Which place is cheaper, Thessaloniki or Cairo?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Cairo or Thessaloniki?
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 Thessaloniki 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 Thessaloniki?
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.
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece and serves as the capital city of the Central Macedonia region. It also has a rich history dating back more than 3,000 years. As a visitor, you'll find that the city has been touched by the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman empires, all of which left their mark. In particular, the many Byzantine churches are quite impressive, with some of them listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Egypt, The Best Historical Tours in Egypt, The Best Tours for Seniors to Greece, and The Best Contiki Tours to Greece.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCairo $17Thessaloniki $144
The average daily cost (per person) in Cairo is $17, while the average daily cost in Thessaloniki is $144. 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 Thessaloniki in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCairo $9.36Thessaloniki $85
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCairo $19Thessaloniki $170
Compare Hotels in Cairo and Thessaloniki
Looking for a hotel in Cairo or Thessaloniki? 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 Thessaloniki Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cairo $2.99Thessaloniki $14
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:
- transfer from Cairo airport to the hotel in Cairo or Giza: $20
- private transfer from or to cairo international Airport: $15
- private tour to Abusimble transfer to Luxor and visiting Edfu : $175
- VIP Meet and Assist at Cairo Airport with Private Hotel Transfer: $35
- Two-Day Private City Tour of Cairo, Giza Pyramids and Saqqara+Airport Transfer: $220
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Cairo HTL-APT (CAI): $33
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Cairo APT-HTL (CAI): $33
- Transfer your private departure from your hotel to Cairo Airport: $20
- Transfer from Hurghada to Luxor (sharing ): $109
- Transfer from Hurghada to Cairo by van : $235
- Transfer from Cairo to Ain El Sokhna : $70
- Transfer from Cairo or Giza Hotels to Cairo Airport: $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Thessaloniki
Also for Thessaloniki, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- From Private Day Trip to Meteora with Transfer: $428
- One Way Private Transfer SKG Airport to / from Thessaloniki City Center: $24
- Private Transfer from Kavala to Sofia (SOF) Airport: $237
- Private Transfer from Thessaloniki Airport to Ammon Zeus Hotel : $109
- Private Transfer from Thessaloniki Airport to Sani Resort: $109
- Private Transfer from Thessaloniki Airport to Thessaloniki Port: $41
- Private Transfer from Thessaloniki hotels to Thessaloniki Port: $41
- Private Transfer from Thessaloniki to Sofia (SOF) Airport: $254
- Private Transfer to Thessaloniki Airport from Thessaloniki City: $120
- Private transfer to IKOS OLIVIA: $87
- Thessaloniki Airport (SKG) to Thessaloniki - Arrival Transfer: $21
- Thessaloniki Airport (SKG): Transfer to Thessaloniki Port: $142
Is it cheaper to fly into Cairo or Thessaloniki?
Prices for flights to both Thessaloniki 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 $4.75Thessaloniki $45
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 Thessaloniki
For Thessaloniki, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Open Market Food Tour with Tasting: $48
- Walking Open Market Food Tour and Tasting: $49
- Cooking & Dining Experience with Greek Family: $63
- Guided Food Tour: $70
- Food Tour in Thessaloniki: $71
- Private Walking Tour Gastronomic Food Tour in Thessaloniki: $87
- Traditional Greek Food Tour With A Local: $95
- Greek Ouzo and Meze Food Tour: $95
- Greek Cooking Class, Market Visit and Lunch: $95
- Traditional Greek Food Tour With A Local: $97
- Greek Ouzo and Meze Food Tour: $97
- Greek Cooking Class, Market visit and Lunch: $97
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cairo $5.75Thessaloniki $28
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:
- ( 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-Days Tour at Cairo & Giza: $86
- 3-Day Private Tour in Cairo : $196
- 3-Day Tour at Cairo & Giza : $200
- 3-Days Tour at Cairo (Customized Package): $229
- 4-Day Tours at Cairo & Giza & Alexandria: $209
- 8-Hour Private Tour Giza Pyramids, Egyptian Museum and local Bazaars: $26
- 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 Thessaloniki
For Thessaloniki, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.21
- Escape Game and Tour: $6.95
- Self-Guided Highlights Scavenger Hunt & Tour: $6.95
- White Tower Self-Guided Audio Tour: $8.54
- Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour & Narrative: $11
- Selfie Museum Entry Ticket: $11
- Self-Guided Game & Tour: $12
- Museum of Illusions Admission Ticket: $12
- Thessaloniki Self-Guided Game & Tour: $12
- Byzantine Museum E-Ticket with Audio Tour: $13
- E-ticket to Museum of Byzantine Culture with Audio Tour : $13
- Thessaloniki Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing Bus Tour: $17
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCairo $1.17Thessaloniki $16
Sample the Local Flavors in Thessaloniki
Also in Thessaloniki, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Friday Night Bar Crawl in Thessaloniki: $25
- From Pella-Edessa wine tasting: $64
- Small-Group Wine Tasting Tour with Appetizers: $81
- Thessaloniki Small-Group Wine Tasting Tour with Appetizers: $83
- Winery Visit with Wine Tasting Experience: $91
- Wine Tasting Experience from Thessaloniki: $93
- Thessaloniki to Naoussa, Wine Tasting Tour – Private Day Trip: $207
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cairo and Thessaloniki, we can see that Thessaloniki 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 Thessaloniki 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 Thessaloniki would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Thessaloniki 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 Thessaloniki Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Cairo or Thessaloniki?
Cairo has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Thessaloniki. When comparing the sizes of Cairo and Thessaloniki, 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 Thessaloniki?
Thessaloniki 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 Thessaloniki in the Summer?
The summer brings many poeple to Cairo as well as Thessaloniki. Cairo attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate. Additionally, many visitors come to Thessaloniki in the summer for the beaches, the city activities, and the family-friendly experiences.
In the summer, Cairo is a little warmer than Thessaloniki. Typically, the summer temperatures in Cairo in July average around 28°C (82°F), and Thessaloniki averages at about 25°C (77°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Thessaloniki. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Cairo this time of the year. In the summer, Cairo often gets around the same amount of sunshine as Thessaloniki. Cairo gets 350 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Thessaloniki receives 327 hours of full sun.
Cairo usually gets less rain in July than Thessaloniki. Cairo gets 1 mm (0 in) of rain, while Thessaloniki receives 26 mm (1 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyCairo 28°C (82°F)Thessaloniki 25°C (77°F)
Should I visit Cairo or Thessaloniki in the Autumn?
Both Thessaloniki and Cairo are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Cairo throughout the year. Also, most visitors come to Thessaloniki for the city's sights and attractions and the shopping scene during these months.
In October, Cairo is generally a little warmer than Thessaloniki. Daily temperatures in Cairo average around 23°C (73°F), and Thessaloniki fluctuates around 16°C (61°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Cairo. Cairo usually receives more sunshine than Thessaloniki during autumn. Cairo gets 290 hours of sunny skies, while Thessaloniki receives 159 hours of full sun in the autumn.
In October, Cairo usually receives less rain than Thessaloniki. Cairo gets 5 mm (0.2 in) of rain, while Thessaloniki receives 41 mm (1.6 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberCairo 23°C (73°F)Thessaloniki 16°C (61°F)
Should I visit Cairo or Thessaloniki in the Winter?
Both Thessaloniki and Cairo during the winter 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 winter months attract visitors to Thessaloniki because of the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine.
Cairo is much warmer than Thessaloniki in the winter. The daily temperature in Cairo averages around 14°C (57°F) in January, and Thessaloniki fluctuates around 5°C (41°F).
It's quite sunny in Cairo. In the winter, Cairo often gets more sunshine than Thessaloniki. Cairo gets 221 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Thessaloniki receives 101 hours of full sun.
Cairo usually gets less rain in January than Thessaloniki. Cairo gets 15 mm (0.6 in) of rain, while Thessaloniki receives 37 mm (1.5 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryCairo 14°C (57°F)Thessaloniki 5°C (41°F)
Should I visit Cairo or Thessaloniki in the Spring?
The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Cairo and Thessaloniki. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Cairo year-round. Also, the beaches and the activities around the city are the main draw to Thessaloniki this time of year.
In the spring, Cairo is much warmer than Thessaloniki. Typically, the spring temperatures in Cairo in April average around 21°C (70°F), and Thessaloniki averages at about 13°C (56°F).
In Cairo, it's very sunny this time of the year. Cairo usually receives more sunshine than Thessaloniki during spring. Cairo gets 276 hours of sunny skies, while Thessaloniki receives 196 hours of full sun in the spring.
In April, Cairo usually receives less rain than Thessaloniki. Cairo gets 7 mm (0.3 in) of rain, while Thessaloniki receives 36 mm (1.4 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilCairo 21°C (70°F)Thessaloniki 13°C (56°F)
Typical Weather for Thessaloniki and Cairo
| Cairo | Thessaloniki | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 14°C (57°F) | 15 mm (0.6 in) | 5°C (41°F) | 37 mm (1.5 in) |
| Feb | 14°C (57°F) | 4 mm (0.2 in) | 7°C (44°F) | 40 mm (1.6 in) |
| Mar | 17°C (63°F) | 8 mm (0.3 in) | 9°C (49°F) | 46 mm (1.8 in) |
| Apr | 21°C (70°F) | 7 mm (0.3 in) | 13°C (56°F) | 36 mm (1.4 in) |
| May | 25°C (77°F) | 0 mm (0 in) | 18°C (65°F) | 44 mm (1.7 in) |
| Jun | 27°C (81°F) | 0 mm (0 in) | 23°C (73°F) | 32 mm (1.3 in) |
| Jul | 28°C (82°F) | 1 mm (0 in) | 25°C (77°F) | 26 mm (1 in) |
| Aug | 28°C (82°F) | 0 mm (0 in) | 25°C (76°F) | 21 mm (0.8 in) |
| Sep | 26°C (79°F) | 5 mm (0.2 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 26 mm (1 in) |
| Oct | 23°C (73°F) | 5 mm (0.2 in) | 16°C (61°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) |
| Nov | 19°C (66°F) | 1 mm (0 in) | 11°C (52°F) | 58 mm (2.3 in) |
| Dec | 15°C (59°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) | 7°C (44°F) | 53 mm (2.1 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.