Which place is cheaper, San Francisco or Cairo?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Cairo or San Francisco?
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 Francisco 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 Francisco?
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 Francisco
San Francisco is a beautiful city that is famous for it's picturesque neighborhoods, liberal character, and stunning location on the bay. Some people describe San Francisco as the United State's most "European City." This title most likely comes from its compact development and its easy walkability. It also has no shortage of parks and public spaces where you can pass some time. The city sits on the end of a peninsula and offers stunning views of the blue bay, rolling green hills, and the striking Golden Gate Bridge.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Egypt, The Best Historical Tours in Egypt, The Best Wildlife Tours to United States of America, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in United States of America.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCairo $17San Francisco $222
The average daily cost (per person) in Cairo is $17, while the average daily cost in San Francisco is $222. 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 Francisco in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCairo $9.27San Francisco $130
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCairo $19San Francisco $260
Compare Hotels in Cairo and San Francisco
Looking for a hotel in Cairo or San Francisco? 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 Francisco Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cairo $2.96San Francisco $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$0.31
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cairo
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cairo:
- From Private Day Trip to Luxor w/ Transfer & Flights: $659
- 3 Private Full-Day Tours to Cairo Top Attractions+One Airport Transfer: $300
- Cairo - Sharm El Sheikh: One-Way or Return Private Transfer: $290
- Full-Day Private Trip to Fayoum from Cairo, with Transfer: $286
- 2 Days and 2 Evenings Private Tour in Cairo include airport transfer and M&A: $280
- 2 Days Private Guided Tours of Cairo and Giza with Free Cairo Airport Transfers: $280
- From One-Way Private Transfer To Luxor: $275
- 2-Day-One night Camping Tour in The Bahariya Oasis with Private Transfer: $274
- Private Pickup Transfers From Cairo To Dahab: $260
- Cairo : Marvel the Camping in the White & Black Deserts & Cairo Private Transfer: $250
- Private 3 Days in Giza Cairo and Alexandria including Free airport transfers: $250
- Cairo To El Gouna Private Transfer: $248
Typical Local Transportation Prices in San Francisco
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in San Francisco:
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Taxi to SFO$45
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Golden Gate Bridge Toll$6.00
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Alcatraz Tour$30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Francisco
Also for San Francisco, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Luxury Transfer in San Francisco: $130
- Airport Transfer: San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to San Francisco: $107
- Arrival Private Transfer SFO Airport to San Francisco City by SUV: $245
- Arrival Private Transfer: Airport SFO to San Francisco in Business Car: $108
- Arrival Private Transfer: Airport SFO to San Francisco in Luxury Car: $169
- Arrival Private Transfer: Airport SFO to San Francisco in Luxury SUV: $141
- Arrival Private Transfer: Airport SFO to San Francisco in Luxury Van: $125
- Arrival Transfer San Francisco Pier to San Francisco City by SUV: $177
- Carmel 1-Way Transfer to/from San Francisco Airport: $535
- Cruise Terminal to San Francisco Airport (SFO) - Departure Private Transfer: $183
- Departure Private Transfer San Francisco to SFO Airport by Sedan: $152
- Departure Private Transfer San Francisco to SFO Airport in a SUV: $203
Is it cheaper to fly into Cairo or San Francisco?
Prices for flights to both San Francisco 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 $4.70San Francisco $46
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 Dinner Cruise, Belly Dancer Show With Pickup Service: $11
- Dinner Cruise on the Nile River: $13
- Nile Sunset, Dinner Cruise, Show and Private Transfer: $16
- 2-Hour Nile River Night Dinner Cruise from Cairo: $16
- Super Safari Quad Bike Jeep Safari Buggy and Dinner in Hurghada: $18
- Private Expert tour Giza Pyramids ,Sphinx ,Nile Dinner Cruise & Belly Dancer: $19
- food tour private tour from cairo or giza hotel: $19
- Dinner Cruise Cairo With Belly Dancer Show in The Nile River: $20
- Giza Pyramids, Camel Ride, ATV, shopping Tour and Dinner cruise: $20
- Giza pyramids and Nile dinner cruise private tour from Cairo Giza hotels: $22
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Francisco
For San Francisco, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- San Francisco Virtual Food Tour with Local Guide: $19
- North Beach and Little Italy Food Tour: $79
- Buffet Lunch or Dinner Cruise on the Bay: $82
- Secret Food Tours San Francisco: $84
- Mission District Food Tour with Tastings: $85
- Farmers' Market & Ferry Building Food Tour: $87
- San Francisco North Beach and Chinatown - Secret Food Tours: $89
- San Francisco Chinatown Food Tour: $89
- San Francisco Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $89
- San Francisco North Beach Food Tour: $89
- Mission District Walking Food Tour: $89
- Chinatown Walking Food Tour: $89
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cairo $5.69San Francisco $46
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$6.43
Tours and Activities in Cairo
Here are a few actual costs in Cairo for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- ( Stopover Tour Of Cairo ) Private All Inc.Pyramids,Camel Ride,Museum& Lunch: $180
- 2 Days 1 Nights Tour package to Saint-Catherine from Cairo : $300
- 2-Day Ancient Egypt Tour with Pyramids and Museums: $219
- 2-Day Private Tour of Cairo with Accommodation and Entrance Fees: $165
- 2-Days Tour at Cairo & Giza: $86
- 2-Days Tours at Cairo & Giza : $143
- 3-Day Cairo Top Attractions Exploration Tour: $180
- 3-Day Private Tour in Cairo : $196
- 3-Days Tour at Cairo (Customized Package): $229
- 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: $79
- All Inclusive day tour to Giza pyramids, Egyptian museum and Felucca : $88
Tours and Activities in San Francisco
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for San Francisco.
- Golden Gate Bridge: Self-guided Tour App - Audio + Written: $5.00
- Self-Guided Golden Gate Bridge Bike or Walking App Tour: $5.00
- Embarcadero Self-Guided Audio Smartphone Tour: $5.99
- Self Guided Chinatown Tour: Food, History and Culture: $5.99
- Leave your heart at the Wharf: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.99
- San Francisco’s Chinatown on foot: A Self Guided Audio Tour: $5.99
- San Francisco's Barbary Past: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.99
- San Francisco self-guided tour App - multilingual AudioGuide: $6.46
- Food, History, and Resistance: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.99
- Self-Guided Audio Tour of Japantown & Stories: $6.99
- The Ghosts of San Francisco Haunted Audio App Walking Tour: $6.99
- Ghosts & Hauntings Audio App Walking Tour: $6.99
For more ideas for your next trip, check out The Best Museums in San Francisco, The Best Outdoor Activities in San Francisco, and Things to Do In San Francisco on a Rainy Day.
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCairo $1.16San Francisco $22
Sample the Local Flavors in San Francisco
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in San Francisco:
- Chinatown San Francisco’s Bar Crawl: An Audio Tour: $4.99
- SF Pub Crawl and Clubbing Experience: $27
- Ghosts, Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $35
- San Francisco Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl : $35
- Walk with Spirits: A Haunted Pub Crawl in San Francisco: $45
- 2 to 3 Hour Bar Crawl in Castro San Francisco: $49
- Wine Tasting on the Bay: $85
- Private Wine Tour Napa or Sonoma from $99 per person up to 7 & Concierge Service: $99
- Small Group: Ultimate Napa and Sonoma Wine Tour- San Francisco: $109
- Small Group: The Ultimate Napa & Sonoma Wine Tour: $109
- Big Bus Napa and Sonoma Valley Wine Tour: $125
- Half-Day Wine Country Tour with Wine Tastings: $126
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cairo and San Francisco, we can see that San Francisco 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 Francisco 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 Francisco would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in San Francisco 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 Francisco Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Cairo or San Francisco?
Cairo has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of San Francisco. When comparing the sizes of Cairo and San Francisco, 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 Francisco?
San Francisco 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 Francisco in the Summer?
Both San Francisco 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. Also, the summer months attract visitors to San Francisco because of the beaches, the hiking, the city activities, the music scene, and the family-friendly experiences.
In July, Cairo is generally much warmer than San Francisco. Daily temperatures in Cairo average around 28°C (82°F), and San Francisco fluctuates around 63°F (17°C).
Cairo usually gets less rain in July than San Francisco. Cairo gets 1 mm (0 in) of rain, while San Francisco receives 0.1 inches (2 mm) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyCairo 28°C (82°F)San Francisco 63°F (17°C)
Should I visit Cairo or San Francisco in the Autumn?
The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Cairo and San Francisco. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Cairo year-round. Also, the hiking trails, the city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, the music scene, and the natural beauty of the area are the main draw to San Francisco this time of year.
Cairo is a little warmer than San Francisco in the autumn. The daily temperature in Cairo averages around 23°C (73°F) in October, and San Francisco fluctuates around 63°F (17°C).
In October, Cairo usually receives less rain than San Francisco. Cairo gets 5 mm (0.2 in) of rain, while San Francisco receives 1.3 inches (33 mm) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberCairo 23°C (73°F)San Francisco 63°F (17°C)
Should I visit Cairo or San Francisco in the Winter?
The winter brings many poeple to Cairo as well as San Francisco. Cairo attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate. Also, many travelers come to San Francisco for the museums, the shopping scene, the theater shows, and the cuisine.
In the winter, Cairo is a little warmer than San Francisco. Typically, the winter temperatures in Cairo in January average around 14°C (57°F), and San Francisco averages at about 50°F (10°C).
Cairo usually gets less rain in January than San Francisco. Cairo gets 15 mm (0.6 in) of rain, while San Francisco receives 3.8 inches (96 mm) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryCairo 14°C (57°F)San Francisco 50°F (10°C)
Should I visit Cairo or San Francisco in the Spring?
Both San Francisco 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, many visitors come to San Francisco in the spring for the beaches, the activities around the city, and the natural beauty.
In April, Cairo is generally a little warmer than San Francisco. Daily temperatures in Cairo average around 21°C (70°F), and San Francisco fluctuates around 58°F (14°C).
In April, Cairo usually receives less rain than San Francisco. Cairo gets 7 mm (0.3 in) of rain, while San Francisco receives 1.2 inches (31 mm) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilCairo 21°C (70°F)San Francisco 58°F (14°C)
Typical Weather for San Francisco and Cairo
| Cairo | San Francisco | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 14°C (57°F) | 15 mm (0.6 in) | 50°F (10°C) | 3.8 inches (96 mm) |
| Feb | 14°C (57°F) | 4 mm (0.2 in) | 54°F (12°C) | 2.7 inches (69 mm) |
| Mar | 17°C (63°F) | 8 mm (0.3 in) | 56°F (13°C) | 2.7 inches (69 mm) |
| Apr | 21°C (70°F) | 7 mm (0.3 in) | 58°F (14°C) | 1.2 inches (31 mm) |
| May | 25°C (77°F) | 0 mm (0 in) | 60°F (15°C) | 0.2 inches (5 mm) |
| Jun | 27°C (81°F) | 0 mm (0 in) | 62°F (17°C) | 0.1 inches (3 mm) |
| Jul | 28°C (82°F) | 1 mm (0 in) | 63°F (17°C) | 0.1 inches (2 mm) |
| Aug | 28°C (82°F) | 0 mm (0 in) | 64°F (18°C) | 0.1 inches (1 mm) |
| Sep | 26°C (79°F) | 5 mm (0.2 in) | 66°F (19°C) | 0.3 inches (7 mm) |
| Oct | 23°C (73°F) | 5 mm (0.2 in) | 63°F (17°C) | 1.3 inches (33 mm) |
| Nov | 19°C (66°F) | 1 mm (0 in) | 57°F (14°C) | 2.8 inches (71 mm) |
| Dec | 15°C (59°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) | 51°F (11°C) | 2.7 inches (68 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.