Money in Egypt: Cash, Cards, Costs and Tips

The currency

Egypt uses the pound — EGP, also written E£ or ج.م. Notes come in 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200; alongside the paper ones there are plastic 10 and 20 EGP notes.

Card or cash?

You need both. Hotels, good restaurants, supermarkets and bigger shops take cards. Taxis, markets, small restaurants, tips and extras at the sites need cash.

Cash machines are easy to find in the cities and dependable. Each withdrawal costs about 60 EGP, so take out more, less often — and tell your bank you are travelling.

Exchanging money

Banks and licensed exchange offices have the best rates; the airport is worse but convenient. Never change money in the street.

If you plan to change cash, bring clean, undamaged USD, EUR or GBP notes — torn or marked ones are often turned down.

Typical prices

• A bottle of water: 10–15 EGP
• A bowl of koshary: 40–70 EGP
• Dinner at a good restaurant: 300–600 EGP
• A short Uber in Cairo: 60–120 EGP
• A museum ticket: 200–800 EGP

Who to tip, and how much

Baksheesh is built into how service is paid, rather than a nice extra.

• Toilet attendant: 10 EGP
• Porter: 20 EGP a bag
• Restaurant: 10% when service isn't included
• Taxi: round the fare up
• Hotel housekeeping: 50 EGP a night
• Tour guide: $10–15 a day, from the group
• Driver: $5–10 a day, from the group
• Nile cruise crew: most boats keep a shared tip box; $8–12 per person per night is usual, shared out by the boat

Carry a bundle of 10 and 20 EGP notes and everything gets easier.

What our prices include

All service charges and taxes are in our prices. Tips for guides and drivers are not, and are completely up to you — nobody will be unpleasant if you don't — but they are a real part of what these people earn.