private Audio Guided Walking Tour in Rome: $5.40
- Bergamo Old Town: City Exploration Game and Tour: $5.44
- Pantheon Skip-the-Line Entry Ticket: $5.44
- Civitavecchia's Stories and Secrets: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.50
- Best of Rome by Night Guided Tour: $5.51
- Vatican Night Tour - Rome: $5.51
- Self Guided City Audio Tour in Rome: $5.52
- An insider's look at A Self-Guided Audio Tour : $5.61
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCairo $1.16Rome $20
Typical Alcohol Prices in Rome
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Rome:
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Bottle of Wine$7.08
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Pint of Beer$6.90
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Beer$11
Sample the Local Flavors in Rome
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Rome:
- Cabaret and Burlesque Show Entry Ticket: $33
- Trastevere Wine Tasting with Food Pairing and Gelato: $49
- Rome's Ultimate Party aka the Spanish Steps Pub Crawl: $53
- Roman Night Life and Burlesque Show Tour: $54
- Guided Wine Tasting Experience in a Roman Vineyard: $54
- Bar Crawl with Local Guide & Drinks: $60
- Small-Group Exclusive Winery and Wine Tasting Tour in Frascati: $61
- Frascati Wine Tasting Experience and Vineyards Guided Tour : $65
- EAT AND DRINK LIKE A LOCAL - Wine Tasting in Trastevere w/ Gelato: $66
- E-Bike Night Tour with Food and Wine Tasting: $70
- Rome by Night-Ebike tour with Food and Wine Tasting: $71
- Small Group Rome Wine Tasting Experience with a Sommelier: $76
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cairo and Rome, we can see that Rome 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 Rome 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 Rome would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Rome 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 Rome Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Cairo or Rome?
Cairo has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Rome. When comparing the sizes of Cairo and Rome, 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.
When is the best time to visit Cairo or Rome?
Rome has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Cairo experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.
Should I visit Cairo or Rome in the Summer?
Both Rome and Cairo are popular destinations to visit in the summer with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Cairo throughout the year. Also, the city activities, the music scene, and the family-friendly experiences are the main draw to Rome this time of year.
In July, Cairo is generally a little warmer than Rome. Daily temperatures in Cairo average around 28°C (82°F), and Rome fluctuates around 25°C (77°F).
It's quite sunny in Rome. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Cairo. Cairo usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Rome during summer. Cairo gets 350 hours of sunny skies, while Rome receives 338 hours of full sun in the summer.
In July, Cairo usually receives less rain than Rome. Cairo gets 1 mm (0 in) of rain, while Rome receives 19 mm (0.7 in) of rain each month for the summer.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyCairo 28°C (82°F)Rome 25°C (77°F)
Should I visit Cairo or Rome in the Autumn?
Both Rome and Cairo during the autumn are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to Cairo because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year. Also, many travelers come to Rome for the city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, the music scene, and the natural beauty of the area.
Cairo is a little warmer than Rome in the autumn. The daily temperature in Cairo averages around 23°C (73°F) in October, and Rome fluctuates around 17°C (63°F).
It's quite sunny in Cairo. In the autumn, Cairo often gets more sunshine than Rome. Cairo gets 290 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Rome receives 198 hours of full sun.
Cairo usually gets less rain in October than Rome. Cairo gets 5 mm (0.2 in) of rain, while Rome receives 94 mm (3.7 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberCairo 23°C (73°F)Rome 17°C (63°F)
Should I visit Cairo or Rome in the Winter?
The winter attracts plenty of travelers to both Cairo and Rome. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Cairo year-round. Also, many visitors come to Rome in the winter for the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine.
In the winter, Cairo is much warmer than Rome. Typically, the winter temperatures in Cairo in January average around 14°C (57°F), and Rome averages at about 8°C (47°F).
In Cairo, it's very sunny this time of the year. Cairo usually receives more sunshine than Rome during winter. Cairo gets 221 hours of sunny skies, while Rome receives 127 hours of full sun in the winter.
In January, Cairo usually receives less rain than Rome. Cairo gets 15 mm (0.6 in) of rain, while Rome receives 81 mm (3.2 in) of rain each month for the winter.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryCairo 14°C (57°F)Rome 8°C (47°F)
Should I visit Cairo or Rome in the Spring?
The spring brings many poeple to Cairo as well as Rome. Cairo attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate. Also, most visitors come to Rome for the activities around the city and the natural beauty during these months.
In April, Cairo is generally much warmer than Rome. Daily temperatures in Cairo average around 21°C (70°F), and Rome fluctuates around 14°C (57°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Rome. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Cairo this time of the year. In the spring, Cairo often gets more sunshine than Rome. Cairo gets 276 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Rome receives 204 hours of full sun.
Cairo usually gets less rain in April than Rome. Cairo gets 7 mm (0.3 in) of rain, while Rome receives 50 mm (2 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilCairo 21°C (70°F)Rome 14°C (57°F)
Typical Weather for Rome and Cairo
| Cairo | Rome | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 14°C (57°F) | 15 mm (0.6 in) | 8°C (47°F) | 81 mm (3.2 in) |
| Feb | 14°C (57°F) | 4 mm (0.2 in) | 9°C (49°F) | 76 mm (3 in) |
| Mar | 17°C (63°F) | 8 mm (0.3 in) | 11°C (52°F) | 64 mm (2.5 in) |
| Apr | 21°C (70°F) | 7 mm (0.3 in) | 14°C (57°F) | 50 mm (2 in) |
| May | 25°C (77°F) | 0 mm (0 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 42 mm (1.6 in) |
| Jun | 27°C (81°F) | 0 mm (0 in) | 22°C (71°F) | 21 mm (0.8 in) |
| Jul | 28°C (82°F) | 1 mm (0 in) | 25°C (77°F) | 19 mm (0.7 in) |
| Aug | 28°C (82°F) | 0 mm (0 in) | 25°C (77°F) | 36 mm (1.4 in) |
| Sep | 26°C (79°F) | 5 mm (0.2 in) | 22°C (71°F) | 74 mm (2.9 in) |
| Oct | 23°C (73°F) | 5 mm (0.2 in) | 17°C (63°F) | 94 mm (3.7 in) |
| Nov | 19°C (66°F) | 1 mm (0 in) | 12°C (54°F) | 105 mm (4.1 in) |
| Dec | 15°C (59°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) | 9°C (49°F) | 94 mm (3.7 in) |
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.