Cairo on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Yes — Cairo is one of the best-value big cities in the world for food, beds and transport, as long as you budget for the high foreign entry tickets. A realistic minimum is about EGP 2,800 a day per person sharing a room: about EGP 1,000 for a bed, EGP 500 for food, EGP 1,000 for tickets and EGP 300 for transport.
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | EGP1,000 | EGP2,500 | EGP8,000 |
| Food & drink | EGP500 | EGP1,200 | EGP3,000 |
| Sights & tickets | EGP1,000 | EGP2,000 | EGP3,500 |
| Local transport | EGP300 | EGP800 | EGP2,000 |
| Per person, per day | EGP2,800 | EGP6,500 | EGP16,500 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Cairo day-cost table.
Free things to do
- Walking Al-Muizz Street, the medieval heart of Islamic Cairo
- Al-Azhar Mosque, founded in 970 (dress modestly; shoes off)
- Browsing Khan el-Khalili bazaar
- The Hanging Church and Ben Ezra Synagogue area in Coptic Cairo
- Sunset from Qasr el-Nil Bridge and a walk along the Nile Corniche
- Wandering the leafy streets and galleries of Zamalek
Cheap eats
- Koshari at a specialist shop downtown — roughly EGP 40–100
- Ful medames sandwich for breakfast — roughly EGP 15–40
- Ta'ameya (Egyptian falafel) sandwich — roughly EGP 10–30
- Hawawshi (spiced meat baked in bread) — roughly EGP 60–150
- Sugar-cane juice from a juice bar — about EGP 15–30
Where to sleep for less
Downtown around Tahrir and Talaat Harb is the budget base, with hostels and simple hotels in old buildings close to the metro and the Egyptian Museum. Doubles typically cost about EGP 1,500–3,000, and hostel beds less. Budget pyramid-view guesthouses near the Giza plateau are another option.
Getting around cheaply
Use the metro for downtown and Coptic Cairo; fares are very low. Uber and Careem are cheap for everything else. From the airport, an Uber or Careem to downtown is much cheaper than airport taxis; the airport bus is another low-cost option. Share a driver for Saqqara and Dahshur.
A sample budget day
- Morning: ful and ta'ameya breakfast (about EGP 50), then the Citadel or Al-Azhar and Al-Muizz Street
- Lunch: koshari downtown (about EGP 80)
- Afternoon: Coptic Cairo by metro (a few tens of pounds) and the free churches
- Evening: Khan el-Khalili, mint tea at a café and grilled kofta for dinner (about EGP 400)
- Total: about EGP 2,800 including a downtown bed (about EGP 1,000) and one paid sight
More ways to save
- Group the paid sights — Giza and the GEM on one day, Saqqara and Dahshur on another — to save on transport.
- Eat mostly street food and in local restaurants; skip hotel buffets.
- Buy bottled water in supermarkets and kiosks rather than at the sites.
- Bring a student card if you have one; discounts can be large.
- Travel in late spring or early autumn shoulder months for lower rates without the worst summer heat.
- Decide your tipping budget in advance and keep small notes ready.
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Common questions
How much money do I need per day in Cairo?
About EGP 2,800 per person on a budget, EGP 6,500 mid-range and EGP 16,500 for comfort, sharing a room.
What is the cheapest food in Cairo?
Ta'ameya and ful sandwiches cost from about EGP 10–40, and a bowl of koshari roughly EGP 40–100.
How do I get from Cairo airport to downtown cheaply?
Uber or Careem is the easiest low-cost option, taking about 45–60 minutes.