Cost of Eating Out in Cairo 2026 — Restaurant Prices, Koshary Costs and Cairo Food Budget Guide

Cost of Eating Out in Cairo 2026

Cairo is one of the world's great-value food cities, with an extraordinary cuisine that spans street koshary for cents to Nile-view fine dining for tens of dollars. Egyptian cuisine — from ful medames (fava beans) and ta'meya (Egyptian falafel) to kofta and koshari — is hearty, flavourful, and among the most affordable in the world. This guide covers restaurant and eating-out costs in Cairo in 2026.

Cairo Restaurant and Street Food Prices

• Koshary (Egyptian national dish): EGP 25-65 ($1.20-$3 AUD) per bowl
• Ful medames and ta'meya (breakfast): EGP 30-70 ($1.40-$3.30 AUD)
• Kofta or kebab at local restaurant: EGP 80-200 ($3.70-$9.30 AUD) per person
• Mid-range Cairo restaurant lunch or dinner: EGP 200-500 ($9.30-$23 AUD) per person
• Zamalek or Maadi upscale restaurant: EGP 500-1,200 ($23-$56 AUD) per person
• Nile-view fine dining: EGP 1,000-2,500+ ($46-$116 AUD) per person

Cairo Best-Value Food Areas

• Islamic Cairo and Khan el-Khalili bazaar area have Cairo's most authentic and affordable street food; Koshary Abou Tarek on Maarouf Street is Cairo's most famous koshary restaurant; Zamalek (Nile island) offers a more upscale neighbourhood restaurant scene popular with Cairo's professional class; City Stars Mall food court offers familiar mid-range dining options at predictable prices

Tipping in Cairo

• Tipping ("baksheesh") is an important part of Cairo's service culture; 10-15% at sit-down restaurants is expected; smaller amounts at cafes and casual establishments; service staff in Cairo often rely on tips as a significant part of their income

Cairo Daily Food Budget

• Budget (street food and local restaurants): $8-18 AUD per day; Mid-range: $25-50 AUD per day; Upscale: $60-130 AUD per day

This article was compiled by AI and screened before publishing. See our editorial standards.