Cairo Budget Guide: What Everything Costs in Egypt
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Cairo is one of the most affordable major destinations in the world for international visitors — particularly those arriving with euros, dollars, or pounds sterling. The Egyptian pound’s exchange rate makes accommodation, food, and transport dramatically cheaper than their quality would suggest. A mid-range traveler can eat well, stay comfortably, and see everything for $60–90 USD per day, excluding attraction entry fees.
All prices below in Egyptian Pounds (EGP) and USD equivalent at ~50 EGP = $1 USD. Verify the current rate before travel.
Accommodation
Budget (dorms/cheap hotels): 300–600 EGP per night ($6–12). Hostels in Downtown Cairo and budget hotels near Tahrir. Basic facilities; functional for visitors focused on sightseeing.
Mid-range: 800–2,500 EGP per night ($16–50). Clean boutique hotels in Zamalek and Downtown, business hotels in Heliopolis. This range in Cairo delivers significantly more quality than the same price anywhere in Western Europe.
Upper mid-range: 2,500–5,000 EGP ($50–100). 4-star hotels; Sofitel El Gezirah in Zamalek at the upper end.
Luxury: 5,000–12,000+ EGP ($100–240+). Nile Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons Cairo, Marriott Mena House (pyramid views). Five-star accommodation in Cairo costs 30–50% less than equivalent hotels in European capitals.
World Cup / peak season: October–February is high season; expect 20–40% above baseline rates.
Food
Street food / market eating:
- Koshari (full bowl): 30–60 EGP ($0.60–1.20)
- Ful and ta’ameya breakfast: 40–80 EGP ($0.80–1.60)
- Hawawshi (meat bread): 25–60 EGP
- Juice (aseer asab, karkadeh): 10–30 EGP
- Full street breakfast: 60–100 EGP ($1.20–2.00)
Mid-range restaurants (Zamalek, Downtown):
- Lunch at Abou Shakra (kofta, salads, bread): 150–250 EGP per person ($3–5)
- Dinner at Abou El Sid (traditional Egyptian, full meal): 350–600 EGP ($7–12)
Upscale dining:
- Dinner at Sequoia (Nile view, 2 courses): 600–1,200 EGP ($12–24) per person
Daily food budget:
- Street food only: 150–250 EGP/day ($3–5)
- Mix of street food and one restaurant meal: 350–600 EGP/day ($7–12)
- Restaurant meals twice daily: 700–1,500 EGP/day ($14–30)
Transport
Cairo Metro: 8–20 EGP per ride ($0.16–0.40) — cheapest major metro in the world
Uber/Careem:
- Short trip (Zamalek to Downtown): 40–70 EGP ($0.80–1.40)
- Medium trip (Downtown to Islamic Cairo): 60–100 EGP ($1.20–2)
- Long trip (Downtown to Pyramids): 100–180 EGP ($2–3.60)
Airport (CAI) to city: 150–250 EGP by Uber ($3–5)
Attractions
| Site | Foreign adult price |
|---|---|
| Giza Plateau (Pyramids + Sphinx) | |
| Great Pyramid interior | +1,500 EGP (+$30) |
| Grand Egyptian Museum | 1,450 EGP (~$29) |
| Egyptian Museum (Tahrir) | |
| Cairo Citadel | |
| Sultan Hassan Mosque | 80 EGP (~$1.60) |
| Hanging Church / Coptic Cairo | Free |
| Ben Ezra Synagogue | Free |
| Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Alex.) | 70 EGP (~$1.40) |
| Wadi El Hitan (Valley of Whales) | Included in guided tour |
Big-ticket day: GEM (1,450) + Pyramids (700) + Uber transport (~300) = 2,450 EGP ($49 USD) — an extraordinary amount of experience for the cost.
Sample Budgets
Budget traveler ($30–40 USD/day):
- Budget hotel: 500 EGP
- Food (street food only): 200 EGP
- Metro + Uber: 100 EGP
- One attraction: 0 EGP (free sites: Coptic Cairo, mosque exterior, Al-Muizz Street)
- Total:
800 EGP ($16)
Note: This budget excludes GEM and Pyramids entry — add $43 for the big ticket day.
Mid-range ($60–80 USD/day):
- Mid-range hotel Zamalek: 1,500 EGP
- Food (mix): 500 EGP
- Uber: 200 EGP
- One attraction: 550 EGP
- Total:
2,750 EGP ($55)
Comfortable ($120–150 USD/day):
- 4-star hotel: 3,500 EGP
- Restaurants: 900 EGP
- Transport: 300 EGP
- Attraction: 700 EGP
- Total:
5,400 EGP ($108)
The Value Proposition
Cairo represents extraordinary value — the combination of world-class historical sites (Pyramids, GEM, ancient mosques, medieval bazaars) with prices that are a fraction of comparable European cultural capitals. A week in Cairo with mid-range accommodation, decent restaurant meals, and all major attractions costs approximately what a 2-night stay in Paris would.
The visa ($30), flights, and the one-time attraction fees (particularly the GEM at $29) are the primary costs. Everything else is remarkably cheap.
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