Egypt Travel Cost Per Day: Cairo, Luxor & Red Sea

June 8, 2026

Egypt is one of the world's most compelling travel value propositions in 2026. Following the Egyptian pound's significant depreciation against major currencies, the country's costs in USD or EUR terms have dropped substantially, making the world's greatest concentration of ancient monuments accessible at prices that feel like a decade ago. A mid-range traveler can cover Cairo, Luxor, and Aswan for $55–85/day. Here's the real breakdown.

Cairo: Costs in the Capital

Cairo (CAI) is overwhelming in the best possible sense, and accommodation costs are currently excellent for the quality available. A solid 4-star hotel in Zamalek (the calm island neighborhood in the Nile between Cairo's banks) or in the Garden City area south of downtown runs $50–80/night. The Marriott Mena House — the historic hotel with pyramid views from its garden terrace — currently prices at $90–130/night for a standard room, which is remarkable value for the location and heritage.

Budget guesthouses around Khan el-Khalili and Islamic Cairo run $20–35/night for a clean double room. The Dahab Hostel in Downtown Cairo (long-established backpacker favorite) charges $10–15 for a dorm or $25–35 for a private room.

Food in Cairo remains exceptionally cheap. A ful medames and ta'amiya (fava bean paste and falafel) breakfast from a street cart costs 15–30 Egyptian pounds ($0.30–0.60). A full koshary meal (Egypt's national dish of rice, lentils, pasta, tomato sauce, fried onions) at Abu Tarek on Maarouf Street — the best koshary in Cairo — costs 60–80 EGP ($1.20–1.60). Dinner at a mid-range restaurant in Zamalek runs 400–700 EGP per person ($8–14). A full seafood dinner at Fish Market on the Nile costs 800–1,200 EGP per person ($16–24).

Uber and Careem work well in Cairo: rides across the city cost $2–5.

Giza Pyramids Admission

The Giza complex entry costs $15 per person. Entry to the Great Pyramid interior (Khufu) is an additional $15–25 depending on which chamber. The Solar Boat Museum costs $5 additional. The Sphinx complex is included in the main ticket.

Total Giza experience with interior access: $25–35 per person. This is remarkable value for the world's most recognized ancient monuments.

The Egyptian Museum in central Cairo (Tahrir Square) costs $15. The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) — the new museum at Giza that opened in stages and now houses the complete Tutankhamun collection, the largest assemblage of pharaonic artifacts in existence — costs $25–35. The GEM is worth budgeting for specifically; its galleries are exceptional.

Cairo Daily Budget: Budget: $35–50/day Mid-range: $65–90/day Comfortable: $110–160/day

Luxor: The World's Greatest Open-Air Museum

Luxor (LXE) is where Egypt's concentration of ancient monuments is most intense. The East Bank has the Karnak Temple complex (the largest religious structure ever built, active for 2,000 years) and Luxor Temple. The West Bank has the Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, Medinet Habu, and the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut. A dedicated traveler needs at least 3 days to cover it properly.

Accommodation in Luxor is extremely affordable. A 3-star hotel near the East Bank corniche with Nile views runs $30–55/night. The Winter Palace — Luxor's legendary colonial hotel, the one Agatha Christie stayed in while writing Death on the Nile — currently prices at $90–130/night for a standard room, remarkable for a 5-star historic property.

Luxor admission costs: - Karnak Temple: $15 - Valley of the Kings (3 tombs included): $18 (most famous tombs cost extra: Tutankhamun $20, Seti I $35) - Hatshepsut Temple: $15 - Medinet Habu: $9 - Luxor Temple: $15

The Luxor Pass (available at major sites, $100 for most sites excluding Tutankhamun) pays for itself if you're visiting all major sites over 3–5 days.

West Bank transport: renting a bicycle ($4–6/day) to reach the Valley of the Kings and surrounding sites requires an early start (before 8am in summer heat). Hiring a taxi for a half-day West Bank tour costs $20–35. The public ferry across the Nile costs 5 EGP ($0.10).

Luxor Daily Budget: Budget (guesthouse, local food, two sites): $40–60/day Mid-range (3-star hotel, mix of meals, full West Bank day): $65–90/day

Aswan and Abu Simbel

Aswan (ASW) — upstream from Luxor, accessible by train (3h, $5–15) or felucca sailboat (2–3 days, $15–25/day) — is calmer and more laid-back than either Cairo or Luxor. A guesthouse on the Corniche with Nile felucca views costs $20–40/night.

Abu Simbel (the two massive rock temples of Ramesses II relocated when the Aswan High Dam flooded the original site) is 280km south of Aswan. The 4am convoy minibus runs $15–20 return from Aswan; the flight is $120–160 return but saves 3 hours each way. Abu Simbel entry: $20. The Sound and Light Show at Abu Simbel adds $25 if you stay overnight.

The Red Sea: Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh

Both Hurghada (HRG) and Sharm el-Sheikh (SSH) operate on package-holiday pricing: all-inclusive resorts charge $60–120/person/night including all meals and resort access. The independent traveler experience (guesthouse, local restaurants, diving shop) runs considerably cheaper: $30–50/night for a guesthouse near the diving boats, $8–12 for a local seafood dinner.

Scuba diving is one of Egypt's outstanding value activities. A two-dive boat trip with equipment at the Mahmya reef near Hurghada costs $30–45 per person, including gear rental. The Red Sea's reefs (particularly the Thistlegorm wreck dive from Sharm) are world-class at prices that compare favorably with Southeast Asia.

Practical Transport

Egyptian trains (ONCF) connect Cairo–Alexandria in 2h ($5–10), Cairo–Luxor overnight in 9–10h ($15–30 for a sleeping cabin), and Luxor–Aswan in 3–4h ($5–12). The sleeping train on the Cairo–Luxor–Aswan overnight routes is one of the world's great rail experiences at low cost.

EgyptAir (MS) domestic flights (Cairo–Luxor, Cairo–Aswan, Cairo–Sharm, Cairo–Hurghada) cost $50–100 return and are frequently promotional. Budget the internal flight for the Abu Simbel trip specifically.

Egypt Consolidated Daily Budget:

| City | Budget/day | Mid-range/day | |------|-----------|---------------| | Cairo | $35–50 | $65–90 | | Luxor | $40–60 | $65–90 | | Aswan | $30–45 | $55–80 | | Hurghada | $45–65 | $80–120 | | Red Sea diving | +$30–45 | (activity add-on) |

International Flights

Return fares to Cairo (CAI) from London run £250–400 on EgyptAir, British Airways, or Lufthansa via Frankfurt. Budget charter airlines (TUI, easyJet, Jet2) fly to Sharm and Hurghada from UK airports for £200–350. From New York (JFK), fares to Cairo run $600–900 on EgyptAir, Delta via Paris, or Emirates via Dubai (DXB). The best time to visit Egypt guide covers the critical temperature reality: October through April is the window for comfortable sightseeing; summer months are genuinely extreme in Upper Egypt (Luxor, Aswan), often exceeding 45°C.