Which place is cheaper, Cairo or Nairobi?
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 Nairobi or Cairo?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Nairobi and Cairo 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: Nairobi or Cairo?
Nairobi
Nairobi is Kenya's capital as well as the country's largest city. With a population of about 3 million, it is also one of the largest cities in Africa. It is a prominent city both politically and financially within the region. There are many international companies that are located in Nairobi and the Nairobi Securities and Exchange is one of the largest in Africa.
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 Safaris in Kenya, The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Egypt, and The Best Historical Tours in Egypt.
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Nairobi Prices
Kenya PricesCairo Prices
Egypt Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayNairobi $67Cairo $30
The average daily cost (per person) in Nairobi is $67, while the average daily cost in Cairo is $30. 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 Nairobi and Cairo in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personNairobi $12Cairo $10
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomNairobi $24Cairo $20
Compare Hotels in Nairobi and Cairo
Looking for a hotel in Nairobi 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: Nairobi Hotel Prices and Cairo Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Nairobi $11Cairo $3.46
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Nairobi
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Nairobi:
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Taxi from Airport$9.24
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Nairobi
Also for Nairobi, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfer (one Way): $80
- Airport Transfers: $40
- Airport Transfers in Nairobi: $28
- Airport transfer; NBO to nairobi hotels: $27
- Airport transfers in Nairobi: $60
- From JKIA Airport Nairobi Private Transfer in a Car 3 Pax Max: $35
- Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Private Transfer: $27
- Mwashi Airport Transfer & Taxi: $27
- Nairobi Airport Transfers: $69
- Nairobi Airport Transfers: $50
- Nairobi Airport Transfers to Wilson Airport and Hotels: $40
- Nairobi National Park Tour with Game Drive and Transfer: $95
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$0.29
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
- Welcome to Private Airport Pickup & Transfer: $24
- VIP Private Cairo Airport Transfer To Or From Cairo , Giza Hotels: $12
- VIP Meet and assist with transfer from Cairo and SPX Airport: $7.50
- VIP Meet and Assist in Cairo Airport with Private Transfer to Cairo Hotels: $49
- VIP Luxury Airport Transfer: Mercedes E-Class Meet & Greet: $50
- 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): $48
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Cairo APT-HTL (CAI): $48
- Transfers From Cairo Airport: $13
- Transfer from Luxor to Hurghada: $226
Is it cheaper to fly into Nairobi or Cairo?
Prices for flights to both Cairo and Nairobi 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 dayNairobi $13Cairo $16
Typical Food Prices in Nairobi
For Nairobi, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Dinner for Two$5.00
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Nairobi
For Nairobi, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Carnivore Restaurant: Lunch or Dinner Experience in Nairobi: $21
- Kenyan Cooking Class & Authentic Dining Experience with a Local: $40
- Traditional Kenyan Cooking Class & Local Market Tour: $55
- Popular Kenyan Food Cooking Class and Local Market Experience: $60
- Carnivore restaurant Dinner or lunch from Nairobi: $65
- Private Interactive Cooking Class and Market Tour in Kinoo: $65
- Carnivore Resturant Dinner Experience: $68
- Dinner Experience with Cat Show at Safari Park Hotel: $90
- Safari Park Dinner with Safari Cats Dance Show: $97
- Private Market Tour and Traditional Kenyan Cooking Class in Nairobi with a Local: $98
- Safari Cat Dancers Show And Dinner: $100
- Traditional Kikuyu Cooking Class In My Village: $100
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
- Explore Giza Pyramids with Camel, ATV, Dinner Cruise, & Shopping: $5.00
- 2 Hour Cairo Dinner Cruise on Nile river with live band: $7.00
- Night Dinner Nile cruise with belly dancer and folklore show: $7.00
- Cairo Dinner Nile Cruise with Belly Dancer Show on Nile River: $7.00
- Quad Bike ATV ,Camel Ride ,Nile Dinner Cruise Belly dancer show: $7.00
- Private Nile Cruise with Dinner and Folk Show from Cairo: $7.50
- Giza pyramids, sphinx &ATV +Nile Dinner cruise: $8.00
- 2-hours night dinner cruise show : Eat , Dance and Sing: $8.00
- Cairo (Dance, Sing and Eat ) Nile Dinner Cruise Show &Open Buffet: $8.00
- Cairo Nile Dinner Cruise Belly Dancer Tanora Show Dinner Buffet: $8.00
- Private Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Quad Bike, Camel Ride, Nile Dinner Cruise: $8.00
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Nairobi $46Cairo $8.29
Typical Entertainment Prices in Nairobi
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Nairobi's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Village Visit$15
Tours and Activities in Nairobi
For Nairobi, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Fashion African Fabric & Souvenir Market Tour: $12
- Nairobi Matatu Culture Experience: $18
- Nairobi City Tour +Pickup: $19
- Nairobi Walking City Tour +pick-up: $20
- Nairobi’s ultimate Walking City Tour with Hotel pickup: $20
- Kibera Chocolate City Tour: $22
- Nairobi City Walk Tour +pickup: $22
- Nairobi Green Bus City Sightseeing Tour 4 Hours: $23
- Nairobi City Tour: $25
- Giraffe Center Karen Blixen and Kobe Beads Day Tour: $25
- Discover Nairobi City with Student Led Walking Tour: $25
- Mathare Community Slum Tour: $26
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$0.77
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Egyptian Museum Entry for Two$5.90
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
- (Egypt jewel) Day Tour To Giza Pyramids, Museum, Mosque &Felucca: $55
- 01 Day Cairo tour Islamic and Coptic Cairo: $143
- 01 Day Tour to Alexandria from Cairo: $246
- 1 Day Private Tour from Hurghada to Cairo: $216
- 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 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
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayNairobi $16Cairo $1.35
Sample the Local Flavors in Nairobi
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Nairobi:
- Food and Wine Tasting Experience at Five Senses Restaurant: $155
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 Autumn Downtown Food & Bar Crawl with Drinks: $109
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Nairobi and Cairo, we can see that Nairobi 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 Nairobi would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Nairobi 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 Nairobi Expensive? and Is Cairo Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Nairobi or Cairo?
Cairo has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Nairobi. When comparing the sizes of Nairobi 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.