Egypt Travel Costs in 2026

Egypt is a genuinely cheap country to travel in, but not dirt-cheap. The published daily averages work out to $23 for backpackers, $48 for digital nomads and $285 for luxury travellers; in monthly terms that's $690, $1,440 and $8,550 respectively. The low numbers exist because a filling kebab or ful sandwich costs $2–3, a bed in a decent backpacker hostel runs $8–10 in Cairo and Sharm el-Sheikh, and domestic flights between the two cities can be booked for under $100 if you plan ahead.

The higher end is driven by imported goods, air-conditioned rooms, tour operations and western-style restaurants. Egypt's currency has lost value sharply in recent years, making foreign money stretch further, but inflation in Egyptian pounds means local prices keep rising too. The biggest cost lift comes from seasonality: between December and February, and again around Easter, tourist-class hotels in Cairo and Sinai double their rates. Outside those peaks, the country is a strong-value destination for anyone willing to eat like a local and book domestic travel a few weeks out.

The two destinations this site covers tell the price story from opposite ends. Sharm el-Sheikh is the cheaper base at $20 a day for a backpacker, while Cairo runs $25 a day at the same level. The gap is small on paper, but the reasons are structural: Sharm's package-hotel economy keeps demand for hostels low, so dorm beds and modest guesthouses are scarce and cheap, whereas Cairo's density of sights, street food and budget airlines keeps backpacker prices low but slightly above Sinai's.

For a realistic daily budget in either city, a strict budget traveller should carry $20–30, a mid-range visitor with a private room and a couple of restaurant meals should expect $60–100, and anyone paying for comfort – a proper hotel, guides, air-conditioned transfers – should plan on $150–250 a day. Luxury, at $285 a day, buys a five-star room, private tours and fine dining. The highest-rated spot for remote workers is Cairo, scoring 6.2 out of 10, thanks to fast enough internet (the national average fixed connection runs 38 Mbps) and a cluster of cafés with reasonable day rates.

October, November, March and April are the sweet spots for Egypt travel. Daytime highs sit in the mid-20s to low-30s Celsius, nights are cool, and Red Sea water at Sharm el-Sheikh is still warm enough to swim. Summer, from June through August, is brutally hot – Cairo regularly hits 40°C – so hotel prices drop and the crowds thin, but sightseeing becomes exhausting. December to February is the other shoulder: weather is pleasant in Cairo and mild in Sinai, but Christmas, New Year and Easter spike accommodation rates, and Sharm's beach hotels near double in price around the holidays.

If you want the best combination of cost and comfort, aim for the two weeks either side of the main winter holidays. You can expect short spells of wind and the occasional rain in Cairo, but generally clear skies and daytime warmth that keeps a light jacket handy in the evenings. Ramadan, which in 2026 runs from around 18 February to 19 March, brings shorter operating hours for museums and some restaurants and quieter nightlife, but also lower hotel occupancy outside tourist enclaves. Eid al-Fitr immediately after Ramadan sends local families to the beaches, pushing up demand and prices for a few days.

Getting between Cairo and Sharm el-Sheikh is simple but not fast. The direct domestic flight with EgyptAir takes just over an hour and typically costs $80–150 one-way if booked a few weeks ahead; ticket prices climb steeply for same-day departure. The alternative is long-distance bus – Go Bus and Blue Bus run overnight and daytime services through the Suez Canal tunnel, taking seven to eight hours and costing $15–25. A private car or taxi with a hired driver is the flexible option, usually $120–200 for the one-way trip, but the bus is perfectly practical if you're on a budget.

For getting around within Cairo, the metro is cheap and fast (about $0.15 a ride), and an Uber is often easier than negotiating with taxi drivers. In Sharm el-Sheikh, there's no real public transport inside town; trips to beaches or the dive harbour are best done with taxis, with short hops costing around $5–10. Unless you have a reason to visit coastal towns in between, flying saves a full day. There's no rail link to the Sinai Peninsula, so overland travel from Cairo to Sharm necessarily goes by road or sea.

Most passport holders from the US, UK, Canada, Australia and EU countries can get a tourist visa on arrival at Cairo and Sharm el-Sheikh airports for $25, valid for 30 days. The e-visa system works well too, and it's worth doing before you arrive if you plan to extend, since extensions after arrival are easier with a pre-printed visa. Your passport needs at least six months' validity, and you should have a flight itinerary or proof of onward travel ready.

Egypt uses the Egyptian pound, and while cards are accepted at bigger hotels and tourist restaurants, cash is king in local markets, street stalls and small taxi rides. In Sharm, many prices are quoted in dollars, so carry small notes of both. ATMs are widespread but daily withdrawal limits are low and some machines add fees; the official exchange rate at banks is reliable, and unofficial street exchange is illegal. Tipping is normal – 10% in restaurants, small coins for porters and drivers, and a few dollars for guides at sites. One thing that catches travellers out: if your itinerary includes crossing into Israel by land, entry restrictions and exit stamps can complicate later travel, so check the rules for your nationality before leaving.