Which place is cheaper, Varanasi 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 Varanasi?
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 Varanasi 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 Varanasi?
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.
Varanasi
Known to be one of India's holiest cities, many come to Varanasi on a spiritual pilgrimage looking to bathe in the sacred waters of the Ganges River. Dating back to the 11th Century BC, it is also one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Centuries old temples make up the backdrop, as many come and come again to perform their holy rights at the edge of the historic river.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Egypt, The Best Historical Tours in Egypt, The Best Bicycle Tours in India, and Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in India.
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Cairo Prices
Egypt PricesVaranasi Prices
India Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCairo $29Varanasi $31
The average daily cost (per person) in Cairo is $29, while the average daily cost in Varanasi is $31. 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 Varanasi in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCairo $9.74Varanasi $14
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCairo $19Varanasi $28
Compare Hotels in Cairo and Varanasi
Looking for a hotel in Cairo or Varanasi? 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 Varanasi Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cairo $3.28Varanasi $4.35
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Cairo
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Cairo are as follows:
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Metro Ride$0.07
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Taxi Ride$0.27
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cairo
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cairo:
- transfer from Cairo airport, Cairo & Giza hotels to Alexandria: $55
- private Airport Transfer from any destination in Cairo or Giza: $35
- Visit Mall of Egypt with Hotel Transfer: $47
- VIP Private Cairo Airport Transfer To Or From Cairo , Giza Hotels: $15
- VIP Meet and assist with transfer from Cairo and SPX Airport: $10
- VIP Meet and Assist in Cairo Airport with Private Transfer to Cairo Hotels: $49
- VIP Meet and Assist at Cairo Airport with Private Hotel Transfer: $35
- VIP Luxury Airport Transfer: Mercedes E-Class Meet & Greet: $50
- VIP Ain Sokhna Red Sea Day Trip from Cairo with Private Transfer: $90
- Two-Day Private City Tour of Cairo, Giza Pyramids and Saqqara+Airport Transfer: $220
- Transfers From Cairo Airport: $13
- Transfer your private departure from your hotel to Cairo Airport: $20
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Varanasi
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Varanasi:
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Tuk Tuk Through Town$0.84
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Rickshaw Ride$0.53
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Varanasi
Also for Varanasi, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- 3-hours Temple hopping with transfers: $35
- Private Transfer: Varanasi Station to Hotel: $10
- Private transfer from Varanasi to Allahabad: $67
- Smooth transfer from Varanasi Airport to Hotel: $60
- Varanasi Airport : Transfer To Hotel / To Airport: $21
- Varanasi Airport : Transfer to Hotel / To Airport: $13
- Varanasi Airport to Varanasi Hotels drop: Private Transfers: $11
- Varanasi Airport to Varanasi Hotels drop: Private Transfers: $11
- Varanasi Hotels to Varanasi Airport drop: Private Transfers: $11
- Airport Pickup/Drop Transfer Service: $53
- Sarnath Tour with Guide & Car Including Hotel transfers: $70
- Sarnath Tour with Guide & Car Including transfers: $77
Is it cheaper to fly into Cairo or Varanasi?
Prices for flights to both Varanasi 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 $15Varanasi $11
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.
- Giza Pyramids Sphinx , ATV, camel ride Plus Nile Dinner Cruise: $3.00
- Giza Pyramids,Sphinx,Camel Ride,ATV Bike,Shopping, Dinner cruise: $4.50
- Night Dinner Nile cruise with belly dancer and folklore show: $7.00
- Quad Bike ATV ,Camel Ride ,Nile Dinner Cruise Belly dancer show: $7.00
- Cairo Dinner Nile Cruise with Belly Dancer Show on Nile River: $7.00
- Giza Pyramids Sphinx and Nile River Dinner Cruise Cairo Tour: $7.20
- Cairo Dinner Cruise in Nile River With Belly Dancer & Tanora show: $8.00
- Food Tour Private Tour from Cairo or Giza Hotel: $8.00
- Cairo Dinner Cruise show with belly dancer show on Nile river: $8.00
- Private Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Quad Bike, Camel Ride, Nile Dinner Cruise: $8.00
- Cairo Food Tour – Discover Hidden Downtown Gems: $8.00
- Giza Pyramids,Sphinx,Camel Ride,ATV Bike,Shopping,Dinner cruiseII: $8.00
Typical Food Prices in Varanasi
For Varanasi, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Dinner In Town$3.63
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Varanasi
For Varanasi, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Food Tour: Highlights Tour with Tasting &Sunset in Varanasi: $14
- Cooking Class with Sona: $29
- Night Boat Ride, Aarti Ceremony and Dinner: $29
- Ganga Aarti with Street Food Tour of Varanasi: $40
- Half-Day Varanasi Village Tour with Cooking Class & Local Dining: $40
- Varanasi Cooking Classes with Shobha: $40
- Traditional Indian Cooking Class with Dinner: $42
- Private Street Food Tour with 8+ Tastings & Pickup: $44
- Private Food Tour with Ganga Aarti Ceremony: $44
- Varanasi Cooking Classes with Indu and Shobha: $50
- Dashashwamedh Ganga Arati from balcony with Street Food Tour: $50
- Indian Cooking Class with Hotel Pickup: $52
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cairo $7.85Varanasi $9.24
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$0.73
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Egyptian Museum Entry for Two$5.59
Tours and Activities in Cairo
Here are a few actual costs in Cairo for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- “Cairo Private Tour: Giza Pyramids, Sphinx & GEM Museum”: $69
- ( Stopover Tour Of Cairo ) Private All Inc.Pyramids,Camel Ride,Museum& Lunch: $180
- (Egypt jewel) Day Tour To Giza Pyramids, Museum, Mosque &Felucca: $55
- 01 Day Tour to Alexandria from Cairo: $246
- 1 Day Private Tour from Hurghada to Cairo: $219
- 1 Day Private Tour to Alexandria from Cairo: $100
- 1 Day tour to Alexandria from Cairo: $30
- 1 Day tour to Giza pyramids Memphis city Dahshur and Saqqara pyramids: $15
- 1 Hour Adventure In The Nile River By Nile Taxi In Cairo: $60
- 1 Hour adventure in the Nile River By Nile Taxi In Cairo: $60
- 1-Hour Private Felucca Boat Tour on the Nile: $7.00
- 1-Hour Private Felucca Boat Tour on the Nile: $9.00
Typical Entertainment Prices in Varanasi
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Varanasi's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Boat Ride$0.74
Tours and Activities in Varanasi
For Varanasi, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Sunrise Boat Tour: $3.17
- Self Guided Walking Tour of Varanasi Key Attractions: $5.47
- Photo tour in holy Varanasi: $7.40
- Spiritual Tour in Varanasi with a local- Experience true essence of spirituality: $11
- Cultural & Spiritual Trails of Old Town Varanasi Guided Walking Tour: $11
- Temple Walk Tour Varanasi: $11
- Spiritual and Heritage Walking Tour in Varanasi: $11
- Private Customizable Walking Tour with Local Guide: $11
- Cycle of Life, Death & Rebirth (2 Hours Guided Walking Tour): $12
- Mysticism of Varanasi with Ganga Aarti (2 Hours Walking Tour): $12
- Varanasi Spiritual Trails: Guided Tour by Foot with a Local: $12
- Explore the Old Varanasi City: Guided Walking Tour on foot: $12
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCairo $1.28Varanasi $6.91
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: $69
- Cairo Pub Crawl and Speakeasy Bar Tour: $75
- Cairo Autumn Downtown Food & Bar Crawl with Drinks: $108
When comparing the travel costs between Cairo and Varanasi, we can see that Varanasi 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. Even though Cairo is in Africa and Varanasi is in Asia, both of these destinations have relatively similar prices of travel. Generally, the levels of luxury and expenses are the same for these cities even though they are geographically far apart.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Cairo Expensive? and Is Varanasi Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Cairo or Varanasi?
Cairo has a larger population, and is about 7 times larger than the population of Varanasi. When comparing the sizes of Cairo and Varanasi, 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.
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.