A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Cairo vs. Zagora for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Cairo or Zagora?

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 Zagora 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 Zagora?

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.

Zagora

A small town in southern Morocco, Zagora is a popular base camp for excursions on foot, by camel, or four wheel drive vehicles into the surrounding desert. One of the most famous and historic treks is the ancient caravan route to Timbuktu, marked by a famous sign at the end of town - indicating a journey of "52 days" by camel.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Egypt, The Best Historical Tours in Egypt, The Best Adventure Tours to Morocco, and The Best Cultural Tours in Morocco.


Which place is cheaper, Zagora or Cairo?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Cairo is $17, while the average daily cost in Zagora is $50. 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 Zagora in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Cairo $9.36
    Zagora $36
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Cairo $19
    Zagora $72
Compare Hotels in Cairo and Zagora

Looking for a hotel in Cairo or Zagora? 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.

Hotels in Cairo


Hotels in Zagora


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 Zagora Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Cairo $2.99
    Zagora $1.42
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Cairo

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Cairo are as follows:


  • Metro Ride
    $0.08
  • Taxi Ride
    $0.32

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cairo

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cairo:

  • Private Departure Transfer from Cairo or Giza Hotels to Cairo Airport: $5.00
  • Private transfer from Cairo Airport to the hotel in Cairo or Giza: $9.00
  • Private Transfer to Cairo and Giza from Cairo Airport: $9.00
  • Private Arrival or Departure Cairo Airport Transfer: $9.50
  • Private transfer from Cairo Airport to Hotel Royal: $9.60
  • Private transfer from Cairo Airport to Novotel Cairo El Borg: $9.60
  • Private Pickup transfer from InterContinental Cairo Citystars to Cairo airport: $9.60
  • Private Pickup transfer from Marriott Mena House, Cairo to Cairo airport: $9.60
  • Private transfer from Cairo Airport to InterContinental Cairo Citystars: $9.60
  • Private Pickup transfer from Royal Maxim Palace Kempinski to Cairo airport: $9.60
  • Private Pickup transfer from Novotel Cairo El Borg to Cairo airport: $9.60
  • Private Pickup transfer from Osiris Hotel to Cairo airport: $9.60

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Zagora

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Zagora:

  • Airport Private Transfer: $35

Is it cheaper to fly into Cairo or Zagora?

Prices for flights to both Zagora 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Cairo $4.75
    Zagora $13
Typical Food Prices in Cairo

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Cairo:


  • 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, Belly Dancer Show With Pickup Service: $8.78
  • Cairo/Giza: Nile Sunset, Dinner Cruise, Show & Private Transfer : $9.63
  • Dinner Cruise on the Nile River: $12
  • Nile Sunset, Dinner Cruise, Show and Private Transfer: $15
  • VIP tour Giza pyramids ,Sphinx, Quad bike ,Camel, Dinner cruise : $19
  • Private Expert tour Giza Pyramids ,Sphinx ,Nile Dinner Cruise & Belly Dancer: $19
  • Giza Pyramids, Camel Ride, Quad Bike, Night and Dinner Cruise on Nile: $19
  • food tour private tour from cairo or giza hotel: $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

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Cairo $5.75
    Zagora $2.85
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cairo

Here are a few typical costs in Cairo for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:


  • Entry to Camel Market for Two
    $0.84
  • 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:

  • Dahshur Pyramids Entry Tickets: $4.27
  • Baron Palace Entry Tickets : $4.60
  • Cairo Shopping tour Private Papyrus Essential oils Bazar Cotton : $4.70
  • Prince Mohamed Ali Palace Entry Ticket: $4.80
  • All Inclusive Tour to Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Memphis, and Saqqara: $5.00
  • 3-Hour Private Tour of Papyrus and Perfumes in Ancient Egypt: $5.00
  • New Grand Egyptian Museum Tour with optional the pyramids tour..: $5.00
  • Mosque and Madrasa of Sultan Hasan Entry Ticket: $5.10
  • Baron Empain Palace Entry Tickets: $5.15
  • Cairo Shopping Tour.: $7.00
  • Baron Palace Skip the line Access Entry Tickets: $7.08
  • El Sultan Hassan Mosque Entry Ticket: $7.08

Tours and Activities in Zagora

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Zagora are as follows:

  • 2 Days Tour to Zagora Desert with sunset from Marrakech: $82
  • Marrakech: 2-Day Sahara Desert Tour Zagora & BenHaddou: $111
  • 2 days tour from Zagora to Erg Chegaga: $136
  • Zagora to Erg chigaga desert tour & 4x4 (All-inclusive) 2-Days: $164
  • Zagora to Erg chigaga desert tour & 4x4 (All-inclusive) 2-Days: $164
  • Private Day Camel Trekking Tour in Draa Valley from Zagora: $214
  • From 2-Day Desert Tour to Erg Chegaga: $287
  • From Agadir or Taghazout: 2-Day Sahara Desert Tour to Zagora: $352
  • From Agadir or Taghazout: 2-Day Sahara Desert Tour to Zagora: $352
  • From Agadir or Taghazout: 2-Day Sahara Desert Tour to Zagora: $374
  • From Agadir 4 Days 3 night Désert Tours to Marrakech: $1,321

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Cairo $1.17
    Zagora -

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: $59


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cairo and Zagora, we can see that Zagora is more expensive. And not only is Cairo much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. 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 Zagora would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Zagora 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 Zagora Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Cairo or Zagora?

Cairo has a larger population, and is about 220 times larger than the population of Zagora. When comparing the sizes of Cairo and Zagora, 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.