Should you visit Santorini or Cairo?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Santorini or Cairo, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Santorini or Cairo?
Santorini
Santorini is a volcanic island that is part of the Cyclades group of the Greek Islands. It has some spectacular views, beautiful sunsets, and excellent beaches. As one of the most popular of the Greek Islands to visit, Santorini sees many tourists every year. However, it's for a good reason, as the famous white-washed buildings that spill down the hill, some with blue domes that match the gorgeous color of the water, are set against the beautiful mountainous backdrop of one of the most scenic areas of the Mediterranean. Home to several of these small and scenic towns such as Oia, Kamari, Perissa, and Fira, visitors can explore the large island, enjoy delicious food, swim at the beaches, hike the hills, and sail the blue waters.
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 Luxury Tours to Greece, The Best Budget Tours to Greece, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Egypt, and The Best Historical Tours in Egypt.
Which place is cheaper, Cairo or Santorini?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Santorini is €175, while the average daily cost in Cairo is €16. 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 Santorini and Cairo in more detail.
Accommodation
Looking for a hotel in Santorini 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:
Santorini Hotel Prices and
Cairo Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santorini
Also for Santorini, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Private Round-trip Transfer from Santorini Thira Airport (JTR) to Kamari,Greece:
$50
-
24h Luxury Santorini Transfer.Arrival/Departure one way:
$76
-
Airport, Port and Hotel Private Transfer in Santorini:
$20
-
Arrival Private Transfer Santorini Airport JTR or Port to Santorini by Sprinter:
$32
-
Blue Dome And Oia Sunset Small Group Transfer:
$37
-
Departure Private Transfer Santorini to Santorini Airport JTR by Sedan Car:
$23
-
Departure Private Transfer Santorini to Santorini Airport JTR or Port by Van:
$32
-
Departure Private Transfer Santorni to Santorini Airport JTR or Port by Sprinter:
$46
-
Departure Transfer To Santorini Airport:
$17
-
Economy Departure Transfers To Santorini Airport:
$15
-
Economy Roundtrip Transfer Santorini Airport ( Max 4 stop ):
$15
-
Helicopter Transfer between Mykonos & Santorini:
$3,725
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Cairo
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Cairo are as follows:
-
Metro Ride
€0.08
-
Taxi Ride
€0.30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cairo
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cairo:
-
From Private Day Trip to Luxor w/ Transfer & Flights:
$659
-
3 Private Full-Day Tours to Cairo Top Attractions+One Airport Transfer:
$300
-
3-Days Private Guided Tour Package Covering all Cairo,Lunch and Airport Transfer:
$300
-
Cairo - Sharm El Sheikh: One-Way or Return Private Transfer:
$290
-
Private Transfer from Cairo to Sharm El Sheikh :
$290
-
Full-Day Private Trip to Fayoum from Cairo, with Transfer:
$286
-
2 Days and 2 Evenings Private Tour in Cairo include airport transfer and M&A:
$280
-
From One-Way Private Transfer To Luxor:
$275
-
2-Day Camping Tour in The Bahariya Oasis with Private Transfer:
$274
-
2-Day-One night Camping Tour in The Bahariya Oasis with Private Transfer:
$274
-
Private 3 Days in Giza Cairo and Alexandria including Free airport transfers:
$250
-
Cairo : Marvel the Camping in the White & Black Deserts & Cairo Private Transfer:
$250
Is it cheaper to fly into Santorini or Cairo?
Prices for flights to both Cairo and Santorini 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
Santorini €48
Cairo €4.45
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santorini
For Santorini, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Santorini Caldera: Sunset Cruise with Dinner:
$69
-
Romantic Sunset Caldera Cruise with Dinner:
$69
-
Volcanic Sunset Cruise with Dinner:
$80
-
Catamaran Tour with BBQ Dinner, Drinks, and Music:
$90
-
Volcano and Hot Springs Sunset Dinner Cruise:
$96
-
Santorini Cooking Class with Wine Tasting:
$108
-
The Aegean Cooking Class:
$109
-
Santorini Sunset Sailing Cruise: Dinner, BBQ, Open Bar, Transfers:
$118
-
Sunset Cruise with Swim Stops, Dinner, and Drinks:
$120
-
Cooking Class in Traditional cave house in Santorini!:
$120
-
Fira: 4-Hour Walking Food Tour With Tastings:
$122
-
Half-Day Sunset Wine Tasting Tour in Santorini with dinner:
$123
Typical Food Prices in Cairo
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Cairo:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cairo
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cairo.
-
Night Dinner Cruise, Belly Dancer Show on The Nile With Pickup:
$8.00
-
Dinner Cruise on the Nile River:
$12
-
Super Safari Quad Bike Jeep Safari Buggy and Dinner in Hurghada:
$15
-
Nile Sunset, Dinner Cruise, Show and Private Transfer:
$16
-
Cairo Food Tour with Nile Felucca Ride :
$18
-
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
-
All inclusive Tour to Giza Pyramids, Sphinx & ATV &Dinner cruise :
$20
-
Private Cairo Food Tour :
$20
-
Cairo Private Food Tour and Egyptian Tea:
$22
Entertainment
Tours and Activities in Santorini
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Santorini.
-
Megalochori: Lost Atlantis 9D Experience Museum Entry Ticket:
$15
-
E-Ticket to Akrotiri with Audio Tour on your Phone:
$15
-
Skip the Line Lost Atlantis Experience Ticket:
$15
-
Akrotiri Archaeological Site Entry Ticket:
$16
-
Santorini Volcano and Hot Springs Cruise Tour from Fira Old Port:
$27
-
The Beer Tasting and Pairing Experience:
$27
-
Volcanic Islands Cruise with Hot Springs Visit:
$28
-
Santorini Caldera Cruise Tour (Volcano, Hot Springs, Thirassia):
$33
-
Santorini Volcano Tour:
$37
-
Mesa Gonia, Pyrgos and Oia Tour:
$44
-
Ferry Ticket to Paros or Naxos with Hotel Pickup:
$45
-
Sunset In Oia & Traditional Villages Bus Tour:
$45
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cairo
Here are a few typical costs in Cairo for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
Tours and Activities in Cairo
Here are a few actual costs in Cairo for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
-
2 Days 1 Nights Tour package to Saint-Catherine from Cairo :
$300
-
2 Days in Cairo & Giza Private Tour :
$80
-
2-Day Ancient Egypt Tour with Pyramids and Museums:
$219
-
2-Days Tour at Cairo & Giza:
$86
-
2-Days tour at Cairo & Giza:
$80
-
3-Day Cairo Top Attractions Exploration Tour:
$180
-
3-Day Private Tour in Cairo :
$196
-
3-Days Tour at Cairo (Customized Package):
$229
-
3-Days Tour in Siwa Oasis from Cairo :
$217
-
4-Day Tours at Cairo & Giza & Alexandria:
$209
-
8-Hour Private Tour Giza Pyramids, Egyptian Museum and local Bazaars:
$27
-
All Inclusive Full-Day Tour to Pyramids, Museum, mosque and Felucca:
$79
Alcohol
Sample the Local Flavors in Santorini
Also in Santorini, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
-
Half Day Simply Santorini Tour with Wine Tasting:
$60
-
Top Sights Day Trip, Wine Tasting, & Oia Sunset:
$62
-
Fira Town Walking Tour with Wine Tasting:
$74
-
Top Sights of Santorini with Wine Tasting and Sunset in Oia:
$75
-
Notos Day Tour through History & Wine Tasting:
$98
-
Santorini 4 Hour Private Oia Tour & Wine Tasting :
$105
-
Wine Tour with Sunset in Oia:
$105
-
Santorini Highlights Small-Group Tour with Wine Tasting from Fira:
$109
-
3-Hour Wine Tasting in Santorini :
$126
-
Wine tasting and Carving lesson in Santorini:
$131
-
Santorini Wine Adventure with 12 Wine Tastings, Tapas and Sunset:
$131
-
Small Group Local Wine Tasting Tour In Santorini :
$131
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 Santorini and Cairo, we can see that Santorini is more expensive. And not only is Cairo much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Santorini is in Europe and Cairo is in Africa, 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 Santorini would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Santorini 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 Santorini Expensive? and Is Cairo Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Santorini or Cairo?
Cairo has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Santorini. When comparing the sizes of Santorini 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.
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