A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Aswan vs. Thessaloniki for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Aswan or Thessaloniki?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Aswan or Thessaloniki? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Where Should I go: Aswan or Thessaloniki?

Aswan

Lounging along the Nile like Egyptian royalty is a fantasy for most world travelers. If you want to do it without the hustle and bustle of Cairo, there's always Aswan. This city in the south of Egypt is the smallest of the three major cities on the Nile. Located just below the Aswan Dam and Lake Nasser, Aswan's 275,00 people include a large portion of Nubians – mostly resettled from their flooded homeland.

Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece and serves as the capital city of the Central Macedonia region. It also has a rich history dating back more than 3,000 years. As a visitor, you'll find that the city has been touched by the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman empires, all of which left their mark. In particular, the many Byzantine churches are quite impressive, with some of them listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Egypt, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Egypt, The Best Tours for Seniors to Greece, and The Best Contiki Tours to Greece.


Which place is cheaper, Thessaloniki or Aswan?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

  • Aswan Prices
    Egypt Prices
    Thessaloniki Prices
    Greece Prices
  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    Aswan $31
    Thessaloniki $193

The average daily cost (per person) in Aswan is $31, while the average daily cost in Thessaloniki is $193. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Aswan and Thessaloniki in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Aswan $10
    Thessaloniki $93
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Aswan $20
    Thessaloniki $186
Compare Hotels in Aswan and Thessaloniki

Looking for a hotel in Aswan or Thessaloniki? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Aswan


Hotels in Thessaloniki


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Aswan Hotel Prices and Thessaloniki Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Aswan $5.70
    Thessaloniki $16

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Aswan

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Aswan:

  • transfer from aswan to luxor with visits: $77
  • VIP Express Exclusive Aswan Airport Transfer: $50
  • VIP Aswan Airport Transfer to Luxury Retreats: $35
  • Transfer from Aswan to Luxor: $69
  • Transfer from Aswan to Hurghada : $95
  • Transfer from Aswan to Abu Simbel.: $166
  • Transfer from Aswan to Abu Simbel: $107
  • Transfer from Aswan Train Station to your hotel or the opposite : $30
  • Shared Transfer from Aswan Airport to Hotels : $15
  • Private transfer from aswan to luxor with visits: $93
  • Private transfer from aswan Airport To Marsa alam: $207
  • Private transfer from Hotel To Aswan Airport : $40

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Thessaloniki

Also for Thessaloniki, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Bus Transfer to/from Kavala: $25
  • Thessaloniki Airport Private Transfer Service: $35
  • From Private Day Trip to Meteora with Transfer: $493
  • Athens to/from Thessaloniki : Private Transfer: $1,006

Is it cheaper to fly into Aswan or Thessaloniki?

Prices for flights to both Thessaloniki and Aswan change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Aswan $16
    Thessaloniki $85

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Aswan

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Aswan.

  • Nubian Dinner in Nubian Village Of Aswan: $40
  • Savor Nubian Cuisine: Lunch or Dinner in a Local Village: $50
  • Nubian Dinner at Nubian Village: $51
  • Dinner on board a cruise on the Nile: $59
  • Nubian Dinner at Nubian Village: $60
  • Private 3-Hour Nubian Party with Dinner and Pickup in Aswan: $77
  • Aswan Sunset Dinner Cruise: $80
  • Your Grandmothers Cooking Class In Aswan : $90

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Thessaloniki

For Thessaloniki, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Open Market Food Tour with Tasting: $53
  • Cooking & Dining Experience with Greek Family: $69
  • Guided Food Tour: $76
  • Greek Ouzo and Meze Food Tour With A Local: $93
  • Traditional Greek Food Tour With A Local: $94
  • Kavala Food Tour and Cooking Workshop: $95
  • Get a Taste of Thessaloniki - Food Tour & Lunch: $103
  • Greek Cooking Class, Market Visit and Lunch: $104
  • Guided Walking and Food Tour with Drinks: $117
  • Thessaloniki Food Tour with a Local Chef: $129
  • Cooking & Wine Tasting with Dockside Views: $141
  • Cooking classes for Foodies, Discover Greek cuisine.: $158

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Aswan $9.77
    Thessaloniki $31
Typical Entertainment Prices in Aswan

Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Aswan are as follows:


  • Temple Kom Ombo for Two
    $1.26

Tours and Activities in Aswan

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Aswan are as follows:

  • Abu Simbel Temples Full Day Tour From Aswan With Entry Tickets : $99
  • Aswan : day tour, Philae Temple, Unfinished Obelisk &High Dam: $35
  • Aswan Luxury Car Tour: $75
  • Aswan private tour,Philae Temple, high Dam &unfinished obelisk : $35
  • Day Tour From Aswan To Luxor by Car: $190
  • Full-Day Tour to Philae Temple and Nubian Village (Private): $49
  • High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk, & Philae Private Tour: $20
  • Kayak Tour around the Temple of Philae & Heissa Island : $30
  • Nubian Village Day Tour In Aswan: $25
  • Philae Temple Night Experience (Sound and Light show). : $65
  • Philae Temple and Aswan High Dam Tour: $95
  • Private Day Tour to Luxor from Aswan: $65

Tours and Activities in Thessaloniki

For Thessaloniki, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • White Tower Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.37
  • Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour & Narrative: $9.37
  • Thessaloniki:Selfie Museum, a 60-minute immersive experience: $13
  • Museum of Illusions Admission Ticket: $13
  • Ticket for Frida Kahlo Beyond the Icon Immersive Experience: $18
  • Cretan Olive Oil Tasting Experience: $18
  • Thessaloniki Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing Bus Tour: $19
  • City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $19
  • OTE Tower Rotating Experience with Light Meal: $21
  • Byzantine Museum E-Ticket with Audio Tour: $21
  • Byzantine Museum E-Ticket & Audio City Tour: $25
  • Polycentric Museum & Aigai Royal Graves E-ticket with Audio Guide: $36

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Aswan $1.12
    Thessaloniki $17

Sample the Local Flavors in Thessaloniki

Also in Thessaloniki, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • From Pella-Edessa-Naousa wine tasting: $76
  • Small-Group Wine Tasting Tour with Appetizers: $89
  • Wine Tasting & Farm tour in Thessaloniki: $95
  • Winery Visit with Wine Tasting Experience: $111
  • Northern Greece Wine Tasting Tour in Kavala: $155
  • Small Group Kavala Tour: Pangaion Mountain & Wine Tasting: $274


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Aswan and Thessaloniki, we can see that Thessaloniki is more expensive. And not only is Aswan much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Aswan is in Africa and Thessaloniki is in Europe, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Aswan would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Aswan and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Thessaloniki would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Thessaloniki than you might in Aswan.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Aswan Expensive? and Is Thessaloniki Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Aswan or Thessaloniki?

Thessaloniki has a larger population, and is about 47% larger than the population of Aswan. When comparing the sizes of Aswan and Thessaloniki, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.