What do things cost in Egypt?
Despite being an Ancient Egypt-obsessed child, I’d never seriously considered Egypt as a travel destination. With all the resort towns and Nile cruise boats, it just seemed too touristy.
That is until I started diving.
The Red Sea has some of the best diving in the world. And because most of the reef can be accessed from the shore, Egypt is one of the cheapest and most accessible countries to dive in the Red Sea. Seriously, each dive cost just €30 (£25 / $32 USD) including gear rental!
And the rest of Egypt was similarly budget-friendly. Public transport? Pennies. Food? You can eat like a king for ~£3 or less (€3.5 / $4 USD) per meal. Tours and activities? You can see most of the sights for free, or for a small amount.
The costs below are the average we encountered during our time in Egypt. We’ve chosen the individual items for their ubiquity across the world and because they’re the sort of things we think most backpackers will need to buy at some point. This will allow us, and you, to make a comparison of living and travel costs worldwide.
Currencies are Egyptian Pounds / £GBP / $USD. Conversion rate as at time of publication. Updated 2024.
our average daily cost for two
We didn’t track our overall expenditure for Egypt, so estimate is probably on the higher end. As we we’re both working at the moment, Egypt was a ‘money rich but time-poor’ trip for us, which is also reflected in the overall spending.
We don’t think it’s too bad, considering a) this includes all of the diving (yes, also the €220 Thistlegorm shipwreck dive) and b) we lived like kings (or pharaohs?) for the entire trip!
You could do Egypt on a lower budget by staying in dorm rooms or shared accommodation (we stayed in private rooms), being savvy about your transport (bus over train) and choosing not to dive as much (yes, we know it’s an expensive hobby!)
7100 EGP/ £120 / $150
average cost of a dorm bed
Egypt has an up-and-coming hostel scene. It’s not quite there yet, but you can find shared dorms in most major cities. Locals aren’t allowed to sleep in mixed-dorm accommodation, so hostels tend to be a backpacker only domain.
When travelling as a pair, it’s usually the same price to stay in a double room than in two dorm beds. This checked out for Egypt, so we mostly stayed in double rooms.
500 EGP / £8 / $10 USD
average cost of a 10h bus journey
We mostly took the second class minibuses, which were comfortable and clean, if the driving was a little crazy.
You can check the schedule and buy in advance at GoBus. This is a country-wide company with frequent buses, at good prices. Better yet, if you know any Egyptians, ask them to book you a GoMini. Run by the same company, the GoMini will get you there faster and cheaper. Just be prepared for the terrible Arabic pop music you’ll have to endure!
420 EGP / £7 / $8.6 USD
average cost of a 1km taxi ride
Egypt’s public transport system is terrible and taxis will be your new best friends. Uber is cheaper and less likely to scam you because you know how much you pay. Regular taxis are plentiful, but remember to always agree the price upfront and always always haggle. Here’s everything you need to know to avoid Egypt’s taxi scams!
10 EGP / £0.17 / $0.20 USD
average cost of one tourist breakfast
We don’t skimp on breakfast! Just 150 EGP per person will get you a huge meal to start your day. My favourite breakfast was at Ralphs German Bakery in Dahab, where i’d start the day enjoying fresh yoghurt, homemade granola and a huge fruit salad with orange juice and a coffee.
This price reflects that we visited Egypt during Ramadan, and most breakfast places catering to local people were closed by the time we’d gotten our butts out of bed! If you head to a local eatery, you can get a good breakfast for 1/4 of this price.
150 EGP / £2.5 / $3 USD
average cost of dinner (inexpensive restaurant)
Local food in Egypt is cheap, plentiful, and delicious. Expect fuul (bean stew), falafel, breads, hummus, and kebab meat. And the national dish, koshari, which is a delicious pasta-rice-chickpea mix with spicy tomato sauce topped with fried onions.
There are cheap local eateries on every corner. You can definitely eat for a lower price, especially if you eat vegetarian.
165 EGP / £2.7 / $3.5 USD
average cost of street food
Street food in Egypt is incredible. From koshari to kebab, you can eat like a king for just a few pennies.
A proper meal at a takeaway establishment will be between 35 EGP (e.g. a falafel/fuul sandwich) to 150 EGP (kebab meat with sides). Street food is particularly cheap in Cairo.
100 EGP / £1.7 / $2 USD
average cost of one litre of water
The safety of tap water varies in Egypt. It’s recommended not to drink it in Sinai, but locals drink the tap water in towns and cities along the Nile. That said, unless you have a particularly hardy stomach, you might want to consider buying bottled or boiling the tap water before drinking.
If you want to be extra careful, consider investing in a travel filter bottle. You can get a 15% discount on this one.
10 EGP / £0.17 / $0.20 USD
average cost of one litre of milk
What can I say, it’s milk? If you want non-dairy versions, such as soya or oat milk, expect to pay more
40 EGP / £0.68 / $0.80 USD
average cost of one dozen eggs
What can I say, it’s eggs? A great vegetarian protein option and a staple in most countries worldwide.
65 EGP / £1.1 / $1.3 USD
average cost of one cup of coffee
You can pay a lot more than this, especially at a hip cafe in Cairo, but we enjoyed many a decent cup of coffee (aka not instant) for around 40 EGP.
Egypt mostly serves Turkish coffee – strong and short with the grounds left in to sink to the bottom. If you take your coffee sweet, ask for sugar to be added up-front!
40 EGP/ £0.67 / $0.80 USD
average cost of one beer
Alcohol was hard to find in Egypt (maybe again due to travelling during Ramadan!). Egypt is an Islamic country, and many Egyptians opt for alcohol-free beers or choose not to drink beer at all. However, areas such as Dahab are more relaxed. You’ll also find alcohol on the menu in most places catering to tourists.
65 EGP / £1.1 / $1.3 USD
average cost of one can of pop
This is the average cost at a supermarket or street vendor. If you’re sitting down to enjoy a can of coke in a restaurant, expect to pay double or triple this.
15 EGP / £0.25 / $0.3 USD
average cost of one kg of laundry
Egypt is hot and sweaty but don’t fret – laundry is cheap and you can do it almost everywhere. Most hostels and rooms that we stayed in came with a washing machine and enough soap for one wash included. When we paid for laundry, it was ~80 to 100 EGP
100 EGP / £1.7 / $2 USD
*average cost of one dive
Egypt can be a ridiculously cheap place to dive! Most of the reef can be accessed from the shore, perfect for budget divers. Boat dives, such as the Thistlegorm Shipwreck, are significantly more expensive (but so worth it)
1500 EGP / £25 / $32 USD
Alice
Alice is a UK travel blogger who advocates sustainable travel and being more eco-conscious on a budget. She loves coffee, her houseplants and summiting mountains.
4 Comments
Drew & Steph
Great tips! Very helpful. Thanks!!
Alice
Things are changing pretty quickly with Egypt’s currency this year! Let us know if you visit and things are different 🙂
Gary Pickersgill
I live in Dahab and breakfast at Ralph’s German bakery most days. There are even cheaper places around but he does tend to hit the spot doesn’t he. Good luck on your travels .I stopped here seven years ago. Never regretted it.😁😁😎
Alice
I think of Ralph’s German Bakery on a weekly basis, it really did hit the spot! I miss Dahab so much…