Cairo

Cairo on a budget: cheap food, stays and free sights

Budget US$40–70 per person per day in Cairo: hostel bed US$10–20, koshari and street food US$8–12, metro and Uber US$5–10, and US$15–25 for site tickets. Skip the pyramids-and-museum double day if money is tight; the museum alone can cost more than a night's bed.

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Updated Sep 20263 min read

GuideCairo

Key facts

Backpacker day in Cairo: US$40–70 per person (2026 estimate)
Bed: Hostel dorm US$10–20; budget hotel double US$20–40
Cheapest full meal: Koshari bowl EGP 40–90 (about US$1–2)
Metro ride: A few EGP; buy a ticket at the window
Uber across the city: EGP 100–250 (2026 estimate)
Biggest fixed cost: Site tickets: Grand Egyptian Museum about EGP 1,450, online only
Cheapest months: Summer (June–August) for hotel rates; winter is peak
Cash: Carry small EGP notes for tips, taxis and markets; many site gates are card-only

Top picks

Cairo is one of the cheapest big cities to travel in if you keep two things in check: site tickets and taxis. Everything else — food, tea, the metro, a Nile-side walk — costs very little. The picks below are the ones that reliably save money without wrecking the trip.

Sleep in Downtown (Wust el-Balad) or near Tahrir: hostel dorms and cheap hotels, walkable to the metro and the Egyptian Museum.
Eat koshari, taameya (Egyptian falafel) and fuul for US$1–3 a plate; these are the local staples, not a compromise.
Use the metro for north–south trips and Uber for short hops after dark; agree the fare before getting into a black-and-white taxi.
Buy site tickets online where required (the Grand Egyptian Museum is online only) and pay by card at the gate.
Build free days around Islamic Cairo lanes, the Nile corniche, Al-Azhar Park's cheaper hours and the City of the Dead.
Drink tea and ahwa coffee at street cafés instead of hotel bars; a glass of tea is a few EGP.

Prices and hours

Figures are 2026 estimates per person and move with the exchange rate; treat them as bands, not quotes. Egyptian and foreign ticket prices differ, and site gates increasingly take cards only.

Prices and hours
Item	Price (2026 estimate)	Hours / notes
Hostel dorm bed	US$10–20	24h reception typical; book ahead in winter
Budget hotel double	US$20–40	Check hot water and air conditioning before paying
Koshari bowl	EGP 40–90	Shops run from late morning until after midnight
Taameya or fuul sandwich	EGP 10–30	Breakfast and lunch; cheapest before 11:00
Metro ride	A few EGP	About 05:00–01:00; women's cars at the front
Uber across Cairo	EGP 100–250	Metered in-app; surge at peak hours
Grand Egyptian Museum	About EGP 1,450	Online only; hours vary by season
Giza pyramids plateau	About EGP 700	Inside the Great Pyramid costs extra
Al-Azhar Park	Small entry fee	Daylight hours; sunset is the busiest slot
Nile felucca (short ride)	EGP 200–400 per boat	Negotiate per boat, not per person

How to get around

The metro is the cheapest way to cover distance and avoids the worst traffic; lines run north–south through Downtown and connect to Giza and Heliopolis. Buy a single ticket at the window or a stored-value card if you will ride often. Trains can be crowded at rush hour.

For everything the metro does not reach — Islamic Cairo, the Citadel, Saqqara — use Uber or Careem rather than hailing a taxi, so the price is fixed before you move. Short rides inside Downtown are often walkable, and walking is how you find the cheap food.

To Giza, the metro plus a short Uber from the station is far cheaper than a hotel car. For day trips outside the city, shared vans and the train beat private drivers; check current schedules locally.

Metro: cheapest, best for long north–south hops.
Uber/Careem: fixed price, good after dark.
Walking: fine in Downtown and Zamalek by day; less so on fast roads.
Microbuses: very cheap but routes are hard to read without Arabic.

FAQ

Questions people ask

How much do I need per day in Cairo?

Budget US$40–70 per person per day: hostel bed US$10–20, food US$8–12, transport US$5–10, site tickets US$15–25 and a few dollars for tips. Add more on days you visit the Grand Egyptian Museum or the pyramids.

Where can I eat cheaply in Cairo?

Koshari shops, fuul and taameya stands, and street grills in Downtown and Islamic Cairo. A koshari bowl runs EGP 40–90 (about US$1–2) and fills you up. Eat where locals queue and food is cooked to order.

What are the cheapest months for Cairo?

Summer, roughly June to August, brings the lowest hotel rates because of the heat; winter (November to February) is peak season and prices rise. Shoulder months like March–April and October are a middle ground.

Is Cairo cheap for solo travellers?

Yes. A dorm bed, street food and the metro keep a day near US$40. The main extra cost is site tickets, which you pay alone rather than splitting.

Do I need cash in Cairo?

Yes for taxis, markets, small cafés, tips and toilets. Hotels and larger restaurants take cards, and many ticketed sites are card-only at the gate, so carry both.

Deep dive

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