Which place is cheaper, Cairo or Kampala?
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 Kampala or Cairo?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Kampala or Cairo? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Kampala or Cairo?
Kampala
Kampala is the capital of Uganda in the South part of the country near Lake Victoria. It is the largest city in Uganda, with a population of over two million people. This city is very safe and the locals are known to be very kind and approachable.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Camping Tours in Uganda, The Best Safaris in Uganda, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Egypt, and The Best Historical Tours in Egypt.
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Kampala Prices
Uganda PricesCairo Prices
Egypt Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayKampala $65Cairo $29
The average daily cost (per person) in Kampala is $65, while the average daily cost in Cairo is $29. 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 Kampala and Cairo in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personKampala $50Cairo $9.74
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomKampala $100Cairo $19
Compare Hotels in Kampala and Cairo
Looking for a hotel in Kampala or Cairo? 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: Kampala Hotel Prices and Cairo Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Kampala $2.13Cairo $3.28
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Kampala
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Kampala are as follows:
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Taxi around town$3.41
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kampala
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Kampala:
- Airport Transfer from Entebbe to Kampala: $30
- Entebbe Airport pickup (Entebbe - Kampala) reliable 24/7 transfer: $48
- Entebbe Kampala Airport Transfer: $55
- Jinja 1 Day Source of River Nile Tour with Transfers: $250
- Private Airport & In-Country Transfers in Central Uganda: $60
- Private Airport Transfers in Uganda, by Globetrotters Africa: $69
- Private Entebbe Airport Transfer to Kampala Hotels: $80
- Private Transfer from Entebbe Airport (EBB) Uganda to Kampala: $78
- Private Transfer from Kampala to Entebbe Airport (EBB) Uganda: $78
- The best Half day Kampala City Tour with Transfers: $110
- Uganda Equator Line tour in Kayabwe with Lunch & transfers: $140
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:
- 01 way Private Transfer from Cairo Airport to Your Hotel in Cairo: $13
- 01 way Transfer from Cairo airport to your Hotel in Giza: $13
- 01 way Transfer from hotel in Cairo to Alexandria: $50
- 1 Hour ATV Quad Bike Ride At Giza Pyramids With Private Transfer: $30
- 1 Way Pick up transfer from Cairo to Hurghada by private Car: $80
- 1 way Private Pickup transfer from Le Meridien Heliopolis to Cairo airport: $18
- 2 Days Private Guided Tours of Cairo and Giza with Free Cairo Airport Transfers: $180
- 2 Private day tours in Giza pyramids and Cairo city with 2 airport Transfers: $155
- 2 Private days in Giza and Cairo including Free Transfer from Airport: $126
- 2-Day-One night Camping Tour in The Bahariya Oasis with Private Transfer: $274
- 2-Days Trip in Cairo & Giza (Including Free Transfer from the Airport): $143
- 2-Days Trips in Cairo & Giza (Including Free Transfer from the Airport): $137
Is it cheaper to fly into Kampala or Cairo?
Prices for flights to both Cairo and Kampala 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 dayKampala $12Cairo $15
Typical Food Prices in Kampala
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Kampala:
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Lunch for 2$1.36
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Kampala
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Kampala.
- Cooking class Experience in Kampala Uganda: $35
- Private Ugandan Food Cooking Class and Culture Experience: $55
- Kampala City Walking Food Tour: $77
- Kampala Local Cooking Experience: $80
- Fishing Village Food Tour & Luwombo Stop: $119
- Kampala food tour: $205
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
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Kampala -Cairo $7.85
Tours and Activities in Kampala
Here are a few actual costs in Kampala for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- African Fabric Market Tour: $13
- 7-Hills Kampala Socio-Cultural Trek & Walking Experience: $20
- Kampala City Walking Tour with a Local Guide: $20
- Kampala Half Day Walking Fashion and Style Tour with Guide: $22
- Best Kampala group Walking Tour.: $25
- Complete Kampala Tour Experience: $25
- Kampala Half-Day Walking Tour with Local Female Guides: $25
- Kampala’s Best Experience walking tour: $26
- Tombs, King’s palace & Gaddafi mosque walk (Airpals Safaris tour): $26
- Steve Kampala Walking tours (Airpals Safaris tour): $26
- Kampala Walking City Tours (Women-Guided): $27
- 3 Hours Walking Tour in Kampala: $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$0.73
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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:
- Luxury private tour Giza Pyramids, grand Egyptian Museum, kingTut: $3.50
- Private Half-Day Giza Pyramids & Sphinx Tour with Camel Ride: $4.00
- Best ViP Private Tour Giza Pyramids,Sphinx, inside Pyramids: $4.00
- Cairo tour to Giza Pyramids Sphinx Grand Egyptian museum (GEM ): $4.50
- Cairo shopping advisor tour papyrus ,perfume ,golden cartouche , Egyptian cotton: $5.00
- ViP Private Tour Giza Pyramids,Sphinx,camel ride , inside Pyramid: $5.00
- ViP Private Tour Giza Pyramids,camel ride , inside 3rd Pyramid: $5.00
- Private Tour in Pyramids of Giza with Lunch and Camel Ride: $5.00
- Private Shopping Customizable Tour from Cairo and Giza with lunch: $5.00
- Private Giza Pyramids, Coptic Cairo and Khan El Khalili Tour: $5.00
- Papyrus Manufacturing Tour and learn Papyrus making in Egypt: $5.00
- VIP Luxury Shopping Tour –Local Markets + Gourmet Lunch & Drinks: $5.00
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayKampala -Cairo $1.28
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 we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Kampala and Cairo, we can see that Kampala 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 Kampala would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Kampala 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 Kampala Expensive? and Is Cairo Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Kampala or Cairo?
Cairo has a larger population, and is about 6 times larger than the population of Kampala. When comparing the sizes of Kampala and Cairo, 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.