Cairo is one of the most affordable major capitals in the world for foreign travellers. A budget of €55 per person per day comfortably covers a stay: double room in a 3-4 star hotel in a pleasant quarter, two restaurant meals, Uber rides and entries to the main sites.
Accommodation covers every band. A bed in a Downtown or Zamalek hostel/guesthouse runs €15-25 a night. A decent 3-star hotel in Zamalek or Garden City starts at €35-55 a night. International 4-stars (Marriott Zamalek, Sofitel Gezirah) sit around €90-140 a night. Nile-side palaces (Four Seasons, Kempinski Nile, Sofitel El Gezirah) exceed €250 a night but remain cheaper than their European equivalents.
Food is one of the great pleasures and great savings of the trip. A koshari at Abou Tarek costs €1.50 for a large portion, street ful medames €0.50-1, a full lunch in a popular restaurant like Felfela €6-10 per person. Dinner at a good Cairo restaurant (Abou el-Sid, Sequoia, Naguib Mahfouz Café) comes to €15-30 per person. Fine dining at international hotels exceeds €50 per person but stays affordable compared to Paris or London.
Entry fees have risen sharply in recent years with the GEM opening. Citadel of Saladin: €8 adult. Egyptian Museum at Tahrir: €12. Grand Egyptian Museum (Giza, see dedicated guide): around €35 including the Tutankhamun gallery. Coptic Cairo (museum + churches): €5. Khan el-Khalili: free. Budget €15-25 per day on entries depending on your programme.
Local transport is very cheap: Uber/Careem €2-5 in town, metro ticket €0.50, airport-to-Zamalek Uber €8-12. Don't rent a car: it's useless and Cairo driving is extremely demanding.
Read also
- Giza, the pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum — 20 km from central Cairo: Khufu, the Sphinx and the new pharaonic museum.
- Egypt — Complete country guide: entry rules, budget, when to visit, regions.
- Luxor, capital of the pharaohs — Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and the temples of Thebes.