Algeria
How much does a trip to Algeria cost? Daily budget and prices
Plan US$36–63 per day backpacking, US$100–185 mid-range and US$250–520 comfort, at the official rate. Cash is the constraint, not the prices: cards rarely work, so bring euros and exchange dinars. A Sahara agency block adds €100–200 per person per day, which changes the whole budget.
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- Plan calculated
- Worked out by Voykit from its own data (times, distances, budgets). A calculation, not a measurement.
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GuideAlgeria
Key facts
- Currency
- Algerian dinar (DZD); 2026 estimate at the official rate
- Backpacker per day
- US$36–63 (budget hotel, cafés, trains)
- Mid-range per day
- US$100–185 (3–4★ hotel, restaurants, domestic flights)
- Comfort per day
- US$250–520 (top hotels, private driver-guide)
- Cards and ATMs
- Foreign cards rarely accepted; ATMs often reject them — bring euros in cash
- Sahara agency tour
- €100–200 per person per day, all-in; pay in euros
- Domestic flight
- About US$120 one way, Algiers–Djanet or Tamanrasset
- Site ticketscheck
- About DZD 200–500 at Tipasa, Djemila, Timgad
Costs by travel style
Algeria is cheap by Western European standards and mid-priced by North African ones. The gap between tiers comes from hotels and transport, not food: a couscous or chakhchoukha lunch costs DZD 600–1,200 in all three, and a café coffee DZD 50–100.
The figures below are per person per day, sharing at mid-range and comfort, at the official exchange rate. They exclude international flights and any Sahara agency block.
| Tier | Bed | Food | Transport | Sights | Extras | Total per day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backpacker | US$20–35 | US$8–12 | US$4–8 | US$2–4 | US$2–4 | US$36–63 |
| Mid-range | US$50–90 | US$20–35 | US$20–40 | US$5–10 | US$5–10 | US$100–185 |
| Comfort | US$120–250 | US$40–80 | US$60–120 | US$20–40 | US$10–30 | US$250–520 |
2026 estimate. Backpacker transport means trains and buses; mid-range and comfort assume some domestic flights or a driver.
What individual things cost
Use these to sanity-check a quote or build your own total. Hotel rates swing with season and city: Algiers and Oran run higher than Constantine or Ghardaïa, and the Sahara towns have few rooms at any price.
| Item | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Café coffee | DZD 50–100 | Everywhere |
| Chakhchoukha or couscous lunch | DZD 600–1,200 | Local grill or café |
| Mid-range hotel room | DZD 8,000–15,000 | 3–4★, double |
| Train Algiers–Oran | DZD 1,000–1,800 | Official rail fare |
| Site ticket (Tipasa, Djemila, Timgad) | About DZD 200–500 | check |
| Domestic flight, one way | About US$120 | Algiers–Djanet or Tamanrasset |
| Sahara agency tour | €100–200 per person per day | All-in, paid in euros |
The Sahara block is the real budget line
A southern trip — Ghardaïa, Djanet or Tamanrasset — is usually sold as an all-in agency package with 4x4, guide, permits, food and camping. At €100–200 per person per day it can cost more than a week in the north, and it is the one part of an Algeria trip you should price before booking flights.
Two rules follow. First, budget the Sahara separately from your daily spend rather than averaging it in. Second, take enough euros for the whole block before you leave the north: cards are rarely accepted and ATMs often reject foreign cards, so a shortfall in Djanet is hard to fix.
Cash, cards and exchange
Assume cash. Foreign cards are rarely accepted outside a few large hotels, and ATMs often reject them. Bring euros in notes and exchange at banks or hotel bureaux; keep a reserve for the Sahara.
A parallel exchange market offers rates far from the official one. Using unofficial changers is illegal and risky, and the saving is not worth the exposure. Budget at the official rate shown here.
Carry small notes for cafés, taxis and site tickets, and keep a separate stash for the south. Prices in this guide are 2026 estimates at the official rate.
Cutting or adding cost
To cut: travel by train and bus, eat at local grills, stay in budget hotels in Constantine or Ghardaïa rather than Algiers, and keep the trip to the north. To add: a private driver-guide, domestic flights to save long road days, and a longer Sahara itinerary.
Time of year moves the total less than you might expect, but summer heat in the south and Ramadan closures change what is available and when. Check the season before fixing dates.
Questions people ask
How much money do you need per day in Algeria?
US$36–63 backpacking, US$100–185 mid-range, US$250–520 comfort, per person per day at the official rate. Add €100–200 per person per day for a Sahara agency tour. These are 2026 estimates and exclude international flights.
Is Algeria expensive for tourists?
No. Food, trains and site tickets are cheap. The costs that surprise people are hotels in Algiers, domestic flights and the all-in Sahara packages, plus the practical need to carry cash rather than rely on cards.
What do meals, hotels and transport cost in Algeria?
Café coffee DZD 50–100, a couscous or chakhchoukha lunch DZD 600–1,200, a mid-range hotel room DZD 8,000–15,000, and the Algiers–Oran train DZD 1,000–1,800. Site tickets run about DZD 200–500 (check).
Can I pay by card or use ATMs in Algeria?
Rarely. Foreign cards are accepted in only a few large hotels and ATMs often reject them. Bring euros in cash and exchange at banks or hotel bureaux, and carry enough for the whole Sahara block before leaving the north.
How much should I budget for the Sahara?
€100–200 per person per day for an all-in licensed agency tour with 4x4, guide, permits and food, paid in euros. Treat it as a separate line from your daily spend, and add about US$120 one way for a domestic flight south.
Is the parallel exchange rate worth using?
No. Unofficial changers offer rates far from the official one, but the practice is illegal and risky. Budget at the official rate used in this guide.
Deep dive
Every source; changeable facts are marked check
Sources
- officialAlgeria Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts
- officialSNTF (Algerian national rail)
- officialBank of Algeria (official exchange rate)
- secondaryWikivoyage – Algeria