Which place is cheaper, San Diego or Cairo?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Cairo or San Diego?
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 San Diego 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 San Diego?
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.
San Diego
For many visitors and locals alike, San Diego is a paradise. Located in southern California, not far from Los Angeles, it has the perfect climate, wonderful beaches, and a culturally rich environment. It's surrounded by beautiful landscape and has a strong focus on wildlife conservation and eco-friendly living. Home to about 1.3 million residents, it is California's second largest city. It also has many universities, a large tech industry, and a thriving economy. Despite its size, many people perceive San Diego as a slower, more relaxed city with a pleasant vibe away from the chaos of a large city.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Egypt, The Best Historical Tours in Egypt, The Best G Adventures Tours to United States of America, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Las Vegas.
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Cairo Prices
Egypt PricesSan Diego Prices
USA Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCairo $33San Diego $233
The average daily cost (per person) in Cairo is $33, while the average daily cost in San Diego is $233. 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 San Diego in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCairo $11San Diego $115
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCairo $22San Diego $230
Compare Hotels in Cairo and San Diego
Looking for a hotel in Cairo or San Diego? 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 San Diego Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cairo $3.80San Diego $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$0.32
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cairo
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cairo:
- From Guided 4 Day Cairo & Red Sea Tour with Transfer: $1,440
- Private Day Trip to Luxor with Transfers and Flights: $791
- Cairo To Marsa Alam Private Transfer: $511
- From One-Way Private Transfer To Luxor: $489
- 3 Private Full-Day Tours to Cairo Top Attractions+One Airport Transfer: $300
- 1 Day Aswan Abu Simple Tour with Transfer Included: $300
- Private One-Way Transfer to/from Hurghada: $292
- Private One-Way Transfer to/from Sharm El-Sheikh: $292
- Private Transfer from Cairo to Sharm El Sheikh : $290
- Private Transfer Cairo to Hurghada: $290
- Private Transfer From Cairo to Hurghada By Car: $280
- 2 Days Private Guided Tours of Cairo and Giza with Free Cairo Airport Transfers: $280
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Diego
Also for San Diego, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- San Diego Airport (SAN) to Carlsbad, CA - Arrival Private Transfer: $66
- Departure Private Transfer: San Diego to San Diego Airport SAN in Business Car: $113
- Private Arrival Transfer - from San Diego Airport (SAN) by SUV: $89
- Private Transfer Airport Tijuana/Valle de Guadalupe (Ensenada) or back.: $165
- Private Transfer from San Diego (SAN) Airport to San Diego City: $88
- Private Transfer from San Diego City Hotels to San Diego Port : $71
- Private Transfer from San Diego City to San Diego (SAN) Airport: $88
- Private Transfer from Tijuana Airport (TIJ): $39
- Private Transfer from Tijuana to Ensenada and Valle de Guadalupe: $140
- Private Transfer to Tijuana Airport (TIJ): $39
- Roundtrip Private Transfer from Tijuana Airport (TIJ): $77
- San Diego Airport (SAN) to Hot Springs/Ocotillo, CA - Arrival Private Transfer: $66
Is it cheaper to fly into Cairo or San Diego?
Prices for flights to both San Diego 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 $18San Diego $77
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 Nile cruise with belly dancer show on Nile river: $5.00
- Great tour toThe Grand Museum of Giza and Nile River DinnerCruise: $5.00
- Quad Bike ATV ,Camel Ride ,Nile Dinner Cruise Belly dancer show: $7.00
- Cairo Food Tour with Nile Felucca Ride : $7.00
- Private Nile Cruise with Dinner and Folk Show from Cairo: $7.50
- Night Dinner Nile cruise with belly dancer and folklore show: $8.00
- night-tour Nile dinner cruise with open buffet and belly dancer: $8.00
- Local Oriental Food Tour from Cairo or Giza hotels: $9.00
- Cairo Dinner Cruise show with belly dancer show on Nile river: $9.00
- Cairo Food Tour in local places & Egyptian Mint Tea: $9.00
- food tour private tour from cairo or giza hotel: $9.00
- Giza pyramids,Sphinx,ATV bike,Camel ride,Dinner cruise& shopping: $9.00
Typical Food Prices in San Diego
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to San Diego:
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Mexican Lunch for Two$27
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Breakfast at Starbucks$20
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Diego
For San Diego, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- 2-Hour Ravioli Cooking Class With Local Chef: $75
- 2 Hour Ravioli Cooking Class With Local Chef in San Diego : $75
- 2-Hour Pasta Cooking Class at a Local Brewery: $75
- Pizza and Ice Cream Walking Tour: $80
- Old Town Tequila and Tacos Walking Food Tour: $84
- San Diego Donut Adventure & Walking Food Tour with Tastings: $85
- North Park San Diego Walking Food Tour: $85
- Vegan Food Tour: $89
- Gaslamp Quarter Food Tour: $89
- Little Italy Food and Drink Walking Tour: Pizza, Pasta & Piazzas: $90
- Christmas Day Buffet Brunch or Dinner Cruise: $95
- Christmas Eve Buffet Brunch or Dinner Cruise: $95
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cairo $9.09San Diego $48
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$6.47
Tours and Activities in Cairo
Here are a few actual costs in Cairo for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 1 Day Private Tour in Cairo and Giza: $90
- 2 Days in Cairo & Giza Private Tour : $80
- 2-Day Ancient Egypt Tour with Pyramids and Museums: $253
- 2-Day Tour Ancient Egypt and Old Cairo Highlights Tour: $290
- 2-Days Tour at Cairo & Giza: $86
- 2-Days Tours at Cairo & Giza : $143
- 3 Days Private Tour in Giza, Cairo, and Alexandria: $70
- 8-Hour Private Tour Giza Pyramids, Egyptian Museum and local Bazaars: $14
- Alexandria Private Day Tour From Cairo: $95
- Alexandria day tour : $75
- All Inclusive 2-Day Private Tour to All Pyramids and Cairo and 2 evenings: $299
- All Inclusive Full-Day Tour to Pyramids, Museum, mosque and Felucca: $39
Typical Entertainment Prices in San Diego
For San Diego, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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San Diego Zoo$15
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Sea World Parking$12
Tours and Activities in San Diego
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for San Diego.
- Self-guided Bike Tour App - Audio + Written: $5.00
- Self-Guided San Diego Walking or Bicycle Tour App: $5.00
- Pies & Pickaxes: A Historic Walking Tour of Julian, CA: $7.99
- Tijuana Downtown Self Guided Walking Tour: $9.75
- A Seaside Stroll: La Jolla's Hidden Treasures Self-Guided Tour: $9.99
- Discover San Diego’s Little Italy on a Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.99
- Sights of San Diego Harbor: a Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $11
- San Diego Natural History Museum Ticket: $12
- Whaley House Museum Self-Guided Tour: $14
- Scavenger Hunt Adventure in San Diego by Zombie Scavengers: $20
- Private Walking Tour and Gaslamp Adventure in San Diego: $20
- Ultimate La Jolla Self-Guided Driving & Walking Audio Tour Bundle: $21
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCairo $1.48San Diego $21
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: $70
Sample the Local Flavors in San Diego
Also in San Diego, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt: Slammin' San Diego Bar Crawl: $13
- Downtown Bar Crawl Party Pass: $25
- History Tour Pub Crawl of Famous Gaslamp Quarter: $30
- Hillcrest: LGBTQ+ Pub Crawl with Local Drag Queen: $35
- Hillcrest Drag Queen 5 Bar Crawl with Shots: $45
- Brewery Tour with Tastings and Food Pairings: $85
- $99 Valle de Guadalupe Wine Tours - DayTrip to baja from San Diego: $123
- Little Italy Wine Tasting Walking Tour: $125
- Cruise & Booze Brewery tours : $149
- Baja Tour Guide wine tour: $169
- Valle de Guadalupe Wine Tour: $249
- Luxury Private Wine Tasting Tour to Guadalupe Valley from San Diego: $269
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cairo and San Diego, we can see that San Diego 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 San Diego is in North America, 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 San Diego would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in San Diego 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 San Diego Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Cairo or San Diego?
Cairo has a larger population, and is about 6 times larger than the population of San Diego. When comparing the sizes of Cairo and San Diego, 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 San Diego?
San Diego 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 San Diego in the Summer?
Both San Diego and Cairo during the summer are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to Cairo because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year. Furthermore, many travelers come to San Diego for the beaches, snorkeling, the hiking, the city activities, the music scene, and the family-friendly experiences.
In the summer, Cairo is a little warmer than San Diego. Typically, the summer temperatures in Cairo in July average around 28°C (82°F), and San Diego averages at about 71°F (22°C).
In San Diego, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Cairo. In the summer, Cairo often gets more sunshine than San Diego. Cairo gets 350 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while San Diego receives 306 hours of full sun.
Cairo usually gets around the same amount of rain in July as San Diego. Cairo gets 1 mm (0 in) of rain, while San Diego receives 0 inches (1 mm) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyCairo 28°C (82°F)San Diego 71°F (22°C)
Should I visit Cairo or San Diego in the Autumn?
The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Cairo and San Diego. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Cairo year-round. Furthermore, many visitors come to San Diego in the autumn for the hiking trails, the city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, the music scene, and the natural beauty of the area.
In October, Cairo is generally a little warmer than San Diego. Daily temperatures in Cairo average around 23°C (73°F), and San Diego fluctuates around 68°F (20°C).
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in San Diego this time of the year. In Cairo, it's very sunny this time of the year. Cairo usually receives more sunshine than San Diego during autumn. Cairo gets 290 hours of sunny skies, while San Diego receives 244 hours of full sun in the autumn.
In October, Cairo usually receives less rain than San Diego. Cairo gets 5 mm (0.2 in) of rain, while San Diego receives 0.4 inches (9 mm) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberCairo 23°C (73°F)San Diego 68°F (20°C)
Should I visit Cairo or San Diego in the Winter?
The winter brings many poeple to Cairo as well as San Diego. Cairo attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate. Additionally, most visitors come to San Diego for the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine during these months.
Cairo is around the same temperature as San Diego in the winter. The daily temperature in Cairo averages around 14°C (57°F) in January, and San Diego fluctuates around 57°F (14°C).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in San Diego. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Cairo this time of the year. In the winter, Cairo often gets less sunshine than San Diego. Cairo gets 221 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while San Diego receives 239 hours of full sun.
Cairo usually gets less rain in January than San Diego. Cairo gets 15 mm (0.6 in) of rain, while San Diego receives 1.8 inches (46 mm) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryCairo 14°C (57°F)San Diego 57°F (14°C)
Should I visit Cairo or San Diego in the Spring?
Both San Diego and Cairo are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Cairo throughout the year. Also, the spring months attract visitors to San Diego because of the beaches, the activities around the city, and the natural beauty.
In the spring, Cairo is a little warmer than San Diego. Typically, the spring temperatures in Cairo in April average around 21°C (70°F), and San Diego averages at about 62°F (17°C).
It's quite sunny in San Diego. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Cairo. Cairo usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as San Diego during spring. Cairo gets 276 hours of sunny skies, while San Diego receives 277 hours of full sun in the spring.
In April, Cairo usually receives less rain than San Diego. Cairo gets 7 mm (0.3 in) of rain, while San Diego receives 0.8 inches (20 mm) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilCairo 21°C (70°F)San Diego 62°F (17°C)
Typical Weather for San Diego and Cairo
| Cairo | San Diego | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 14°C (57°F) | 15 mm (0.6 in) | 57°F (14°C) | 1.8 inches (46 mm) |
| Feb | 14°C (57°F) | 4 mm (0.2 in) | 59°F (15°C) | 1.5 inches (39 mm) |
| Mar | 17°C (63°F) | 8 mm (0.3 in) | 59°F (15°C) | 1.8 inches (45 mm) |
| Apr | 21°C (70°F) | 7 mm (0.3 in) | 62°F (17°C) | 0.8 inches (20 mm) |
| May | 25°C (77°F) | 0 mm (0 in) | 64°F (18°C) | 0.2 inches (5 mm) |
| Jun | 27°C (81°F) | 0 mm (0 in) | 67°F (19°C) | 0.1 inches (2 mm) |
| Jul | 28°C (82°F) | 1 mm (0 in) | 71°F (22°C) | 0 inches (1 mm) |
| Aug | 28°C (82°F) | 0 mm (0 in) | 73°F (23°C) | 0.1 inches (3 mm) |
| Sep | 26°C (79°F) | 5 mm (0.2 in) | 71°F (22°C) | 0.2 inches (6 mm) |
| Oct | 23°C (73°F) | 5 mm (0.2 in) | 68°F (20°C) | 0.4 inches (9 mm) |
| Nov | 19°C (66°F) | 1 mm (0 in) | 62°F (17°C) | 1.5 inches (37 mm) |
| Dec | 15°C (59°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) | 57°F (14°C) | 1.6 inches (40 mm) |
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.